Words to study: tanned, ornaments, moccasins, cured, sewn, wore out, pliable, garment, birch bark, pitch, waterproof
Clothing: The Indians’ clothing was mainly of animal skins that were tanned and cured. When a skin was cured, it became soft and pliable. Shells were used for ornaments and sewn onto the garments. Moccasins were made from moose skin or deer skin. One Indian wore out as many as twenty pairs of moccasins a year.
Transportation: Birch bark was used to make strong, light weight and fast-moving canoes. Strips of wood were used to construct the framework of the canoe. Roots from trees were used to attach the bark to the framework. Pitch, a sticky, gummy substance taken from the pine trees, was used to waterproof the canoe. They also used a mixture of spruce resins, animal fat, and charcoal to protect their canoes.
Entertainment: Games were a popular pastime. Some were similar to cards and games of dice. Another amusement was sports. Most sports were games for fun; some, however, were taken seriously. Sometimes, men lost all their property by betting. Indians also enjoyed dances to have fun and to celebrate special events.
(Review here family and ceremonies.)
Questions for discussion:
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1.
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What do you think about the clothes used by the Connecticut Indians as compared to the clothes in use today?
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2.
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Were the clothes of the Connecticut Indians similar to those used by the Tainos in Puerto Rico? Why?
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3.
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What about the transportation? Do you like canoes? Can we use canoes now to get from one place to another? Was this way of transportation similar to that of the Tainos in Puerto Rico?
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Word Search
All the words below are hidden in the puzzle. They are names of foods the Indians ate. Circle each word that you find.
BEANS
BEAR
CARP
CATFISH
COD
CORN
CORNBREAD
CORNMEAL
DEER
LOBSTER
MACKEREL
MAIZE
POPCORN
PORRIDGE
SALMON
SUCCOTASH
S X N J P O R R I D G E U P C C P R
U Q I O L D C O B E A N S S A O O O
C T S Y C O R N B R E A D M T R P P
C A A B L I D M A I Z E L A F N C F
O Y L R O C E C O R N E N C I M O V
T W M V B U E B Z N Z E I K S E R B
A I O W S W R C A R P A C E H A N H
S I N R T A S D F J C D L R K L S W
H S I F E L B E A R O C X E Z P O J
C A R E R R L O B T D O P L A C M N
How many words did you find? ______________
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4.
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What kinds of entertainment did the Connecticut Indians have? Name some similarities between the entertainment of the Indians of Puerto Rico and the Indians of Connecticut.
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The teacher will go to the blackboard and prepare two columns:
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Tainos
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Indians of Connecticut
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___________________
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_______
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___________________
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Related Activities:
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¥
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Visit the Peabody Museum, third floor
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¥
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Film presentation
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Recommended Films from the Audio Visual Materials Catalogue, 1983, New Haven Public Schools:
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1.
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American Indians (fsr) (im n)
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2.
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Northeast Indians Salish (im)
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3.
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Indian Tales Footsteps Upon the Water
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4.
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Where did the Indians live? (i,m) (pi) (fsc)
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5.
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Huron Indians Christmas Carols (i,m)
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