Fifth grade students from Saluda Elementary School visited the Schiele Museum in Gastonia recently to explore American Indian cultures through hands-on learning experiences.
The field trip, funded by a grant from the Polk County Community Foundation, connected with the students’ Arts and Letters module in English language arts and their social studies unit on Indigenous groups in the United States.
Students explored museum exhibits and participated in the American Indian Cultures program, which included demonstrations of tools, weapons and village life used by Native American tribes.
Students had opportunities to handle replicas of tools used by Indigenous peoples and examine detailed models of Native American villages.
“My favorite part was when he showed the tools the Native Americans used,” student Fred said.
Student Kaiden said he enjoyed seeing the village models, while classmate Jackson said he appreciated the hands-on elements of the visit.
“I didn’t want to leave, especially when the presenter let me hold the tools that Native Americans used,” Jackson said.
Student Nathan said his favorite part was learning about traditional weapons, including the bow and arrow and blow dart.
The Schiele Museum in Gastonia offers educational programming that connects students with natural history, science and cultural heritage through interactive exhibits and demonstrations.
