Curated OER
Comparing Cinderella and The Rough-Face Girl
Pupils examine similarities and differences between cultures. They'll see that literature, reading, and story telling is something all cultures have in common. They should construct Venn diagrams to help them compare and contrast the...
Global Oneness Project
Resiliency Among the Salmon People
Is losing cultural traditions the cost of social progress, or should people make stronger efforts to preserve these traditions? High schoolers watch a short film about the native Yup'ik people in Alaska and how they handle the shifts in...
National Museum of the American Indian
The Kwakwaka'Wakw: A Study of a North Pacific Coast People and the Potlatch
Discover the cultural practices and unique value systems of a group of native peoples from Canada called the Kwakwaka'wakw. Your young historians will discuss how conceptions of wealth can vary and how these native people utilized...
Curated OER
Primary and Secondary Sources - 7th
A link to a beautiful Animoto presentation is included, giving examples of primary sources that a student might want to contact when doing research. Using the Topaz Internment Camp in Utah as a sample topic, middle schoolers view a slide...
Indian Land Tenure Foundation
Gifts from Land and Water
With a series of fun hands-on simulations, young children can learn about conservation and natural resources. Your learners become land detectives, discussing and investigating the gifts that the land and water provide them. They then...
Curated OER
The AME Church in U.S. History
Ninth graders explore the history of the African Methodist Church in the United States. In this African American history instructional activity, 9th graders discover why the church was founded and research its history and noteworthy...
Curated OER
Letters from the Japanese American Internment
Young scholars examine letters of Japanese-American children during internment in World War II. They discover what it was like in the camps and how they were treated once they were released. They also view photographs of the camps.
Curated OER
Flawed Democracies
Ninth graders examine the struggle for equal opportunity. In this American Government lesson, 9th graders create a timeline outlining various groups' struggles for equal opportunity. Students research and construct a timeline to...
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
Western Expansion and Native Americans
Fifth graders research the Oregon, Old Spanish, California, and Mormon trails, and the impact western expansion had on the Native Americans living on those lands.
Curated OER
The Importance of Plants to Native Cultures in the Past and Present
Eighth graders investigate the founding and history of Sluice Boxes State Park. They use both primary and secondary resources to collect data. The focus is upon the use of native plants to make medicines. They write reports about several...
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...
Curated OER
Heritage: Petroglyphs and the Stories They Tell
Fourth graders are introduced to the use of petroglyphs as a form of communication by the Native American tribes of the region that is now Utah. They prepare their own original picture stories and then switch with a partner to translate...
Curated OER
Dream Catchers
Students create Native American dream catchers to represent the Native American culture. After reading and discussing the origin of the Dream cather, they begin to construct their dream catchers using wire hoops, thread, beads, and...
Curated OER
Analyzing Primary and Secondary Sources to Assess the Decisions and Policies of Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, and the U.S. Government
Students examine U.S. policies regarding Native Americans. In this Native American history lesson, students analyze provided primary and secondary sources concerning Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, and the Dawes Act. Students use the provided...
Curated OER
Language Arts: Native Americans and Onomatopoeias
Fifth graders read the Native American tale, "The Frog and the Crane," focusing on the use of onomatopoeia in it. In groups, they brainstorm list of words that are examples of the device. Finally, 5th graders write their own stories...
Curated OER
The Finish Line
Students investigate the philanthropy of various cultural traditions. In this cultural education lesson, students read a handout about Native American, European American, and African American traditions and identify the philanthropic...
Curated OER
Places Of Power
Fourth graders investigate the Native American religious concept of Sacred Landscapes. The use of natural resources and religious rites is researched using a variety of sources. They discuss the importance of geographical places in the...
Curated OER
Analyzing a Poster
Eleventh graders work in small groups to analyze a poster provided to them depicting Native Americans. They prepare a response to present to the class. They conduct a group discussion from the poster. The discussion should lead into...
Curated OER
They Put On Masks
Eighth graders examine Native American art. For this mask making lesson, 8th graders compare mask making traditions among different cultures. Students watch a demonstration of mask making and construct a mask of their own.
Curated OER
Report Writing
Students choose Native American tribe to research, develop ideas for five paragraph report, find information about chosen tribe's history and culture, compare historical life of tribe with contemporary aspects of tribal life today, and...
Curated OER
The Trail of Tears; Its Grief and Loss
Fifth graders are introduced to the removal of Native Americans along the Trail of Tears. In groups, they examine the political factors that caused this removal and its effect on society. To end the lesson, they discuss various ways to...
Curated OER
Simulated Bark Paintings
Learners create simulated, traditional Native American "bark paintings" out of brown paper bags. They paint flowers, birds, animals or scenes of village life on the "bark" in bright colors using acrylic paint.
Curated OER
Life of a Navajo Weaver
Young scholars explore Native American weaving patterns and dance movements. In this Native Americans instructional activity, students view examples of weaving patterns on the Internet and compare the patterns to a Native American dance....