National Endowment for the Humanities
Native American Cultures Across the U.S.
Middle schoolers examine how American Indians are represented in today's society. They read stories, analyze maps, and complete a chart and create an illustration about a specific tribe.
Curated OER
Lewis and Clark and the Native Americans
Students practice using maps and identifying landmarks on the Lewis and Clark expedition. They research Lewis and Clark's relationship with the Native Americans and report their findings to the class. They identify the impact of the...
Curated OER
California Native American Basket Weaving
Fourth graders consider the role that baskets play in the traditional lives of Native Americans in California. Students investigate types of baskets and their various uses and then weave their own baskets.
Curated OER
Pre-Columbian Cultures in the Americas
Native American studies is fun, educational, and highly motivating. Fifth graders will gain a deeper understanding of the six major pre-Columbian culture areas on the North American continent. They will choose one group and conduct...
Curated OER
Lewis and Clark and Native Americans, Part II
Students research the Native Americans living in the regions explored by Lewis and Clark. They identify the modern-day names of sites claimed by the Lakota Indians, and create a poster of the original Native American names.
Curated OER
The First North Americans
Students identify and interpret the different North American Indian groups, by region, and the type and impact of their interaction with Europeans.
Then they complete an overview of one main Native American group during the age of...
Curated OER
Southeastern Native Americans' Lifestyles
Students complete activities to learn about Southeastern Native Americans. In this lifestyles lesson plan, students watch a PowerPoint about Southeastern Native Americans, view artifacts from the region and discuss the objects with a...
Curated OER
Pre-Colonial Native American Groups
Students investigate U.S. history by researching the Internet and taking a test. In this American Indian group lesson plan, students identify the many specific Native American tribes and their geographic locations. Students research the...
Curated OER
Cultural Environment
Learners learn about a new culture. In this Native American environment lesson, students begin a unit on Native Americans where they learn about their homes and the environment they lived in. Learners view pictures of Native American...
Smithsonian Institution
We Have a Story to Tell: Native Peoples of the Chesapeake Region
How did colonial settlement and the establishment of the United States affect Native Americans in the Chesapeake region? Your young historians will analyze contemporary and historical maps, read informational texts, and work in groups to...
Curated OER
Native American Music: Call-and-Response
Students are introduced to call-and-response form of Native American song and dance. They identify and describe a call-and-response form as used in "0 Hal'Lwe."
Male students will perform "0 Hal'Lwe" in call-and-response style with drum...
Curated OER
Describing Drum Beats in Native American Music
Students analyze the drum patterns and changing styles of the music and dance for the Native American song and dance "Owl Dance." They listen to a recording of "Owl Dance," discuss the cultural context of the song, and perform the song.
Curated OER
Natives of Indiana
Fourth graders participate in discussions about the Native Peoples who inhabited what is now Indiana. In this Native American instructional activity, 4th graders discuss the social and cultural structures of these Native Americans. They...
Curated OER
Texas Regions and Native Americans of Texas
Fourth graders research to find the regions of Texas. For this technology lesson, 4th graders create a Kid Pix project showing the location of various regions of Texas. Students show where in those regions Native American tribes lived.
Curated OER
Regional Landforms and Native People
Third graders study the Native American tribes of Maidu and Miwok by studying Internet artifacts, culture, language, music, storytelling, architecture, food, clothing, crafts and geology.
Curated OER
Native American Culture Region Collages
Middle schoolers research various Native American tribes. In this Native American history lesson, students follow the provided rubric to create collages on the cultures of selected Native American tribes.
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
Our Native Americans
Students complete a unit of lessons on Native Americans. They label maps, list resources the Native Americans used in their daily lives, create an original short story, define key vocabulary, and develop a model of something that...
Indian Land Tenure Foundation
Indian Trust Lands
An important aspect of studying Native American history is understanding the nature of trust lands. Budding historians will learn that as Native Americans were removed from their home lands, trust lands were provided in the form of...
Curated OER
The Plains Native Americans
Students read The Buffalo Woman by Paul Goble and explore several aspects of Plains Indians cultures. They view historical photos of items from Plains cultures, reference maps and complete worksheets in small groups.
Curated OER
Other Native American Groups
Fourth graders identify the three Native American groups highlighted in this lesson. In this Native American lesson plan, 4th graders answer comprehension questions, and classify the adaptations of the groups in a worksheet.
Curated OER
Who Were the First Americans?
Second graders explore Native Americans through a PowerPoint presentation.
Curated OER
Creating Stories Using Pictographs
Fourth graders research pictograph stories written by Native Americans. They investigate the history behind pictographs, and look through a reference book identifying the different pictures. The teacher then create their own individual...
Curated OER
Different Tribes, Different Times
Second graders study the different types of Native American culture groups. They, in groups, visit four different work stations to examine various culture groups and complete a Corn Cycle worksheet.