Center for History Education
Pontiac's War
Invaders are coming: fight them off or run? Native American peoples had to decide this question after British colonists went west following the French and Indian War. Using a speech from Chief Pontiac, young historians consider if they...
Global Oneness Project
The Importance of Indigenous Language Revitalization
Middle schoolers consider languages as representations of cultures and the importance of preserving various languages, especially the rapidly disappearing languages of indigenous peoples, in a lesson plan that tells the story of Marie...
Indian Land Tenure Foundation
A Sense of Belonging
In order to understand how the land changes over time because of the people who live there, learners interview an elderly person about the past. Children ask an older family member to describe what the local area was like when they were...
Curated OER
Questions for Ceremony, p. 179-192
Evaluate your class with questions from Leslie Marmon Silko's novel Ceremony. These questions are taken from pages 179-192 and focus on reading comprehension. There is a short comparison review on the second page relating the difference...
Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media
What Brought Settlers to the Midwest?
Drawn by promises of fertile land, thousands of settlers poured West because of the Homestead Act of 1862. By examining images of the ads that drew them westward, learners consider the motivations for movement. They also consider how the...
Curated OER
Town Growth and Immigration
Fourth graders describe how Michigan has changed and stayed the same over time. They explain reasons why people settled/settle in Michigan, then explain the role of geography on the settlement of Michigan.
Curated OER
The Seasons of Thanks
First graders explain the Native American cyclical concept of time
Curated OER
Analyzing Primary and Secondary Sources to Assess the Decisions and Policies of Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, and the U.S. Government
Learners examine U.S. policies regarding Native Americans. In this Native American history instructional activity, students analyze provided primary and secondary sources concerning Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, and the Dawes Act. Learners...
Curated OER
Who are the Women of the Pacific North West: 1830-1870?
Students view a picture from the Vancouver National Historic Reserve and discuss the people in the picture. They locate Cromwell's Map and discuss the villages located close to Fort Vancouver. Students read information regarding the role...
Curated OER
What Should a House Do?
Students describe two different houses in use at the time the first European settlements were founded. Students list ways in which our lives differ from the lives of the Native Americans and Europeans during that period of history.
Curated OER
The Muskogees
Second graders read a story from their textbook about the Muskogee (Creek) Native American Indian tribe. They discuss various aspects of Native American culture--specifically that of the Muskogee tribe. They explore online resources,...
Curated OER
Yerbas y Remdios: A New Look
Students explore human health by participating in a medicine class activity. In this herbs instructional activity, students identify plants which Native Americans used throughout history to cure illnesses. Students research specific...
Curated OER
Bye-Bye Bison
Fourth graders investigate the bison's struggle for survival. They discuss the importance of bison while participating in an role playing activity showing how important the food supply and surroundings are to their survival.
Channel Islands Film
Lone Woman of San Nicolas Island: Lesson Plan 3
Should researchers be able to excavate, examine, and remove Native American artifacts from historic sites? Should companies be permitted to build on sacred Native American land? After watching West of the West's documentary, The Lone...
Curated OER
Artwork of World Cultures
Seventh graders research a culture and art produced by the people of that culture. They create a PowerPoint presentation to explain their findings. Students make a sand painting depicting the art of that era.
ReadWriteThink
Compare and Contrast
Read about the ways that different cultures set up homes with a set of reading activities. Learners read short paragraphs that cover one or more different ideas, and answer four questions about what they have read, including whether or...
Institute for Humane Education
Where Are the People like Me?
Are some characteristics more desired than others?Scholars examine attributes of characters in books, models in catalogs, and articles in magazines. Discussion leads to identifying characteristics they see more often as well as...
Education World
Every Day Edit - Hawaii, American's 50th State
For this everyday editing activity, learners correct grammatical mistakes in a short paragraph about Hawaii. The errors range from punctuation, capitalization, grammar, and spelling.
K12 Reader
Conflict Over North American Lands
Readers are introduced to some of the conflicts that arose over land and resources in the Americas in a two-part cross-curricular comprehension worksheet that asks kids to study the article and then to use information provided to respond...
Reed Novel Studies
Little House On The Prairie: Novel Study
Laura Ingalls Wilder memorialized life in the American West with her Little House on the Prairie series. Readers explore the first book in the series using a novel study guide. Along with standard text-based questions, scholars complete...
Curated OER
More Than Tipis and Feathers
Fourth graders research Native American People of the plains, the forest, the northwest coast and the desert. They compare how their lives were similar and how they were different. They make a model of one type of dwelling.
Curated OER
Thanksgiving Mourning
Students examine the way diverse groups can perceive a shared experience in a dramatically different light. Students read commentary written by Native American writers and find examples of different points of view. Students...
Curated OER
Ethnography of the Lewis & Clark Expedition
Young scholars research the people that Lewis and Clark encountered on their expedition. In small groups, they conduct research on a group of Native Americans, answer research questions, and contribute information to a class chart...
Curated OER
Creating Stories Using Pictographs
Students participate in diverse cultural activities that lead them to a better understanding of Native American people. They use pictographs to write a story, imagining themselves as tribal members. Students transfer their story to a...