CHANDLER, AZ — An exciting exploration of Native American Culture took place at Anderson Elementary School Thursday.
As part of the school's International Baccalaureate program, inside one classroom, fourth graders are paired alongside kindergarteners working together to learn, touch, and experience the wonders of native history.
“So, they’ll be observing Native American photographs, artifacts, and poetry, in our learning lab,” said program director Christen Morton.
The idea is simple — provide the information but bring it to life along the way.
"You can see that's a piece of animal hide which they used to make clothes and shelters," said one student.
As the groups make their observations, they jot down questions they’d like to explore further. The teamwork throughout creates a genuine shared learning experience.
“I think kids know how to connect with each other in ways that adults just can’t do,” said Morton.
“You get to touch and feel and look at it and write down what you think and see all about the different cultures and what they made,” said fourth-grader Addison Bell.
“How it felt and how it was used in the past when the Native Americans were using all that stuff,” said fourth-grader Robert Kraemer.
They even got a crash course on what it took to make paints from berries — an eye-opening look at the innovation of that time period — using it to put the finishing touches on the pottery they created a day earlier.
One little girl shared with ABC15 how the entire project has filled her with pride.
“It was kind of cool that now some of my classmates know that I am Navajo,” said Mikyla Nastacio.
Chandler Unified School District says it’s committed to creating global thinkers, starting with the people and cultures that make up our own backyard.