French and Indian War Study Guide

French and Indian War + Iroquois Longhouse Video

Whenever we learn history, I like it to be fun. And I want it to be memorable. And when we do a project, any project, the kids remember their history so much more.

So when we began our study of the 18th century, and focused on Colonial American history, we spent some time on the Iroquois Indians of the Northeast. For our main hands-on project, we created an Iroquois Indian village diorama.

See?

 

To do this, we used some materials that were readily available, and a few that I found online.

The base is just cardboard. It’s about 2 feet x 3 feet. For the dirt, we used dirt. From the yard. I mixed up some homemade decoupage glue (half Elmer’s glue and half water) and spread that all over the cardboard. Liberally. Then the kids sprinkled the dirt on top of the glue.

For the grass, I used craft moss. It’s what we had on hand. : ) That took hot glue to keep it in place.

The kids also collected tiny rocks from our gravel driveway for the rocky areas. The big “boulders” are just bigger rocks from the driveway.

The forest-y area is made of dead leaves, crumbled up and glued to the cardboard. And those cute little trees? Miniature Christmas trees leftover from some crafts we did. Purchased at WalMart.

The little stream was just blue craft paint, painted by my very talented six-year-old daughter.

Those are all the things we found around the house.

The longhouses are from free printables. I printed them on white cardstock, and let each of the kids design their own. Guess which one belongs to the girl?

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Last, we added the little Indian figures I found on Amazon. Because I searched all the stores in my local area for those little cowboy and Indian toy figures and none were to be found. But these turned out so much better, because they are authentic to the 1700’s and the Northeast. They’re actually designed for painting, but we left them as they came. It turns out, there are lots of other cool sets in this series, like Revolutionary War soldiers! I can’t wait for the next project!

We used hot glue on all of the scenery, houses, and Indians.  I won’t show you a picture of the village after our cat sat on it. Let’s just say there is going to be a remodel.

Here are the other resources we enjoyed for the French and Indian War and the Iroquois Confederacy:

Iroquois Confederacy

You will want this book! The Iroquois Handbook is a literal encyclopedia of all you would ever want to know about the Six Nations that inhabited the North East during the American colonial period. It was written in 1818 by a missionary who lived with the Iroquois for thirty years. This amazing book was out of print, and I have reprinted it for the 21st century. It is such a valuable resource for homeschooling! Order it from Amazon or my bookstore.

This book will help you understand so much in the books and movies in that time period, such as The Leather Stocking Tales – this is the series of books that includes Last of the Mohicans.

Also watch:

• Video tour of Indian homes during the colonial period and this video of a Wompanoag homesite
• Video of native games
• Short Delaware Nation documentary
• George Washington’s address to the Delaware tribes

And do:

• Lots of great information, printables, and projects on the Iroquois Confederacy at Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool

Specifics on the French and Indian War

The French and Indian War is such an important time in the history of America. It was this war that first saw George Washington in the military — but he was serving in the British Army. He fought against the French and certain Indian tribes over land in the North East. His service later recommended him for the position of Commander of the Continental Army in the Revolution.

This war also had much to do with starting the Revolution. When the French and Indian War was over, Britain was facing financial hardship. They turned to taxing the Americans for the cost of “protecting them from the French.” It was these increasing taxes that led to the Boston Tea Party and the events of the Revolution.

Get started with this PBS Video The War That Made America. 

Read:

• The Matchlock Gun: In 1756, New York State was still a British colony, and the French and the Indians were constant threats to Edward and his family. When his father was called away to watch for a raid from the north, only Edward was left to protect Mama and little Trudy. His father had shown him how to use the huge matchlock gun, an old Spanish gun that was twice as long as he was, but would Edward be able to handle it if trouble actually came?
• The Sign of the Beaver: In this Newbery Honor book, a thirteen-year-old boy struggles to survive on his own in the wilderness of eighteenth-century Maine. When Matt’s father leaves him on his own to guard their new cabin in the wilderness, Matt is scared but determined to be brave and prove that he can take care of himself. And things are going fine until a white stranger steals his gun, leaving Matt defenseless and unable to hunt for his food. Then Matt meets Attean, a Native boy from the Beaver tribe, and soon learns that people called the land around him home long before the white settlers ever arrived. As Attean teaches him more about his own culture, Matt must come to terms with what the changing frontier really means. Now with an introduction by critically acclaimed writer Joseph Bruchac about the historical context and the relationships between Native peoples and white settlers in the eighteenth century.
• The Last of the Mohicans (Audible version) James Fenimore Cooper places the two beautiful Munro sisters in the midst of the the savagery of life on the frontier, dominated by feuding Indian tribes and the relentless European encroachment on the Native American lifestyle.  Cooper’s spine-tingling perennial best-seller is an essential part of American culture.
• The Last of the Mohicans (Illustrated Classics version)

Watch:

• Alone Yet Not Alone Based on a true story!
• Last of the Mohicans
• The Sign of the Beaver (Free with Amazon Prime membership, or order the DVD)

Do:

• Creat a Sign of the Beaver lapbook, or add these activities to a history notebook
• Let your younger kids try loom beading with pony beads
• Let your younger kids try weaving yarn on a cardboard loom
• Check out this list of 15 Hands-On History Ideas for Middle School Kids Studying the French and Indian War 
• See this great post on a hands-on lesson on the French and Indian War
• French and Indian War Map Activity ($2.50 download)

See the other books in my history re-print series at Knowledge Keepers Bookstore!