The following activities have been developed for educators to use in both formal and informal education settings and provide a way to engage with the history of the Eastern Shawnee.
Activity 1.1 – Your History: Conducting Your Own Oral History Interview
Summary: After exploring the oral histories presented in The Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma: Resilience through Adversity, students will learn to conduct their own oral histories to learn about the people, places, and events specific to their own family or community. Students will develop their own interview questions, conduct interviews with family and friends, and share what they’ve learned with one another. Students will additionally consider and a story from their own life they feel is important to add to the historical record to provide a more complete understanding of contemporary Eastern Shawnee history.
Essential Questions:
- How can oral histories help us to understand the past and preserve our cultural heritage?
- How can oral histories help us to learn about ourselves?
Activity Materials:
Activity 1.2 – Telling Stories through Objects and Images
Summary: In this activity, students will learn how objects and images can be used to help us learn about the people, places, and events of both the past and present. Students will make observations of both objects and images and work to unravel the stories behind these items. Through this process, students will begin to understand why the collection and preservation of such items is vital to understanding the past and preserving the cultural heritage of the Eastern Shawnee.
Essential Questions:
- How can objects and images help us to understand the past and preserve our cultural heritage?
- How can observations help us to make predictions?
Activity Materials: