Leatherworking Activity Concludes Minetto 4th Grade Native American Lessons

MINETTO – Minetto Elementary School fourth graders created leather bookmarks as a culmination activity to a recent Native American academic unit.

Following English language arts and social studies lessons, students easily answered questions asked by guest presenter Rebecca Johnston, store manager of the Syracuse-based Tandy Leather.

The group of students learned that Native Americans used all components of animals for various purposes, such as: food, clothing and jewelry.

Each fourth grader was invited to feel various animal hide, such as deer, rabbit, cow and snake.

While most students in Susan Thompson’s class preferred the soft fur of a fox’s tail, some opted not to touch the scaly snake skin.

Furthering their knowledge of animals with leatherworking, Johnston brought strips of cow hide for the entire Minetto fourth grade to create their own leather bookmarks.

They used stamps of animals, emojis and other figures to imprint their leather strips.

After their creations dried overnight, they were ready to be used for their daily reading.

Meanwhile, Thompson said throughout the Native American unit, students also enjoyed drawing wampum belts, learning about longhouses and reading related stories.

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