On Tuesday, history came alive for 3rd graders at Ferndale Upper Elementary School (FUEL). Professional storyteller GenotPicot provided a special assembly discussing the French and Indigenous People of the Great Lakes, spanning several centuries. Picot brought archaeological artifacts, furs (rough and fine), and life-size animal tracks from fauna native to Michigan, along with a variety of displays. Students became part of an interactive story told in the first person by a retired French voyageur from the fur trade. One student dressed in winter clothing from the fur trade, while the entire class learned The Legend of the Sleeping Bear Dunes with voice and hand-talking. The students sang a canoe song, played games, learned how to make an old fashioned fire, listened to stories and even learned a folk dance!
