Not "Indians," Many Tribes: Native American Diversity
http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=324
A lesson plan for grades 3 and 5 Social Studies
In this unit from the National Endowment for the Humanities and EdSitement, students will heighten their awareness of Native American diversity as they learn about three vastly different Native groups in a game-like activity using archival documents such as vintage photographs, traditional stories, photos of artifacts, and recipes. One factor influencing Native American diversity is environment. This lesson helps students study the interaction between environment and culture.
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:
- discuss ways a particular archival document reflects the culture and environment of a Native American group
- list at least three differences among the Native American groups studied that relate to environment
- gather data about a Native group using the Internet, if available
While studying the Abenaki, Hopi, and Kwakiutl, students will use the following questions to guide their inquiry:
- How did geographic location, climate and natural resources influence the diversity of Native American tribes and nations?
- What can we learn about a Native group from archival documents?
- What, if any, generalizations are reasonable to make about Native Americans throughout America?
North Carolina Curriculum Alignment
Social Studies (2003)
Grade 3
- Goal 4: The learner will explain geographic concepts and the relationship between people and geography in real life situations.
- Objective 4.04: Compare how people in different communities adapt to or modify the physical environment to meet their needs.
Grade 5
- Goal 1: The learner will apply key geographic concepts to the United States and other countries of North America.
- Objective 1.02: Analyze how absolute and relative location influence ways of living in the United States and other countries of North America.
- Goal 3: The learner will examine the roles various ethnic groups have played in the development of the United States and its neighboring countries.
- Objective 3.01: Locate and describe people of diverse ethnic and religious cultures, past and present, in the United States.
- Goal 4: The learner will trace key developments in United States history and describe their impact on the land and people of the nation and its neighboring countries.
- Objective 4.02: Explain when, where, why, and how groups of people settled in different regions of the United States.
