Classroom Activities & Projects
Symbols SearchLevel: 15 to 16 years
- Introduce students to closely examining artifacts to glean information
- Demonstrate the ability to record information and key ideas from research
Symbols are used by each of the First Nations in the American Southwest. They act as helping spirits, providing power and protection to the wearer. They represent the supernatural forces, natural elements and animals through which the spiritual powers work. Some of the symbols commonly seen on footwear are related to rain making, such as rainbows, rain clouds, lightening and snakes.
Ask students to search for symbols on the Apache artifacts in Footsteps on the Sacred Earth using Worksheet 4 - Symbols Search (2 pages). Encourage them to use the 3D feature to see all sides of the objects. From the text, students can find out the meanings of the symbols.