Enduring Patterns: Pre-Columbian Ecuadorean Textile Designs

Native peoples established civilizations all over Central and North America. Introduce native civilizations with a unit that promotes discussion, reinforces map skills, enhances reading comprehension, and exposes young historians to...

What was life like in America before Christopher Columbus discovered the New World? Scholars investigate life in the Americas through the eyes of Native Americans in the first lesson of a 22-part series covering America's history. Using...

Besides serving as awe-inspiring monuments of human achievement, skyscrapers are built to perform a wide range of functions in urban communities. The second instructional activity in this series begins by exploring the history of the...

Picture someone's excitement of seeing a horse for the first time. How about a cow? The Columbian Exchange changed life for not only Native Americans, but also for Europeans and the entire world. The second lesson of a 22-part series...

Adopt a school-wide approach to bullying prevention guided by a program packet that is designed to engage the full school, families, and the entire community. Participants are asked to consider the roles power, control, and...

Delve into the complex social and political structures of Native Americans prior to the arrival of European colonists. This video provides an overview of pre-Columbian America, with particular regard to the the colonization efforts of...

Students explore Pre-Columbian native cultures. For this Exploration Era lesson, students define the words "primitive," "civilized," and "technology." Students consider the connotations of the words and then investigate...

Article on pre-Columbian Native American history and culture, including discussion on the impact of the Europeans.

Seventh graders investigate the impact of the Columbian Exchange. In this Exploration Age lesson, 7th graders view video clips and read materials related to the trade that took place in the era. Students use SMARTNotebook slides to...

The Formative Period (1500 BCE-300 CE) of Mesoamerican culture is surveyed with an overview of the Olmec culture. Includes discussion of Olmec stone head sculpture, art, building, writing, and other achievements.