Native American Lesson Plan: Mississippian/Ancient
Please see the ANCIENT HISTORY SECTION of this website/source book for more
in-depth discussion of the Mississippian period.
Grade Level: 5th Grade Students
Kentucky Core Content 4.1:
AH-05-1.4.2
Students will identify or describe how an artist uses various media and processes.
AH-05-2.4.1
Students will describe or explain how visual art has been a part of cultures and time periods
throughout history.
AH-05-3.4.1
Students will describe or explain how art fulfills a variety of purposes.
Ceremonial - ritual, celebration, artworks created to support worship ceremonies
(e.g., ceremonial masks)
Title: Ancient Peoples, Cherokee Ancestors, and the Transformation of Man to Animal
Duration: 1-2 class periods (can be stretched to three classes)
Objective: Students will gain a basic understanding of the history of the ancient Native
Americans (probable Cherokee ancestors). In particular, they will look shell ornaments
made during the Mississippian period.
Essential Questions:
Who were the Mississippians?
The Mississippians were people of a culture that pre-dates (comes before) any European
settlers/explorers came to the Americas. The Mississippian culture lasted from the year
800-1500AD and included the people between the Mississippi River and the Tennessee
Valley (see map below). They are sometimes referred to as “mound builders,” due to the
mounds they erected as ceremonial, and burial, structures.
What are shell ornaments/gorgets?
Shell gorgets are decorative ornaments typically worn around the neck, like a necklace
with a medallion, jewel, or locket hanging from the chain. Carvings were done on the
inside part of the shell with two holes drilled in order to thread a thong through.
- http://www.mississippian-artifacts.com/ (Shell Ornament section)
Materials:
This is a lesson to be done using ceramics – Crayola Model Magic can also be used in a
pinch.
Materials needed:
with kiln, clay - without kiln, self hardening clay
Toothpicks
With kiln, glaze – without kiln, tempera (or acrylic) paint
String
Straws (to punch holes in clay)
Procedure(s):
Have students look at images of Mississippian shell ornaments. (see website
http://www.mississippian-artifacts.com/)
For ceramics:
 Have students look at images of Mississippian shell
ornaments. (see website http://www.mississippianartifacts.com/)
 After looking at and discussing the images, have students
DRAW on a sheet of paper their own design for a shell
ornament – must be based on the Mississippian gorgets, but
should be the students own design. Ex: athletes, animals,
comic book heroes, etc.
 Have the students wedge clay (get the air bubbles out of the
clay) and flatten with the palm of their hand.
 Once they have flattened the clay, use the toothpick to draw
in the clay the design the student created on the paper.
 Teacher: use the straw to punch out holes for the
attachment of string to be tied through after completion of
the project.
 NOTE: If you do not have time in class on the first day to
both draw on paper and then on clay DO NOT START
THE CLAY TILL THE NEXT DAY!! If you start and
don’t finish, especially with the self hardening clay, it will
dry out and not be able to be worked easily –unless you
keep it wet, which is a task.
 If you are going to fire the clay in a kiln, and you have
access to glazes, apply glaze after the pieces have dried
completely and you have bisque fired. Have students
choose only one color.
 If you are using paint, after the clay has hardened, and
again, you have bisque fired the piece, have the students
choose a color to paint their piece.
 Final step: Run string through hole(s) and tie into a
necklace.

Ornament can be displayed around the students’ neck or
hung up.
Rubric:
 Scoring scale to be determined by teacher *
 Recommended to keep in mind:
Full credit – student completes the assignment to the best of his/her ability
follows each step, does not misuse material (media)
Half credit – student partially completes assignment to the best of his/her ability
No credit – student does not complete assignment, and misuses the material.
Additional Resources:
The Woodland Period (ca. 2000 B.C. - A.D. 1000)
http://www.nps.gov/history/seac/woodland.htm
Mississippian Culture
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippian_culture
Mississippian Artifacts (Shell Ornament section)
http://www.mississippian-artifacts.com/
Written by: Staci Gilliam, Fall 2007