Tipi-Raising Programs
Dear Educators,
If you study Native American culture and want your students to have an unforgettable hands-on experience, please consider bringing Robin’s Tipi-Raising or Indians in Pennsylvania workshops to your school.
He is an award-winning author, storyteller and experimental archaeologist and has been presenting Living History programs in the schools for more than thirty years.
Tipi-Raising
Comparing Lifeways of Western and Eastern Tribal Groups
Robin teaches students how to raise a 16-foot tipi at your school (indoors or out) while comparing and contrasting the similarities and differences between the Lakota who lived on the high plains and the Lenape who live in Pennsylvania.
He uses a combination of hands-on learning, storytelling and demonstrations of primitive living skills to create a dynamic learning experience. This program includes a 50-page teachers guide with preparation and follow-up activities.
Schedule:
The Tipi-Raising program is designed for four classes from one grade level.
Morning session: One 90-minute session with two classes combined (40-60 students).
Afternoon session: One 90-minute session with two classes combined (40-60 students).
Other grade levels can come for a brief tour of the tipi over the lunch hour.
Full Day Fee: $675
To view a brief video:
Click Here
Reviews:
Mr. Moore provided his Tipi-Raising program for our fifth-grade students and they absolutely loved it! It was amazing to see how quickly the structure came together and the kids were highly invested in the process. Once complete, all students were invited inside the tipi where Mr. Moore shared some traditional stories. To say the students were captivated by his storytelling is an understatement. He is truly gifted in the art of storytelling! He also provided the opportunity for students to see traditional clothing, tools, and other materials up close. I highly recommend his programming and look forward to having him return to our school in the future!
Fifth Grade Teacher
Beaver Creek Elementary
Robin brought such a wonderful, fun, and hands-on learning experience for our fifth-grade students! We had spent months learning about Native American tribes and he was able to provide the hands-on and personal experience that we craved and could not provide ourselves. The kids enjoyed personally connecting the information they had learned in a one-of-a-kind experience!
Fifth Grade Teacher
Pickering Valley Elementary School
Robin was able to offer a hands-on experience that my students enjoyed immensely. In addition to the tipi raising, Robin blended other knowledge that deepened my students’ understanding of and appreciation for Native Americans. Even later, students have made connections to what they learned on this exciting day!
Fifth Grade Teacher
Shamona Creek Elementary School
During Robin Moore’s Tipi-Raising program, all students were able to actively participate in raising a full-size tipi! Furthermore, students learned about the Lakota Tribe of the Midwest, and they were able to compare and contrast the lifestyle of the Lakota with the Lenni Lenape of the Northeast.
Fourth Grade Teacher
Adamstown Elementary School
Robin was easy to work with, his storytelling engaged the students, and it was a delight for everyone involved. Raising the tipi and sitting inside for Robin’s stories was an unforgettable experience. Truly worth every penny!
Librarian
Adamstown Elementary School
Robin’s visit created an authentic learning experience for our fifth graders. His presentation brought their current students to life about the Nez Perce tribe. The students raised a tipi, got to experience the inside of it and hear how the parts were made, listened to amazing stories of how the world came to be, and had hands-on experience with clothing similar to what the Nez Perce wore (he even made the clothing with his own hands!) We are so grateful our fifth graders got to experience this!
Fifth Grade Teacher
Lionville Elementary School
I have never observed a speaker gain the attention and respect of a group of fourth graders as quickly as Mr. Moore! He quickly had our students working together to assist in the building of an impressive tipi. They loved it! Afterwards, the students sat in the tipi, which they had helped to construct, while Mr. Moore shared interesting facts about Native Americans and told tales that the children won’t soon forget. Mr. Moore’s presentation is a perfect fit for any Pennsylvania units, Native American studies, or team-building lessons. I highly recommend inviting Mr. Moore to your classroom.
Fourth Grade Teacher
Denver Elementary School
Mr. Robin Moore’s presentation is a wonderful marriage of history and storytelling. Students are actively engaged in learning Pennsylvania and Native American and Indigenous People history through storytelling, artifacts and tipi raising. This is one event that former students always remember and upcoming students always inquire about.
Third Grade Teacher
Beaumont Elementary School
Working with Robin Moore, as I have for the past twelve years, has always been a true pleasure and his primitive living demonstrations and storytelling sessions are nothing short of magical. Mr. Moore has a true talent for storytelling and bringing history alive and exciting for students of all ages. I read his historical fiction books to my students every year and they are an invaluable addition to our study of frontier and native life in Pennsylvania.
Middle School Teacher
DuBois Central Catholic
The kids really enjoyed the Tipi-Raising. The proof is in their journal writing after the day we spent with Experimental Archaeologist Robin Moore. Everyone agrees this was the most exciting and educational day of the fourth-grade school year! His Teacher’s Guide to The American Indian Tipi is a valuable resource for class preparation and follow-up to this one-of-a-kind, hands-on learning experience.
