Free Teacher's Resources and Projects

Teacher's Resources and Projects

This page contains free downloadable kits for paper models of a plains tipi, an Iroquois longhouse, a set of various styles of houses from prehistoric Ohio, a Northwest coast cedar house, and a poster showing deer bones used to make various tools.

This page will always be "under construction". I will add more projects to this page as I create projects that are inexpensive to do and also have worthwhile educational value. Feedback on these projects is solicited.

On rare occasions some people can't download files. I'm not a computer expert and can't debug your browser settings for you, but if you e-mail me and tell me what files you need, I'll send you the PDF files as an attachment to an e-mail. [There is also a "mail to" button on my home page which will direct an e-mail to me at susankae@earthlink.net .]

Technical considerations: You will need version 4.0 or later of Adobe Acrobat Reader^® to open the PDF files on this page. You can download the latest version of Acrobat Reader for free from the Adobe web site by clicking here.

Legalities: Teachers, scout leaders, parents, students, etc. are welcome to free use of the projects on this page. However, you cannot republish these projects in any way, nor charge students / children anything to do them, except for reimbursement of actual cost of supplies used when customary.

Iroquois Longhouse Paper House Kit

Grade Level: This popular project is designed to be done at the elementary level, ages 8 and above.
Academic Standards Addressed: Social Studies units on History and People in Societies.
Supplies Cost: This project can be done with just copies of the house pattern onto card stock, scissors, and a glue stick.
PDF File Contents: A pattern for the paper longhouse, and instructions for assembly are contained in the PDF file. This PDF also contains a reference to two fine, relatively inexpensive, educational children's books covering Longhouses. Feel free to download and use this kit.

Click here to get the Paper Longhouses PDF file.
CAUTION: File is 909 KB and can take 5 - 10 minutes to download on a 56k modem.

The one PDF pattern creates either of
these paper Iroquois Longhouse models.

One can also find plans for building an actual longhouse (or scale it down to a very detailed model) from the New York State Museum at this link.

Tipi Diorama

Grade Level: This project is designed to be done at the 2nd grade level, but can be easily adapted for older children.
Academic Standards Addressed: Social Studies units on Cultures and Daily Life. As Interdisiplinary, have students discuss the symbolic meaning of the decorative designs they chose to bring in Language Arts and Art.
Supplies Cost: This project can be done at a bare minimum of cost for supplies and is popular with students.
PDF File Contents: The tipi pattern, construction instructions, and a short list of library references are all contained in the PDF file. Feel free to download and use it.

Click here to get the tipi PDF file.
CAUTION: File is 277 KB and can take 1 or 2 minutes to download on a 56k modem.

Prehistoric Ohio Paper House Kits

Grade Level: This project is designed to be done at the elementary level, ages 8 and above, but can be easily adapted for older children. While these are specifically designed to meet Ohio academic standards, they easily relate to comparable time periods in other parts of the Eastern United States.
Academic Standards Addressed: Social Studies units on History and People in Societies.
Supplies Cost: This project can be done with just copies of the house patterns onto card stock, scissors, and a glue stick.
PDF File Contents: A brief summary of each house and culture from which it comes, 1 Fort Ancient family "paper dolls" set, patterns for each house, and instructions for assembly, are all contained in the PDF file. Feel free to download and use it.

Click here to get the Ohio paper houses PDF file.
CAUTION: File is 2.74 meg and can take 15 minutes to download on a 56k modem.

The kit includes 5 black and white houses representing the 5 prehistoric cultures outlined in the Ohio State Academic Content Standards. From left to right (back row: Fort Ancient house, Adena house, Paleo windbreak; front: Archaic bark structure, Hopewell bark house

To see a short survey discussion of the time periods in Ohio prehistory for each of the houses in this kit, click here.

Northwest Coast Cedar House Model

Grade Level: This project is designed to be done at the 4th grade level, but can be easily adapted for older children.
Academic Standards Addressed: Social Studies units on Cultures and Daily Life. As Interdisiplinary, have students discuss the symbolic meaning of the decorative designs they chose to bring in Language Arts and Art.
Supplies Cost: This project can be done with just copies of the house patterns onto card stock, scissors, and a glue stick.
PDF File Contents: The house pattern, construction instructions, "paper dolls" set, and a short list of library references are all contained in the PDF file. Feel free to download and use it.

Click here to get the Cedar House model PDF file.
CAUTION: File is 238 KB and can take 1 or 2 minutes to download on a 56k modem.

Deer Bone Tools Poster

I have turned this hands-on museum display into a poster showing essentially all the same material.

Grade Level: It is applicable to all age groups. It's intent is to show which bones of deer killed for meat were used to make various tools necessary for everyday life.
Academic Standards Addressed: Social Studies units on Cultures and Daily Life. As Interdisiplinary, relates to biology.
Supplies Cost: Only paper and ink are needed to print this poster.
PDF File Contents: The poster is contained in the PDF file. Feel free to download and use it. The PDF itself is optimized for quality printing and the font in some words may look strange when viewed in your browser's PDF add-on. If you save the file and print using Adobe Acrobat Reader, it should be fine.

Click here to get the Deer Bone Poster PDF file.
CAUTION: File is 398 KB and can take 3 - 5 minutes to download on a 56k modem.
(You may wish to click here to jump to replicas I made of native American bone tools on the replica page of my web site after you've downloaded the PDF.)

Susan K. Nelson has a Master of Arts degree in Archaeology Education from the McGregor School at Antioch University.

Return to my home page. | Return to top of page. | Go to Other Recommended Links page.