John Ruhrah 3rd grade students took a trip back in time on December 19, 2014.
Irvine visited John Ruhrah Elementary/Middle School for it’s bi-monthly visit, but this visit was not like the others. Irvine brought along a dedicated volunteer, Malcom Gee, to help transform Mrs. Hare’s 3rd grade classroom into a Native American site 400 years past.
- John Ruhrah 3rd grade students playing “Corn Cob Darts” a Native American game.
- Students learning about “A Day in the Life” of a Native American during the Woodland Period (about 400 years ago).
- Students received artifacts, and they brainstormed what the object is, what material it is made from, and how Native Americans used it. This is a corn husk doll.
- Creating fire using the “Bow and Drill” method
- Students smelling the ember.
- Students playing “Saddlebag Toss”.
The students were able to learn through hands on activities, games, stories, and artifacts what Maryland was like 400 years ago, and who settled the land. They learned how Native Americans used only natural resources to survive, and what a day in the life of a Native American might have been like.
They also played various Native American games that improved their hand eye coordination, accuracy, and reaction time, just as Native American’s children would have done in the past.