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
Jacksonian America and the Indian Removal Act of 1830
Students utilize primary sources to explore the national climate concerning Native American Indians during the Andrew Jackson administration. They are presented with opinions for and against the Indian Removial Act of 1830 as they...
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Policies that Relate to American Indians
Eleventh graders demonstrate an understanding of the impact of the western settlement patterns on American Indians. They analyze the growth and division of the United States from 1820 through 1877 and examine the non-Indian concept of...
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American Indians
Eighth graders discuss their country of origin and form work groups based on their answers. In this American Indian instructional activity, 8th graders locate their country of origin to the lifestyle, products and living arrangements...
K20 LEARN
Worcester v. Georgia: Cherokee Sovereignty and Actions of the U.S. Government
Young historians study the Supreme Court case "Worcester v. Georgia" and note instances where the Justices defended the sovereign rights of the Cherokee. They also examine the actions of President Andrew Jackson and the provisions of...
Anti-Defamation League
Analyzing Primary Source Documents to Understand U.S. Expansionism and 19th Century U.S.-Indian Relations
Historical events can be viewed from multiple perspectives. This simple truth is brought home in a lesson plan that examines primary source documents related to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the Doctrine of Discovery and Manifest...
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American Indians
Students research early Indian adaptations in this instructional activity. They research the different American Indian tribes. They also research and compare the tribes' rituals, daily lives, and their impact on the Europeans who came...
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Government Protecting Rights
Students explore tribal sovereignty. In this American Indian lesson, students learn about tribal sovereignty, watch a movie, take notes, and complete a reaction paper.
K20 LEARN
Tribal Sovereignty and the Indian Reorganization Act: Tribal Governments
Sovereign nations or wards? High schoolers investigate the history of the Indian Reorganization Act and other legislation that impacted Native Americans. They also research different tribes' constitutions, compare them to the U.S....
Curated OER
Pre-Colonial Native American Groups
Students investigate U.S. history by researching the Internet and taking a test. For this American Indian group lesson, students identify the many specific Native American tribes and their geographic locations. Students research the web...
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Cherokee Indians and the Trail of Tears
Students investigate U.S. history by reading American Indian stories. In this Cherokee Indian lesson plan, students identify the cruelty inflicted towards Native Americans by the European settlers and the "trail of tears" that were left....
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The First Americans
Third graders explore American history by researching Native Americans. For this American settlers lesson, 3rd graders research the Native American Woodland Indians and define the actions they took when faced with the European settlers....
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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 instructional activity, students analyze provided primary and secondary sources concerning Red Cloud, Sitting Bull, and the Dawes Act. Students...
K20 LEARN
Allotment in Indian Territory: Land Openings in Indian Territory
To understand how the allotment policy embedded in the Dawes Act, passed by the U.S. government in 1887, affected the tribal sovereignty of Native Americans, young historians examine various maps and documents and Supreme Court cases...
Smithsonian Institution
Western Indian Wars
Why do many Native Americans live on reservations? An interactive resource teaches about how reservations came to be and the tragic history behind Native Americans moving from their lands. Teenagers read passages, view images, and click...
Curated OER
Anishinabe - Ojibwe - Chippewa: Culture of an Indian Nation
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.
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American Indian Homes in Kansas
First graders explore culture by researching U.S. history. In this American Indian instructional activity, 1st graders discuss the geography of Kansas and the different Native American tribes that inhabited the state and the types of...
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American Indian Tribal Sovereignty
Seventh graders examine the relationship among the governments of the sovereign American Indian Nations in Utah, the State of Utah, and the U.S. They list the objectives of the Office of Indian Affairs and examine their purpose.
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Native American Word Search
Students search this puzzle for the names of 20 of the most populous Native American groups in the United States today. They find in this word search puzzle the names of 20 of the 30 most populous Indian groups, according to the 1990...
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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...
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Colonization and American Indian Perspectives
Learners investigate the colonization of the United States by researching Thanksgiving. In this U.S. history lesson, students discuss the concept of Thanksgiving, who created it and what it was intended to do. Learners practice letter...
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Baseball Challenge: 5th Grade Social Studies
Quickly review facts relating to U.S. History in a Baseball Challenge presentation. The information relates to branches of government, the Vietnam War, WWII, and other key events.
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Chalkboard Challenge: Social Studies Online
If used as an independent review, this presentation could be a quick way for students to study U.S. History facts. Since it only presents a few simple facts, it would not be adequate for a comprehensive review, but a teacher could...
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The Affects of Environment on Native American Culture
Students research the culture of the Native Americans. In this U.S. History lesson, students are given the major geological areas where the Indians lived prior to the arrival of the Europeans, then they create a notebook that compares...