Native American Regions of the U.S.
Many thousands of years before European explorers arrived in North America, millions of people lived across the land, in harmony with their environment, cultivating natural resources, and nurturing a wealth of cultural traditions. Today’s lesson will explore the heritage and history of the first peoples of North America.

Today’s Activities

Read it!

Read this informational chart about different Native American groups by region.  Choose two you find interesting, and compare and contrast them. How are they alike? How are they different?

Read more about Native Americans here.

Try It!

Native American homes differed across the regions of the U.S. In the Southwest Region, adobe was used to construct buildings and homes, many of which are still standing 1,000 years later. It’s a clay that is made by mixing clay with mud, water, sand, or straw, then left out to dry in molds.  Roll up your sleeves and make your own adobe or mud bricks! Watch this 5 minute video for ideas on how to build with different mud recipes.

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write it

Watch this BrainPop video about Native Americans. Take notes here to help you remember things you’ve learned. Then, create your own map to show what others ought to know about Native Americans using images from the video here.

Get moving

Traditional Pow Wow dancing is both stunningly beautiful to watch, and quite a workout for the dancers! Follow along with the StyleHorse Collective as they guide you through steps in a dance workout that follows the old Pow Wow style. Try to do it twice!

create it

In the Northwest Region, the totem pole is a powerful expression of Native American art and heritage. Read a little about totem poles here. Then explore different animal totems and their meanings here.  Can you reflect on which ones you feel most connected to?

Then, try this Family Totem Pole art activity or make one digitally here.

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