Curtis, Edward S. Mizheh and babe. ca. 1906. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003652705/.
Cultural practices are often based on geographical and environmental realities. In this lesson, learners examine characteristics of cradleboards, how they were carried, and how they were used to protect infants. A secondary source from the era is also provided about how various cultures carry infants. Then, learners combine the characteristics with descriptions of geographic and ecosystem features of the Palo Duro Canyon in the Texas Plains to answer the question of how the features of the cradleboard function.
Apache, Arapaho, Kiowa, Cheyenne, and Comanche Indians traveled and stayed in the Palo Duro Canyon in the 17th and 18th centuries. Several photos from the Library of Congress reveal the design and use of cradleboards.
Source: https://americanindian.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/item?id=300
Source: : https://americanindian.si.edu/explore/exhibitions/item?id=300
- Why would someone carry their baby in such a way?
- How were the cradleboards designed?
- In what ways did the environment (geography, plants, and animals) influence the use of cradleboards?
- Extension questions
- How are cradleboards and practices similar to other periods, cultures, and practices in keeping children safe? Learners might find evidence of how this practice influences emergency medicine.
ELA Standards
5.6F. Comprehension. Listening, speaking, reading, and writing with multiple texts. The student uses metacognitive skills to both develop and deepen comprehension of increasingly complex texts. The student is expected to make inferences and use evidence to support understanding.
Social Studies Standard
5.8. Geography. The student understands how people adapt to and modify their environment. A: Describe how and why people have adapted to and modified their environment in the United States, such as the use of human resources to meet basic needs.
Students read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions (e.g., philosophical, ethical, aesthetic) of human experience.
- Display the following images and titles:
- Share the newspaper article from 1898: Carrying the Babies https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn88083938/1898-05-04/ed-1/?sp=2&st=image&r=0.42,0.034,0.486,0.287,0
- Give students cardstock, twine, and scissors to craft a model cradleboard. They can roleplay with the model to make inferences about how the cradleboard provided effective protection.
- Divide learners into teams to research elements of the Palo Duro Canyon where these Indians would have camped: Geography of Palo Duro Canyon, Plants of the Palo Duro Canyon, Animals in the Palo Duro Canyon, Climate of the Palo Duro Canyon. Each group prepares to make inferences to connect how the cradleboard solved specific problems in the environmental characteristic they studied.
- Learners interview members from other teams to build knowledge about the new topics and their impact on infant safety.
- Conduct a whole-group discussion about how the cradleboard was an important adaptation to the living conditions in the Palo Duro Canyon.
Curtis, Edward S. An Apache babe. ca. 1903. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2001695844/.
Curtis, Edward S. The cornfield. ca. 1906. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2003652704/.
O'Sullivan, Timothy H. Apache Squaw and papoose, near Camp Apache, Arizona. 1873. Photograph. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division. https://www.loc.gov/item/2005695604/.
Smith, Laura Rountree. Hawk Eye, an Indian story for first grade. Chicago: A. Flanagan company, 1908. https://www.loc.gov/item/09017997/.
The Bryan daily eagle. May. 4, 1898. Newspaper. Library of Congress Chronicling America. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn88083938/1898-05-04/ed-1/.