American Girl class: Kaya#2 Week 6

This week's class was our last week of Kaya! 

We discussed the sixth book in the Kaya series, Changes for Kaya. After we discussed the book, I introduced my church friend, Mrs. Brown as our guest speaker! Mrs. Brown is one-half Indian, from the Pawnee tribe. She grew up in Oklahoma and talked about where different tribes lived, the various languages and more. She spoke in Pawnee, sang the song, "Amazing Grace" and she spoke a little Navajo too. She showed her outfit, explained how she made almost all of it, and where she got some of her jewelry (her aunt, I think). She also talked about Indian dances, and showed us a little bit of a dance she knew. She talked about types of dances that mostly women do at the powwow, but some men dance too. There was a buffalo dance, a jingle dance, a social dance and more. The girls really enjoyed her talk, and so did I!

She also showed her purses too, which were very intricate and beautiful with all of the beading! Her fan was made with artificial eagle feathers, which she explained. They can't use real eagle feathers to make them since they are an endangered species. 

 After our wonderful guest speaker, we had our snack, which was Corn Griddle Cakes. They were a lot like pancakes and the mom brought honey for the top. The girls really enjoyed them. You can find the recipe here.

 After snack, we made our craft, which was a mini woven basket. I found the pattern and directions to make them here. I thought the girls would like to try some basket weaving, and that pattern was much easier and less time-consuming than any other directions that I've seen. I printed the pattern in 150 % so that the circles were about 4 1/2" across. The girls cut the pattern, traced it onto brown foam and cut out the basket design.

 Then they wove the raffia strips (three each) around, in and out of the basket spokes. I forgot my hot glue, and the regular glue worked ok. Several of the girls had a hard time getting them woven very well, and the hot glue really would have helped. We did have to pull a little bit on the raffia to get it to work.

 I was happy that the girls just kept trying, and several of them finished it in each class. I just love their sweet smiles!

In the 2:00 class, Mrs. Brown spoke again, and I caught her showing a dance wearing her pretty shawl with all of the threads on the bottom, which moved while dancing!

 Eating snack...

 These two girls in black have begun to become sweet friends!

This girl finished her basket too-- love her pose! :-D

It was a fun class, and I am looking forward to beginning FELICITY next week!

Exodus 2:3-5

But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.  His (Moses') sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it.

Mark 8:18-20

^{( Jesus asked them )"}Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”  “Twelve,” they replied.

 “And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”  They answered, “Seven.”