If You Lived With The Iroquois

This historical non-fiction book for intermediate readers, explains what your life would be like if you lived with the Iroquois.  The Iroquois are Native American Indians.  This book gives children a very detailed view of how these people lived.  In this book you can read about how their houses were arranged, where they found food, how they named babies, what happened if they got sick, what kind of clothes they wore, and much more!  

This book is very organized.  The table of contents outlines every section of the book and allows easy access to any topic of interest included.  The items of consideration are thoughtfully expressed with great detail.  The illustrations assist the reader in understanding the content of the text.  The drawings are beautifully done and help develop the mood and setting of the book. The information seems authentic and is similar to other things I have read about Native American people.  

Reader Response Questions:
1. What new thing did you learn about the Iroquois that was most interesting to you?
2. What are some ways they treated the land differently than we do today?
3. How did they know what day or time it was?
Motivational Activites:
1. In the book you read about wampum, or beads cut from seashells used to make belts or strings.  Design your own wampum and explain what special meaning it has for you.  What are some times you would use it or need it?
2. Think of the lifestyle of the Iroquois people.  Write about the things they did that you feel we should continue to do, as well as some things that you feel would have benefited those people that we practice today.

I found this book to be very fascinating. It is interesting to see how civilization was before we came here.  There was a lot of information here that would be useful in the classroom for discussion as well as activities.

References
Galda, L., Cullinan, B., & Sipe, L. (2010). Literature and the child   
         (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning. 
Levine, E. (1998). If you lived with the iroquois. New York, NY: 
         Scholastic Inc.