Summary
A young Chippewa girl goes to stay with her grandmother while her dad is looking for a new job. During her stay with her grandma, she starts having bad dreams. Her grandma tells her the story of the “Great Spirit” and the vision he sent to a tribal member of a spider on a giant web catching all the bad dreams. The young girl learns about dreamcatchers, and makes her own with her grandma. Once she makes her own, all of her bad dreams go away, and she even makes two more for her parents.
Theme(s):
Family, Culture, Love
Personal Response
I thought this story was great! The story encompasses Native American culture, art, and storytelling. It was also heartwarming to see how the young girl is able to get rid of all her night terrors by making her own dreamcatcher with her grandma, while learning about the Chippewa culture.
Teaching Ideas
This story would be great to use to teach the history of dreamcatchers and the Chippewa culture. This story highlights the importance of art and culture, and can be used to teach children about cultures other than their own. This story also shows children how culture carries on throughout a family when the little girl decides to make her parents dreamcatchers after she learns about them and makes one with her grandmother.
Recommended Reading Level
Grade 03, Grade 04, Grade 05
