Fields & Meadows EcoStudy Unit
Children of the Longhouse Internet Activity
Based on the novel by Joseph Bruchac

Directions: Bookmark this activity webpage. Use the colored links provided to find the answers to the questions.
Or use the Go menu to jump past several pages just viewed to return to this one.

1. Joseph Bruchac is the author of the story. Watch this interview on Youtube.
What does he believe the traditional stories do?

 

2. Ohkwa'ri is a member of the Mohawk people. They are part of the first United Nations.
The League of Peace of the Iroquois Nation is the oldest form of government in North America.
It is called the Grand Council of the Haudenosaunee.

What is the Great Law of Peace?

What special powers do women have? (Scan down to the part about women)

Why?

Offline: In what part of the story does Bruchac describe this power the women have.

3. Ohkwa'ri builds himself a lodge. It is so small inside that he must sleep curled in a ball.
His family lives in a longhouse.

How large were longhouses?

Compare this to your home or school. Which is larger?


You can use your estimation skills to estimate the dimensions of your home.
Or you could measure the dimensions of your school and use that for comparison.


4. Otsi:stia harvests strawberries.
Write two ways people have used strawberries, other than eating the sweet fruits.

 

5. Native peoples marked the passage of time by the moons. Which moon do the Mohawks say it is this month?
(
Try using the Find command to help you scan the text: Go Edit ... Find or (Macs - Go command key ...f).
Enter a keyword in the box. Moon is NOT a good pick. Click the Find button. To Find Again, farther down the page,
Go Edit .. Find again or command ...g.
)

 

6. Herons Flying tells Otsi:stia and Ohkwari the story of the smallest ball player. She describes the field as a big one.
One goal was at the place of the big falls toward the sunset, between the two great lakes.
That place does exist
. What are the big falls called?

 

Name the two great lakes she mentions.

 

7. Hand Talker uses his hand to talk because he can no longer speak.
Name a group of people who use hand signals to talk to another person.

Describe a hand signal you use or have seen used.

What is its message?

 

8. The Mohawk people are also called the Flint People. What is flint?

 

9. Ohkwa'ri thanks the maple tree for the sweet sap used to make a drink.
What is another use people make of maple tree's sap? I bet you have eaten it!

 

10. Otsi:stia is cautioned against telling stories at the wrong time of year. Doing this will anger the Little People.
Irish people also tell tales of the Little People. How are the Irish Little People different from the ones described in the story?
(Use your online skills to develop an answer.)

 

11. Ohkwa'ri's quick thinking and correct actions saved Grabber's life.
Write the correct first aid to do if someone has a bad cut with lots of bleeding.

 

12. Consider this list of animals that are mentioned in the story. Select one and write three facts about it.
Use your favorite search engine to look for the info on the Internet.
(Bat, flying squirrel, rattlesnake, deer, beaver, wolf, heron, bear, rabbit, turtle, porcupine,
duck, swallow, redtail hawk, broad winged hawk, panther, swallow)

 

What is the percentage of these animals that can be found in your community?

 

13. Write the Mohawk Hello greeting. Include your name.

Offline: Try saying it to a peer.

14. Mr. Bruchac has written many books. Consider this list of them.
Which one sounds interesting to you? Why?

 

15. The stories of the First People often taught valuable lessons.
What is the lesson in this Iroquois story? The Hunting of the Great Bear.

 

Challenges:

A. Name the story - The story of the ball game is a tale of some animals excluding other animals.
Bat and Flying Squirrel become the heroes of the story. Name another famous story where a
group of animals exclude an animal. In the end, the lonely animal that was left out of the fun becomes the hero.
(Hint: Perhaps you have heard a song that tells the story.)

 

B. Review the Comparison and Contrast Guide @ ReadWriteThink.

Use a graphic organizer to develop and organize your facts.

Write an essay comparing and contrasting your life today with Ohkwa'ri's life.

C. Allies in War, Partners in Peace - the Story of Polly Cooper, the Oneida People and Valley Forge

 

"You must sometimes think before you do things." Otsi:stia

Done Already? Excellent!

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2005 Cindy O'Hora, Educators may print a hunt for use in a classroom setting.
FAQ posted 10/2005 UTD 11/2022

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Proof your responses. It is funny how speling errors and typeos sneak in to the bets work. smiling icon Make Your Own Printed answer sheet. Or perhaps you have the resources to record verbal answers. If you do, be sure to first read / record the question. Then record the answer immediately after it