Parkway Elementary travels to the past

Parkway Elementary School fourth-grader Matthew Rivas examined fur found inside a realistic wigwam.

Photos courtesy East Meadow School District

Guided by Journeys into American Indian Territory presenter Maddi Cheers, Parkway Elementary School fourth-graders learned about how the Iroquois government formed.

Photos courtesy East Meadow School District

Parkway Elementary School fourth-grader Brianna Almanzar created music by beating a drum.

Photos courtesy East Meadow School District

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Fourth-graders at Parkway Elementary School traveled back more than 2,000 years with the help of Journeys into American Indian Territory to learn about the civilization of Native Americans.

The in-school field trip immersed students in American Indian culture with a museum display of tools and clothing that helped communities gather food, hunt, build shelters, and protect themselves from wild animals and extreme weather conditions. Students also walked through a wigwam, tried on tradition American Indian clothing, beat on drums and crushed corn to create grain.

Guided by presenters Maddi Cheers and Richie Cornacchio, students established their own Iroquois government among their classmates. They were divided into groups and asked to select one leader based on the qualities of kindness, equality and open-mindedness to assist in leading their village.

Additionally, fourth-graders re-enacted the lives of American Indian children by playing games, reading authentic stories, creating clay pots and dancing to traditional music.