New Eagle Elementary School
Fourth Grade Teachers
Robin’s interactive Tipi-Raising presentation was a fantastic hands-on experience for our fifth graders! Student’s enjoyed learning about native tribes to Bucks County and then constructing the tipi with their classmates. Problem solving, teamwork, and collaboration were all skills applicable to the tipi raising activity that students enjoyed participating in. The cumulative story telling/artifact demonstration was also a great way to tie in class learnings to the activity. Robin is knowledgeable and passionate about the topic and his presentation was memorable for all the students.
Fifth Grade Teachers
Jamison Elementary School
The fifth grade Tipi-Raising presentation was an impressive and educational experience. Mr. Moore demonstrated a clear understanding of the historical and cultural significance of the tipi. He effectively explained the materials and techniques used in traditional tipi construction, showcasing their research and preparation. The hands-on demonstration was engaging, and the teamwork displayed by the students was commendable. Overall, the presentation was well-organized, informative, and a great way to learn about Native American heritage. We look forward to having Mr. Moore back at Cold Soring next year!
Fifth Grade Teachers
Cold Spring Elementary School.
This is our all-time favorite field trip. Our students loved working together to put up this impressive structure and then going inside for a truly mesmerizing storytelling experience. On a logistical level, we appreciated there is no need for the time and expense of transporting students by bus as the program takes place right on our school grounds.
Fourth Grade Teacher
Friends Central School
This program allows all of our grade level students to have a hands-on experience with building a tipi and comparing and contrasting how both western and eastern tribal groups used natural resources to create a sustainable way of life.
Fourth Grade Teacher
Germantown Academy
Robin uses his skills as an author, storyteller and primitive living expert to give our kids a truly unique view of indigenous life which can only come from years of experience as a craftsman of clothing, tools and equipment which were the essentials of life in North American for the last 10,000 years.
Fifth Grade Teacher
Plymouth Meeting Friends School
For many years, the Second Graders at Episcopal Academy have had the extreme pleasure of welcoming Robin Moore to our campus for an incredible, hands-on experience that always promises to be a favorite day for our students and teachers. Mr. Moore’s engaging teaching style leads the children through this opportunity to build a tipi while also learning many lessons. The students practice active listening and find that collaboration, cooperation, and communication are not only skills they need to build this indigenous structure, but also transfer over into their own lives beyond the tipi. We love every aspect of our special time with Mr. Moore.
Second Grade Teacher
Episcopal Academy
Mr. Moore’s impressive storytelling skills captivated our students and building the tipi took team work to another level. We can’t wait to have Mr. Moore come back to Shipley!
Second Grade Teacher
Shipley School
You can also choose...
Indians of Pennsylvania
10.000 Years of Pre-History: Earliest Inhabitants of PA
While the Tipi-Raising program focuses on comparing and contrasting lifeways of eastern and western indigenous cultures, this hands-on session focuses on how northeastern tribal groups used natural materials to provide the necessities of life. This program uses three emblematic examples of how resources were used: The Caribou, The Whitetail Deer and the White Birch Tree.
The horse was the essential means of transportation for the Plains tribes. For the eastern Indians who lived along the major waterways of our region, it was the canoe. The buffalo provided over one hundred traditional uses for the western tribes. The Lenape had a similar relationship with the Whitetail deer.
In his role as an experimental archeologist, Robin replicates and field-tests the clothing, tools and equipment used by ancient people. Most recently, he spent three weeks in the Canadian bush, learning to build a birchbark canoe in the traditional way from a master canoe builder of Cree and French heritage.
This program is designed as a classroom-size experience which can be conducted indoors or out on the school grounds. The gym is a good indoor location. Includes a teacher’s guide and complimentary copy of Robin’s historical fiction novel, Maggie Among the Seneca.
Schedule:
Morning session: Two hour-long programs with 30-60 students in each session. Afternoon session: Two hour-long sessions with 30-60 students in each session. Full Day Fee: $675
Reviews:
~Thank you for providing this awesome experience for our class. It paired perfectly with what we learned about the Lenni-Lenape of Pennsylvania. I was amazed by all the uses of the whitetail deer.
~My students loved learning more about Indigenous People in PA. Robin Moore’s interactive storytelling and resources made history come to life right in front of our eyes. The students were highly engaged, and I received numerous emails from parents expressing how enthusiastic their children were when they returned home after his visit to our school.
~Robin Moore’s program on the indigenous people of Pennsylvania fit perfectly with our fourth grade Social Studies Unit. His presentation was high-interest for our students, as he incorporated storytelling, historical sequencing, and handmade artifacts - all while allowing for audience participation. I am hopeful that Moore’s visit will be an annual event for our students!
Fourth Grade Teachers, General Wayne Elementary
~Robin’s presentation was rich in culture and historical concepts associated with Southeast Region Indigenous Peoples. Our students were amazed by his self-made tools, buckskin clothing, and hand-made birchbark canoe, all made to replicate the authentic items and garments used by PA Native Americans. We hope to have him back each year!
Fourth Grade Teachers
K.D. Markley Elementary School
