Curated OER
Understanding Political Cartoons
Students draw two political cartoons. They compare the Wounded Knee Massacre of 1890 to the stand-off that took place at Wounded Knee in l973. They examine the role that Manifest Destiny played in the West.
Curated OER
The Battle of the Little Bighorn
Students assess how point of view can change a story. In this content area reading lesson, students read about the Battle of the Little Bighorn from three different sources. Students answer questions based upon their reading and draw...
Curated OER
Early Explorers
Fifth graders examine how the environment and climate affected Pre-Colombian settlements. In this civilization lesson, 5th graders view pictures of different Native American tribes in different places and discuss how different groups...
Curated OER
The Buffalo War: A Clash of Cultures
Students view a documentary on the different values and meaning placed on the buffalo. Examining various cultures, they link the attitudes to the treatment of the animal in the wild. They develop solutions to the conflict raised by the...
Curated OER
The Power of Maps & Native American Cultures
Sixth graders discover where and how five Native American cultures lived in North America in what is currently the United States. They examine their way of life and the regions they inhabited. Additionally, 6th graders will understand...
Curated OER
Go Native!
Students explore the five Native American regions. They compare and contrast the dwellings, clothing, and tools of the Native American groups. Students research one group of Native Americans. They build totem poles, pueblos, weave...
Curated OER
Living in America (The Earliest Years)
Fifth graders work in groups to study a particular group of Native Americans. They use a study guide to guide their research and use the internet and text resources to gather information. Students post their research on a class web page.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: Ap Us History: 1865 1898: Indian Wars and Battle of Little Bighorn
Discusses the series of events and conflicts in the Indian Wars that culminated in the Battle of the Little Bighorn, or Custer's Last Stand. Includes questions for students at end.
PBS
Pbs: Teton Sioux Indians
This site from PBS contains an article on the Teton Sioux Indians and the Lewis and Clark expedition.
PBS
Pbs: Yankton Sioux Indians
Provides information on the Yankton Sioux Indians and the Lewis and Clark expedition.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The End of Resistance
Find a brief recounting of resistance by several Indian tribes in an attempt to maintain their territory. See how the settlers participating in the Oklahoma land rush stole land set aside for several Indian tribes.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Massacre at Sand Creek
A sad recounting of one of the most brutal attacks on Indians during the Indian Wars. Read about the Sand Creek Massacre and the retaliation it prompted.
Other
The Weekly South Dakotan: South Dakota History for 4th Grade
From the very beginning and through the twentieth century, this comprehensive collection of lessons will enrich students studying the history in between and the effects on South Dakota.
Smithsonian Institution
National Museum of Natural History: Camping With the Sioux: Fieldwork Diary of Alice Fletcher
A fascinating site that presents the story of Alice Fletcher who traveled to Dakota Territory to live with Sioux women. Click on dates on the calendar for diary entries. Also includes historic photo gallery.
Other
Standing Rock Sioux Tribe
Learn about the history and culture of this Native American tribe in North Dakota. Includes statistics on the tribal community.
A&E Television
History.com: French and Indian War
The French and Indian War saw two European imperialists go head-to-head over territory and marked the debut of the soldier who would become America's first president.
A&E Television
History.com: 10 Things You May Not Know About Sitting Bull
Get the facts about one of the most legendary Native Americans of the 19th century. Sitting Bull was born around 1831 into the Hunkpapa people, a Lakota Sioux tribe that roamed the Great Plains in what is now the Dakotas.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Carnegie Museum: North South East West: American Indians and the Natural World
Web companion site to the Alcoa Foundation Hall of American Indians exhibit at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. It focuses on American Indians' relationships with the natural world and explores four different visions: the Tlingit...
US National Archives
Nara: Teaching With Documents: Sioux Treaty of 1868
The National Archives and Records Administration highlights the Sioux Treaty of 1868. The lesson plan provided here relates to the power granted to the president and the Senate in Article II, Section 2, Clause 2, of the U.S....
Smithsonian Institution
National Anthropological Archives: Lakota Winter Counts: Teachers' Guide [Pdf]
Learn about the Lakota Sioux, and their 'winter counts' pictographic calendars of a community's history. These provide a unique look into the history of the Lakota Sioux people. Winter counts represent a rich Lakota tradition of oral...
Ducksters
Ducksters: Native American History for Kids: Sioux Nation and Tribe
Kids learn about Native American Indian tribe the Sioux Nation from the Great Plains of the United States on this site. Explore where the Sioux live, eat, and more on this website.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: Custer's Last Stand
Read a brief description of General George Custer and his troops engagement with the Sioux at the Little Big Horn River. See what happened to the Sioux, and find out what the general perception of the Indian Wars was to the American public.
Independence Hall Association
U.s. History: The Wounded Knee Massacre
Read about the phenomenon of the Ghost Dance that was causing a religious reawakening with Native Americans in the 1880s. See how this caused the travesty at Wounded Knee Creek where the U.S. Army attacked peaceful Sioux who were trying...
Ibis Communications
Eye Witness to History: Massacre at Wounded Knee, 1890
This article provides information about the Massacre at Wounded Knee. Gives background information on why and how the battle happened and includes a first-hand account of what occurred at the battle from an interpreter for the Army who...