Students in Mrs. Jackson’s and Mr. Tardif’s 4th grade classes recently built large dioramas depicting the living environments of two people groups in New Jersey in the 1600s – the Lenape Native American tribe and the early European settlers. The dioramas were on display in April on tables in a 1st floor hallway near the school library. History class for students in the 4th grade focuses on the rich history of New Jersey.

The students used a variety of natural and man-made materials to build the living environments, including bark, ferns, tree branches, straw, pebbles, brown paper, and paint. The students learned that both groups of people relied primarily on farming, hunting, and fishing for their food. Facts about the types of homes the people lived in, their method of transportation, and the physical setting of their homes were detailed on index cards attached to each project and brought to life in the dioramas. The students also had to do oral presentations to their classmates about their projects.

“Life was often challenging for the early European settlers, as well as the Native American groups who had lived in New Jersey for hundreds of years,” Jackson said. “This project gave the students the opportunity to compare and contrast the different ways these people groups lived and to appreciate the unique challenges they faced,” Tardif said.