Native American Culture and Their Environment

Mr. Malone

Oswego Middle School

INTRODUCTION

Over thousands of years, Native Americans living in North America developed different cultures. Culture means ways of life. A person’s or people’s culture is made up of language, religion, clothing, food, the types of homes we live in, and many other things. One problem that has faced all people throughout history is survival in your environment. The Native Americans of North America depended on resources found in their environment for survival. Since tribes lived in different regions of North America with different natural resources, different cultures (ways of life) developed over time.

TASK

Your task is to use the American History Public Policy Analyst (AHPPA) and the provided internet resources to research the ways in which the environment lead to Native Americans creating different cultures (ways of life) depending on where in North America they lived. Using the provided internet links, you will study four different Native American cultures. For each culture, you will identify three changes in culture (way of life) they had to make in order to survive in their environment. After you record three changes/adaptations they made in their way of life, you will create an illustration of each culture. Your illustrations will show the three changes you recorded for each Native American culture.

PROCESS/RESOURCES

PROCESS

Using the AHPPA

1) Identify the Problem (this has been done for your already): Native Americans depended on resources found in their environment for survival and had to adapt (change) their culture to survive depending on where they lived.

2) Determine the Causes of cultural changes: Using the provided worksheet, record three ways in which each region had different climates and natural resources.

3) Gather the Evidence of cultural changes: Using the provided worksheet, record three ways in which each Native American culture adapted (changed) to meet the needs of their environment.

4) Illustrate the Native American Cultures and Environments: Using the provided materials; create an illustration of each of the four Native American cultures. Each illustration should show the differences in natural resources/climate and the ways in which each Native American culture adapted to their environment.

RESOURCES

Far North

-Inuit

-Central Canada

-Kutchin

-Food

-Housing

Eastern Woodlands

-Iroquois

-Lenape

-Housing

-Food

-Climate

Southwest

-Navajo

-Climate

-Housing

-Food

Great Plains

-Climate

-Housing

-Food

-Sioux

EVALUATION

CATEGORY	4	3	2	1
Cultural Changes	All of the required cultural changes are recorded on the provided sheet.	Most of the required cultural changes are recorded on the provided sheet.	Some of the required cultural changes are recorded on the provided sheet.	Few of the required cultural changes are recorded on the provided sheet.
Causes of Cultural Changes	All of the required causes of cultural changes are recorded on the provided sheet.	Most of the required causes of cultural changes are recorded on the provided sheet.	Some of the required causes of cultural changes are recorded on the provided sheet.	Few of the required causes of cultural changes are recorded on the provided sheet.
Illustration	All facts are correctly illustrated for each topic.	Some mistakes were made in the illustrations	Several mistakes were in the illustrations.	Illustrations are only partially complete and little effort is evident.
Use of Class Time	Used time well during each class period. Focused on getting the project done. Never distracted others.	Used time well during each class period. Usually focused on getting the project done and never distracted others.	Used some of the time well during each class period. There was some focus on getting the project done but occasionally distracted others.	Did not use class time to focus on the project OR often distracted others

CONCLUSION

Congratulations! You have successfully investigated and created a record of Native American cultures in North America. Thanks to your hard work, any person that views your documentation and illustrations will be able to gain a greater understanding of Native Americans in North America!

STANDARDS

Standard 1: History of the United States and New York

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.

Standard 3: Geography

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the interdependent world in which we live—local, national, and global—including the distribution of people, places, and environments over the Earth’s surface.