November is Native American Heritage Month, and in social studies we are learning about the history of Native Californians. We have been learning about their ingenuity, creativity, and their respect and love of nature. Native Californians believed that Coyote was the creator of the universe. We read Native American creation stories while listening to Native American flute music. Inspired by these stories, the students wrote their own creation stories about how Coyote created some of the famous landforms in California, such as the Mojave Desert, the San Andreas fault, and the Sierra Nevada mountain range. In the end, the students created some imaginative, entertaining stories about the cunning Coyote. We also made dream catchers, which some native peoples believe ward off bad dreams. We are enjoying learning all about the Native Californian culture, traditions, customs, and stories! This is especially exciting as the fourth grade prepares to plant native gardens informed by the Tongva of the Los Angeles Basin.