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Indian in the Cupboard Book Talk Project Ideas

"The Indian in the Cupboard" was published in 1980 for children at the fourth or fifth grade reading level. It tells the story of a young boy named Omri who receives a plastic Indian on his birthday. When he places the Indian in a cupboard and locks it with a magical key, the cupboard transforms the plastic toy into a real Indian named Little Bear. This story offers many opportunities for fun projects in the classroom.

  1. Build Longhouse

    • The book includes an illustration of a longhouse that Little Bear built. Using a shallow cardboard box and tamped-down earth, build the longhouse to scale. Add plastic Indian figures, horses, and any other kind of decorations you can find. Research the ways Native Americans used to decorate their homes, and mimic their decorations using ribbons and craft materials.

    Medical Practices in the American West

    • Another plastic figure who comes to life in the cupboard is a cowboy named Boone. In the book, he describes how the doctor in his old town treated wounds and illnesses. Research medical practices in the Old West in the late 1800s and write a report comparing the medical practice of the settlers to the medical practices of Native Americans like Little Bear.

    Advertisement for the Magic Cupboard

    • Create a colorful and appealing advertisement for the magic cupboard using cardboard, construction paper, a computer program, or paint! Write a persuasive essay to go along with the advertisement and do a presentation in front of the class where you make a "sales pitch" persuading your fellow students to buy the magic cupboard/and or read the book.

    Make Your Own Cupboard

    • Using cardboard or another type of box/container, paint, markers and glue, create your own magical cupboard. Select a special toy or figurine that you would like to put in the cupboard, and keep the identity of this figurine secret. Then write a short story describing what happens when the toy comes to life. Present the cupboard, the toy and the story to the class.

    Write Your Own Legends

    • Research Native American symbols and legends. Using your acquired knowledge write your own legend about some simple symbols. This can be a morality legend or a historical legend, and does not have to be long in length. Present your legend in front of the class and write a key explaining what each symbol means.

    Performance Based Project

    • Over the course of a few weeks allow your students to design their own Native American and cowboy outfits in order to act out a scene from "The Indian in the Cupboard". Have the students write a short essay explaining the importance of the scene that they chose to perform and why they chose it.

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