Akin Grade School-Ag in the Classroom Annual Thanksgiving Feast

AKIN, IL – Akin Grade school holds an annual Thanksgiving feast Day each year. Each year Mrs. Shannon  Bennett, Kindergarten teacher at Akin, invites the Franklin County Ag in the Classroom Coordinator, Melissa Lamczyk, into the classroom to prepare her students for the day.

Mrs. Bennett and Mrs. Walker, 1^st grade teacher, help their students in making their feast day attire. Mrs. Lamczyk discusses with the students how the Native Americans hunted for their food and how they not only ate the meat, but also how the hides and bones were used clothing, tools and jewelry.

Mrs. Lamczyk also talks about how they used other resources from their environment that to make their items.  The students thought of different items that could be used for dyes for clothing, like berries and nuts and other items nature provides.

Mrs. Lamczyk dyes a variety of different shaped noodles each year for the students to make necklaces. She cuts strands of craft lace and attaches a metal ring at one end.  Pairs of students are given a bowlful of noodles to make their necklaces, then each student gets to choose a dyed manicotti noodle to slide onto the center of the necklace. The teachers then help place a latch on the other end of the necklace.  Each students’ initials are placed on a noodle near the latch and the students wear the necklace for a picture.

The teachers collect the necklaces and keep them until the feast day.  The teachers have students decorate paper sacks for vests and Mrs. Bennett brings in real turkey feathers for the students to use for their headdress. The students then wear the attire for feast day.

Many of the 1^st grade students and students from previous years say they still have their necklaces. Students sometimes make patterns with the noodles, but also need to use their fine motor skills and listening skills in making their necklaces. Students are mimicking the Native American attire and learning about history at the same time while having their Thanksgiving Feast.