"What's in a House" is a popular educational program I designed to be able to be taught anywhere in grades K - 12 (with approriate adjustments in curriculum content.). It's important to take children beyond the stereotype that all "Indians" lived in tipis. The program shows how Native Americans used materials available to create a comfortable and safe living environment. It also looks at the sophisticated social environments in which such things as the Iroquois Longhouse and the West Coast Cedar Houses, both multiple family dwellings, operated. A look at art forms, both fine and utilitarian, in relationship to the architecture is also included in the program.
For free downloadable patterns for a paper Iroquois Longhouse model, a plains indian tipi diorama, several housing styles paper models from prehistoric Ohio, plus a Northwest coast Cedar House visit the teacher's resources page of my website by clicking here.
Susan K. Nelson has a Master of Arts degree in Archaeology Education from the
McGregor School at Antioch University.
Tlingit Two-beamed House
Tlingit Cedar House Interior
An Iroquois Longhouse
Interior View of Iroquois Longhouse
Ft. Ancient House circa 1200 AD
Interior View of Ft. Ancient House
Lakota Tipi Interior View
Eastern Wigwam Interior View
A Mammoth Bone Paleolithic House
Paleolithic House Side View
Of course this isn't even close to an exhaustive list of architectural styles.
The list will expand as time goes on and I build more models.
Illustrations from worksheet handouts
Susan K. Nelson has a Master of Arts degree in Archaeology Education from the McGregor School at Antioch University.