The Classical Community of Orange County at the Santa Ana Learning Center, serving approximately 170 students, recently hosted its first history festival of the school year, reported Linda Larson, homeschool director. This year’s focus is early American history, and all classes spent the fall studying the diverse regions of Native American peoples—exploring their clothing, local resources, homes, and art. The festival served as a celebration of this learning and an opportunity for parents to see the projects students have created over the past several months, Linda said.
The event began with a feast featuring foods commonly eaten by various tribes across North America. “Adventurous” students even sampled unique items such as bison, venison, duck, and roasted chestnuts, Linda said. After the feast, classes rotated through activity stations highlighting aspects of pre-colonial Native American life. Students participated in a relay race where they “caught” a fish, gathered “berries”, and threw an arrow through a wooden bison. They crafted clay disks imprinted with natural items like seeds and shells and created their own dreamcatchers. Linda concluded, “The day was filled with hands-on discovery, joyful learning, and appreciation for the rich and varied cultures that shaped early American history.”
