Lesson Plan
National Endowment for the Humanities

Kennewick Man: Science and Sacred Rights

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
"Have respect for the dead!" Scholars investigate how science and religion often clash. As they look into the laws of science and the laws of religion, the legal ramifications at the federal level of both play into an argument they...
Interactive
DocsTeach

Lewis and Clark's Expedition to the Complex West

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Lewis and Clark's famous expedition is a prime example of the United States' westward expansion. Aspiring historians examine maps from Lewis and Clark's journey, as well as discuss their interactions with Native American tribes. The...
Lesson Plan
Pace University

The Iroquois

For Teachers 4th - 5th Standards
During the early 1500s, parts of modern-day New York were inhabited by Eastern Woodland Native Americans. To learn about the daily life, value, and traditions of these tribes, fourth graders research the Iroquois.  Groups select...
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...
Unit Plan
New York City Department of Education

Geography and Early Peoples of the Western Hemisphere

For Teachers 5th - 7th Standards
Young historians discover the early people of the western hemisphere. The unit explores how the land changed, how it was used and homes of early Americans such as Incas, Mayans, Inuits, Aztecs, and Pueblos. Individuals also examine these...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

The Spiro Mounds Builders: Oklahoma History

For Teachers 9th - 12th
Long before European settlers arrived on the shores of what is now the United States, pre-contact Native American cultures thrived. Young scholars investigate the Spiro Mounds Builders' history and learn how archaeologists put together...
Lesson Plan
1
1
National Endowment for the Humanities

Hopi Poetry

For Teachers K - 5th Standards
The Hopi refer to corn as their children, demonstrating its importance to the Native American group. Class members consider the role of literal and figurative language by examining poetry from this indigenous group. The resource includes...
Lesson Plan
1
1
Channel Islands Film

Cache: Lesson Plan 1 - Grades 9-12

For Teachers 9th - 12th Standards
Archaeologists have discovered a cache of Native American relics. They want to preserve these relics by removing them from the rapidly eroding site to a lab where they can be studied. Native American traditions demand that the items...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Lesson 1: English-Indian Encounters

For Teachers 8th - 10th
What did the English settlers think of the Native Americans inhabiting the Chesapeake region of the United States? Learners analyze a series of documents and images to determine the English perception of the local inhabitants. A great...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Great Basin Tribes- Use of Land for Sustenance

For Teachers 5th - 7th
Learners explore four Native American tribes from Nevada. In this Native American history lesson, students identify and generate important corresponding attributes of the Southern Paiute, Northern Paiute, Washoe, and Western Shoshone...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Celebrate Native American Heritage

For Teachers 5th - 8th
Students examine Native American heritage. They explore a museum of Native American culture and explore their food, dress, and customs. They also explore the Native Americans role in the first Thanksgiving.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Northwest Native American Art

For Teachers 8th
Eighth graders first study the art of the U.S. Northwestern Coast Native American peoples. They select an image or make their own and make a drawing and then make a 6-inch linoleum block print.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Native Americans

For Teachers 1st
First graders explore the lifestyles of several North American tribes. They investigate about the homes, food, transportation, and daily living habits of each tribe. Pupils use a map to locate several Native American tribes in North...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Anishinabe - Ojibwe - Chippewa: Culture of an Indian Nation

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Students investigate the American Indian tribe of the Chippewa. They identify the different names of the Anishinabe/Ojibwe/Chippewa nation, conduct a research project, explore various websites, and present their group research projects.
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Pre-Colonial Native American Groups

For Teachers 4th - 6th
Students investigate U.S. history by researching the Internet and taking a test. In this American Indian group lesson, students identify the many specific Native American tribes and their geographic locations. Students research the web...
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Native Indian Culture: Plains Indians in Montana

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Students examine the culture of the Plains Indians. In this Montana history lesson, students view a PowerPoint presentation regarding the social, religious, and traditional life of the Plains Indians. 
Unit Plan
Curated OER

Native American Indians: Wampanoags

For Teachers K
Students understand the contributions of the Native American tribes. In this Native American lesson, recognize Native American names, words and cultures. Students understand that different tribes lived in different parts of the country....
Lesson Plan
Curated OER

Survival of Native American Culture

For Teachers 3rd - 6th
Learners research the five tribes of the Iroquois Nation focusing on housing, food, clothing, transportation, religion, and language. They research using Internet sources and book mark sites for reuse.
Activity
Curated OER

Te Ata Fisher: The Award-Winning Chickasaw Storyteller

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Storytelling is a time-honored way to keep a culture alive. Introduce middle schoolers to Te Ata Fisher, the famous Chickasaw storyteller who shared her stories, songs, and dances across the United States and Europe. Young historians...
Handout
Smithsonian Institution

Harvest Ceremony: Beyond the Thanksgiving Myth

For Teachers K - 12th
There is a grain of truth in myths. Young historians investigate the truths surrounding the popular beliefs about the First Thanksgiving in Plymouth, Massachusetts. After reading the information in a study guide, they use what they...
Activity
Curated OER

Food Traditions: Making Cherokee Bean Bread

For Teachers 6th - 8th
Imagine being forced out of your home and walking over 1,000 miles with only the things you could carry. How would you survive? What would you eat? After reading about the Trail of Tears and Cherokee resilience, middle schoolers are...
Lesson Plan
K20 LEARN

Transcending Boundaries - The Kiowa Six: The Legacy and Contributions of Six Kiowa Artists

For Teachers 9th - 12th
The Kiowa Six, a group of Kiowa artists, are featured in the lesson that asks young historians to consider the importance of art in representing a culture and contributing to a group's legacy. After examining paintings by the group and...
Activity
Curated OER

Navajo Weaving: A Lesson in Math and Tradition

For Teachers 3rd - 5th
Combine geometry and tradition with a lesson that spotlights Navajo weaving. The book, The Goat in the Rug by Charles L. Blood and Martin Link hooks scholars before watching a video of Navajo people tending their sheep and beginning...
Activity
Curated OER

Trickster Tale Comics: The Cunning Coyote

For Teachers 3rd - 5th Standards
The trickster tale "The Coyote Places the Stars" tells how a coyote is sneaky but helpful. After listening to the tale, scholars use their imagination to create a trickster tale about a coyote, displaying their journey through a comic...