The Iroquois Confederacy

The 4/5 students are learning all about the Iroquois. Legends and storytelling are important traditions in the Iroquois culture.  One legend that Native Americans pass down from generation to generation is Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back.  Children are taught to examine the segments on the back of every turtle. There are thirteen large segments which represent the thirteen moons, which make up the lunar year. There are 28 smaller segments around the edge of the shell, which represent the 28 days between new moons.

For each of the thirteen sections on a turtle's shell, there is a Native American moon legend.  After reading the book Thirteen Moons on Turtle’s Back, each student chose a moon and created turtles. One side illustrates a turtle’s shell while the other represents one or more of the 13 moons.