Birch Bark Canoes

Younger boys help build replicas of authentic birch bark canoes using many of the same materials and tools of the late 1800s.

A balcony loft at University School's Shaker Campus has been transformed into a mini boatyard filled with wood, tree bark, and tools. Here, Lower and Middle School students can assist in building replicas of birch bark canoes that were used by Native Americans and fur traders in the late 1800s. Led by Terry Harmon, the school's legendary outdoor education teacher, students faithfully use many of the same materials, construction methods, and tools used by the Algonkin Indians and others living in Ontario and the northeast United States to build these majestic canoes.
 
The curriculum lends itself beautifully to this project, which supports Grade 3 studies of Native Americans and Grade 6 studies of the Great Lakes and the French exploration of North America. The best part of the experience for the boys, however, is the opportunity to go for a ride on the canoe they helped to build on the school's own Lake Kilroy at the Hunting Valley Campus.
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Shaker Heights Campus

20701 Brantley Road
Shaker Heights, Ohio 44122
JUNIOR K – GRADE 8
Phone: 216-321-8260

Hunting Valley Campus

2785 SOM Center Road
Hunting Valley, Ohio 44022
GRADES 9 – 12
Phone: 216-831-2200
University School serves over 850 boys in Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 on two campuses in suburban Cleveland, Ohio. The School’s mission is to inspire boys of promise to become young men of character who lead and serve. Dedicated faculty, rigorous curriculum, and experiential programs foster intellectual, physical, creative, and moral excellence. University School is a diverse and inclusive community where each boy is known and loved.