Adapted from instructions provided by the Museum of the Cherokee Indian
Designed for Grades K-2
Activity Snapshot: Students will learn about Cherokee sports and games, then learn to play the Cherokee butterbean game.
Duration: 30 minutes for introduction and tray making. One round of the butterbean game can take 10 to 15 minutes.
Materials needed for the game:
- A tray for tossing butterbeans (instructions included)
- Dried butterbeans, colored black on one side with a marker.
- Corn kernels or other counting objects to keep score
- Surface or extra trays for corn kernels when keeping score.
Learning Objectives:
Students will:
- Gain an appreciation for Cherokee culture by learning about Cherokee games, including sports games and the butterbean game.
- Understand how one modern day sport is adapted from a traditional Native game, and compare and contrast the two sports as they are played today.
- Practice teamwork by creating basket trays, taking turns playing the butterbean game, and counting corn kernels.
- Exercise their counting skills, appropriate to grade level.
- Exercise following directions by learning the rules of the butterbean game.