My 4th graders had fun creating Native American inspired Story Necklaces out of air-dry clay. This lesson provided an opportunity for a literacy engagement. We read a Native American legend and the students made connections to their prior knowledge relating to other storylines and the Bible. The students sketched their story idea using symbolism which we discussed after reading a Native American poem that celebrates the art of oral storytelling. The next step was to build the story symbols out of air-dry clay around Nexlace (a plastic string). Finally students were able to paint their Story Necklaces with acrylic paint and write their "story" on an index card. Students enthusiastically shared their stories aloud in their social studies class.