Native American Architecture

The "What's in a House?" Educational Program

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"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. [You will be redirected to this same site on the new larger, faster server.]