One of the numerous highlights of Nantucket Lighthouse School’s Kinderclass curriculum is the students’ interdisciplinary study of Nantucket’s native people, the Wampanoag.
Children welcome the wisdom and stories of the Wampanoag, a people who revered the Earth and lived in harmony with the natural world. Through legends, accounts, stories, and field trips, Kinderclass students learn how these families worked, hunted, played and met our common basic human needs.
One component of the Wampanoag study that exemplifies our school’s integrated, project-based curriculum, is the annual planting of a Native American ‘Three Sisters Garden’ comprised of squash, beans and corn. Students learn about companion planting methods and the historical significance of this traditional garden; they even use the same planting methods as the Wampanoag, including fertilizing the soil with dead fish and using seaweed as mulch.
Students utilize their garden for lessons in science (plant science), social studies (Native American studies), art (printmaking and corn husk doll making) and math (counting and measuring). Combining work and play also helps young children develop essential skills, such as the ability to focus, collaborate and persevere.
During their weekly horticulture class on Wednesdays, Kinder students have been busy harvesting and drying their bounty. Corn will be dried and enjoyed during a future popcorn party in the hoop house. Read more about NLS’s unique horticulture program and enjoy this short video of the harvest below.
