Grade 4 / There Once Was A Longhouse Where Now There is Your House

Downloadable Production Guide (.pdf)

Back to There Once Was A Longhouse...Intro

Sample Activities

Living in harmony with nature is one of the key principles of Native American ideology. Nature was revered and respected. People’s names were often drawn from nature. Is there a particular item in nature with which you identify? Pick something in nature that you feel you share traits in common. Write a short story or poem that describes what you share with the natural object.

In our country, we participate in a democratic government in which the majority rules. The Haudenosaunee made decisions by reaching consensus. Everyone had to agree to a course of action. Divide into small groups. Each group should be given a problem they must solve by consensus within a specified time period. For example, they must select the game to be played at free time or how they will spend $10.00. After the decision making process has been completed, discuss what it was like to have to make decisions by consensus.

NYS Learning Standards

Preparatory Classroom Workshop

ARTS 1: Creating, Performing and Participating in the Arts – THEATRE
ARTS 2: Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources – THEATRE
ARTS 4: Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of the Arts - THEATRE
ELA 1.1: Language for Information and Understanding – Listening and Reading
ELA 1.2: Language for Information and Understanding – Speaking and Writing
ELA 4.1: Language for Social Interaction – Listening and Speaking
SS 1.1: History of the United States and New York: Development of
American Culture and its diversity and multicultural context
SS 1.2: History of the United States and New York: Connections and
interactions of people and events across time
SS 1.3: History of the United States and New York: Roles and contributions
of individuals and groups to social, political, economic, cultural and religious activities
SS 1.4: History of the United States and New York: Understanding changing
and competing interpretations of historical developments

There Once Was A Longhouse Where Now There is Your House Performance

ARTS 1: Creating, Performing and Participating in the Arts – THEATRE & MUSIC
ARTS 2: Knowing and Using Arts Materials and Resources – THEATRE & MUSIC
ELA 1.1: Language for Information and Understanding – Listening and Reading
ELA 2.1: Language for Literary Response and Expression – Listening and Reading
ELA 3.2: Language for Critical Evaluation and Analysis – Speaking and Writing
ELA 4.1: Language for Social Interaction – Listening and Speaking
SS 1.2: History of the United States and New York: Connections and
interactions of people and events across time
SS 1.4: History of the United States and New York: Understanding changing
and competing interpretations of historical developments
SS 5.1: Civics, Citizenship and Government: Learning about political systems,
the purposes of governments and civic life, and the differing assumptions held
by people across time and place

Production Guide
standards addressed by the suggested activities

ARTS 1: Creating, Performing and Participating in the Arts – THEATRE
ARTS 3: Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art – THEATRE
ARTS 4: Understanding the Cultural Dimensions and Contributions of the Arts - THEATRE
ELA 1.1: Language for Information and Understanding – Listening and Reading
ELA 1.2: Language for Information and Understanding – Speaking and Writing
ELA 2.1: Language for Literary Response and Expression – Listening and Reading
ELA 2.2: Language for Literary Response and Expression – Speaking and Writing
ELA 3.1: Language for Critical Evaluation and Analysis – Listening and Reading
ELA 3.2: Language for Critical Evaluation and Analysis – Speaking and Writing
ELA 4.1: Language for Social Interaction – Listening and Speaking
SS 1.1: History of the United States and New York: Development of American Culture
and its diversity and multicultural context
SS 1.2: History of the United States and New York: Connections and
interactions of people and events across time
SS 1.3: History of the United States and New York: Roles and contributions
of individuals and groups to social, political, economic, cultural and religious activities
SS 1.4: History of the United States and New York: Understanding changing
and competing interpretations of historical developments
SS 3.1: Geography: Displaying information in a spatial format with maps and charts
SS 5.1: Civics, Citizenship and Government: Learning about political systems,
the purposes of governments and civic life and the differing assumptions held
by people across time and place
SS 5.4: Civics, Citizenship and Government: Probing ideas and assumptions
to develop and refine participatory skills