Native Californians Final Project
Create Your Own Tribe
As you know, the Native Californians adapted to the environment in
which they lived. Thus, each tribe's way of life was a little different,
based on the natural resources and climate with which they were
faced.
Your Task:
You will be working in groups and will be given a description of a
made-up geographic location. Based on the information given to you,
you will create a tribe that could live in that location. You will create
a poster and a diorama about your tribe and present it to the
class. They must include the following information:

Houses: What were they made out of? What did they look
like? How large were they? How many people lived in them?
How were they built?

Clothing: What did the men wear? What did the women
wear? What did the children wear? What was it made out of?
Were there any special clothes/head dresses/ body
decorations for special occasions or times of the year?

Food: What did they eat? How did the cook it? Who did the
cooking? Who did the hunting? Who did the gathering?

Religion: Create a ceremony that your tribe might have had.
What would they wear? What would they celebrate?
Create detailed, labeled drawings of the items you will include in your
diorama. These are your “work papers”. They will be put on your
poster and will help you determine what to put in your diorama.
We will provide you with a box, paints, glue and markers. Whatever
other supplies you need, you will need to provide for yourself.
You will be graded on how well you can explain the topics above and
how well your tribe fits with your geographic location.
Names__________________________________________________
Geographic Location #1
Your tribe lives near the ocean. The area is somewhat hilly, with many
grassy fields. There is plenty of tule grass around. Small trees and
large, old oak trees grow on the hills. Each year, in the autumn,
acorns fall from the trees. Deer, rabbits, coyotes and mountain lions
roam the hills. The weather is warm in the summer, but not too hot.
Temperatures never reach above 100°. It rains considerably in the
winter, often raining for weeks at a time. However, it never gets
below 40°, so it never snows.
Names__________________________________________________
Geographic Location #2:
Your tribe lives in the mountains. There are very large redwood trees
all around the area where they live. Bear, deer, wolves, eagles, and
hawks live in the mountains. There is also a large lake near your
tribe, which has many trout and bass living in its waters. During the
winter months, it can snow for several days at a time. The snow
usually stays on the ground from late fall to late winter. In the
summer months it can get very hot, with temperatures ranging
between 90° and 100°.
Names__________________________________________________
Geographic Location #3:
Your tribe lives in the desert. The summer months are extremely hot,
with temperatures ranging between 90° - 115° for weeks at a time.
In the winter months, it can get very cold, especially at night.
Although it doesn't rain much in the desert, when it does rain, there
are often flash floods, which can turn a dry gulch into a raging river in
minutes. There are many plateaus and mesas in the desert where
your tribe lives. A palm oasis provides an underground water source
for your tribe, and for the animals that live nearby. Desert bighorn
sheep and coyotes are some of the larger animals that live in this
area. Snakes, lizards, tortoise, and tarantulas share the land with
your tribe. As for plants, Joshua trees, canyon oaks, cactus and
shrubs grow in the region.
Names__________________________________________________
Geographic Location #4:
Your tribe lives near a volcano. The southern side of the volcano,
where your tribe lives, receives over 70 inches of rain a year! Most of
the rain falls during the fall and winter months, but thunderstorms are
also common during the summer months. It also snows during the
winter in the higher locations. The volcano has created many natural
hot springs, which your tribe uses in a variety of different ways. (You
will have to decide what those ways are.) The volcano also produces
obsidian, also known as volcanic glass. The plants of the area include
fir, oak (which gave them acorns) and smaller bushes, many of which
had edible berries on them in the summer. There are many streams
and rivers in the area teaming with salmon and trout. Deer are also
plentiful.
Names__________________________________________________
Geographic Location #5:
Your tribe lives in a great valley. It has marshlands, farmlands and
rolling hills. There is a large river in the area, and many smaller
streams flow from it. There is not much rainfall where your tribe lives,
but the temperatures are very mild, rarely going below 40° or above
90°. Forests of tule grass cover much of the marshlands. Many birds
and turtles lived in these marshes. There were no oak trees in the
area, so the tribe only eats acorn mush when they can trade for
acorns. Instead, they use plants that they had around, including the
tule, for everything they need. The only large animals in the area are
the tule elk and antelope. However, there are many small animals,
including rabbits, turtles, and squirrels. The tribe likes to travel on the
rivers and streams and go fishing. (Think about this as you think
about tools.)
Names__________________________________________________
Geographic Location #6:
Your tribe lives near what will some day be called the American River.
Your tribe sees the seasons change. Summer brings temperatures in
the low 100°'s, while winter brings heavy tule fog. Except during
droughts, rainfall is frequent in winter, but snowfall is unusual because
temperatures, particularly in the daytime, normally remain well above
freezing. The land is flat, with mountains in the far distance. Oak
forests can be found in the low foothills of the mountains, but
grasslands and freshwater marshes are closer to where your tribe
lives. Small pine trees grow in abundance near your tribe. Black-tailed
deer, coyotes, river otters, beavers, bald eagles, salmon, steelhead
bass, and swallowtail butterflies are just some of the wildlife that
abounds in this area.
Names__________________________________________________
Geographic Location # 7
Your tribe is located in the north-western corner of California. This
area is has a rocky coastline, lush mountain regions and many salmonfilled rivers. Hundred-year-old redwood trees grace the region, as do
firs and pines. In addition, there are many varieties of ferns and berry
bushes growing in the region. This area is very wet, with an average
rainfall of between 38 and 80 inches. The coastal climate is cool,
moist, and often foggy, with rainy winters at lower elevations and
snow in the higher mountains.
salmon and geese.
Wildlife includes deer, fox, bear,
Tribe groups:
1. Ben, Nicole
2. Lian, Leah Dautoff, Julia
3. Jordan, Molly, Lea T.
4. Ethan, Benji, Sofia
5. Blake, Jon, Leah Dunn