I have spent the past 24 years as a park Naturalist, attempting with varying degrees of success to teach local school children about the recent stone age inhabitants of our area, the Ohlone Indians, and more recently, about early man in general. Third and fourth grade curricula mandate that local and state history be taught, and that it include the Indians. Over the years we have developed programs at our park to deal with each of these topics. Our goals include overcoming television stereotypes, providing a base for modern environmental appreciation, understanding the origin of modern technologies and providing a few specific facts.
Teaching techniques range from lecture to hands on participation.
In a perfect world, every kid would take a two week immersion style training where they learned all the basics in a real life setting. In the urban reality of today's classroom, with 30 kids, a limited budget and time, the odds are against us and the teachers we serve. After an introduction that includes information on the tribes in the groups local area, and basic hunter-gatherer lifestyles, the class is divided up to try various activities. We also provide checkout materials for the teachers to use on their own, and rental 'culture kits' for them to take into the classroom. Following a similar introduction to our Ohlone Indians, the group is divided in half for the half mile walk to the village site.