Handout
National Museum of the American Indian

Fritz Scholder: A Study Guide

For Students 5th - 8th Standards
In this engaging activity involving close analysis of abstract expressionist art, your class members will not only discover more about artist Friz Scholder's Native American art, but they will also have the opportunity to consider...
Lesson Plan
Alabama Department of Archives and History

Conflict in Alabama in the 1830s: Native Americans, Settlers, and Government

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
To better understand the Indian Removal Act of 1830, class members examine primary source documents including letters written by Alabama governors and the Cherokee chiefs. The instructional activity is part of a unit on the expansion of...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

People of the Arctic

For Teachers 7th - 12th
Read to learn all about the religion and belief systems of the Arctic-dwelling Inuits. This resource includes an easy-to-follow reading passage that is seven paragraphs in length, and five great critical thinking questions.
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Reconstruction Treaties Of 1866: The Reconstruction In Indian Territory

For Teachers 9th
The Reconstruction Treaties of 1866 and their impact on the Five Tribes in the United States Civil War are the focus of a lesson that asks young historians to consider how these treaties affected tribal sovereignty. Class members do a...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Conflict at the Washita River: The Indian Wars in Indian Territory

For Teachers 9th
"Battle" or "Massacre"? Words matter, especially when labeling historical events. That's the big idea in a lesson about the 1868 conflict at the Washita River. After examining two images of the event, groups read and discuss articles...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Creation Stories

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students read and research American Indian creation stories as a way to understand the origins of American Literature. They conduct Internet research utilizing Internet search engines. They create an online report page as well as write...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Indians

For Teachers 4th
Fourth graders explore the American Indians and the music from their culture. They discuss the music of American Indians and compare that music with the music that we listen to today. Students create rainstick and perform their own...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cultural Lit. 19: Old Spanish Trail & Native Americans

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders name the American Indian people by tribe who lived in the lands which the Old Spanish Trail traversed. They investigate and describe some impacts of western expansion upon the American Indians.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Cultural Lit. 18: The Oregon Trail & Native Americans

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders name the American Indian people by tribe who lived in the lands which the Oregon Trail traversed. They investigate and describe some impacts of western expansion upon the American Indians.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Surviving the Winter

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders investigate given cultures using the internet, personal interviews and other sources, They examine how the civilizations of six Native American tribes and six Australian Aboriginal tribes survived during their respective...
Lesson Plan
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Museum of Tolerance

The Pursuit of Democracy and Diversity: The Trial of Pro-Social Injustice in Historical Documents and Accounts

For Teachers 8th Standards
Class members investigate The Indian Removal Act of 1830, U.S. Theft of Mexican Territory Timeline, and President Abraham Lincoln’s letter to Horace Greeley, 1862, and then conduct a mock trial of each of these documents to determine...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Native American Bartering

For Teachers 5th
Fifth graders create items to barter. In this Native American bartering lesson, 5th graders read a book, design and make items, and barter with their peers. Students reflect on the experience through journal writing.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Conflict On The Plains

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders investigate the culture and lifestyles of the Lakota Sioux and the Northern Cheyenne tribes. They use a variety of resources for research. They create questions based on information to be used during classroom discussion...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Indians

For Teachers 6th
Sixth graders review and study the major regions of Native Americans and how their cultures were influenced by geography, natural resources and religious beliefs. They utilize chronological thinking, historical analysis and historical...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

First Nations vs. Euro-Americans

For Teachers 7th - 9th
Students analyze primary and secondary source documents to help them describe the cooperation and conflict that existed among the American Indians and new settlers. Then, students analyze the purpose, challenges, and economic incentives...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

American Indian Flute and Math

For Teachers 11th - 12th
Students investigate the Math behind Musical instruments in this cross-curricular Math activity on the Native American Flute and waveforms. The activity can be accomplished in 6 days and includes an extensive materials list for...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Osage, Legend, and Arkansas History

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Elementary schoolers evaluate the legend of Norristown Mountain by looking at facts about the Osage Indians and the legend itself. They do an exploration of Arkansas' Native American groups which includes a look at their legends,...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Boarding Schools And Native American Culture

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students engage in a lesson that focuses on the influence of American values placed upon the Indians. Students use primary and secondary documents in order to explore the indoctrination. They create a project that reflects adequate...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Native American Music and the Flute

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Learners study the role of the flute in Native American music while determining what an exemplary example of flute music sounds like. They develop a method of assessing a Native American flute performance. They perform a Native American...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Maskmaking

For Teachers K - 6th
Students examine masks from various cultures focusing on the Native Americans. Using the internet, they research the purpose of the masks and various designs. They create their own mask showing their own culture and personality and...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Around the World, A Multicultural Unit

For Teachers K - 1st
Students investigate Native American tribes through their stories.  In this cultural lesson, students read stories of the Inuit tribe and discuss the themes, people, and customs.  Students illustrate a picture of the Inuit...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Back-to-school ESL Ideas

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Students share their countries and languages, flags, cultural identity, and pride in home culture.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

If These Objects Could Talk

For Teachers 6th - 12th
Students examine American Indian artifacts through historical, cultural and artistic lenses. They explore the philosophy behind the Smithsonian Institute's new museum to honor American Indian history and traditions.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

What's in a Name? The Use of Native American Images in Sports

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students discuss and analyze the pros and cons of using Native American names and images to represent sports teams. Using primary sources, including position statements from Native American tribes, interviews with school alumni and...