Shelters of the Eastern Woodlands

LESSON TWO 

While there may be others, I introduced my students to four different types of shelters that the early people of the Eastern Woodlands built to thrive in their environment.  Wigwams and Longhouses were sturdy shelters for the northeast, protecting people against the harsh winters and utilizing the birch and elm tree forests that grew in the region.  The Wattle & Daub shelters were prominent in the southeast where the warm sun would dry and harden the clay walls of the structure.  In the swampy regions of present-day Florida, the Chickee was constructed by the Seminole people who adapted to the marsh and heat. 

Example:

Ms. Ho: Which of these shelters is a wigwam?

Ede: I think the wigwam is the shelter in the northeast corner!

For this lesson I warmed up with a guessing game - asking kids to match each picture to a name.  Just to reinforce those geography skills a little more, I asked them to use the compass at the top when giving their answers.

To change up my approach, I partnered students up and had them read information about each shelter.  One pair read about the Wigwam and the Longhouses and then completed a venn diagram.  After 15 minutes they would switch with another group who had read about the Chickee and Wattle & Daub structures.  By the end of class, each group had collected concrete information on each of the four shelters.

Make copies of these Shelter Fact Sheets so that students can read the information in partner groups.  I back them onto construction paper and laminate them for future use.  I love visuals, so here are some images:

Create a venn diagram form, or use mine which is the third page of the All Woodlands Worksheets so that students can record the new information.