Glynn County Fourth Grade
Created: 9-12-11
Grade Level: Fourth
Unit Title: Early Native Americans
Unit Topic: Native Americans
Time Frame: Based on a 45-minute segment per day – 2 weeks
Know =
Knowledge
Topography: Atlantic Coastal Plain,
Great Plains, Continental Divide, the
Great Basin, Death Valley, Gulf of
Mexico; cardinal directions (north,
south, east, west), map skills, atlas
Understand =
Concepts
Where people live
matters, and geography
will dictate how they
survive.
Migration and
Cause and effect relationships
movement have an
effect on people, land,
Arctic (Inuit), Northwest (Kwakiutl), and culture.
Plateau (Nez Perce), Southwest
(Hopi), Plains (Pawnee), and
Southeastern (Seminole)
How needs are met
How each tribe obtained food,
clothing, and shelter (adobe, long
house, tee pee, pueblo)
Do =
Skills
Locate important physical features of the
United States.
Describe how physical systems affect
human systems.
Locate on a map where early Native
American cultures settled.
Describe how Native Americans used their
environment to survive.
Key Standards/Elements:
SS4H1 The student will describe how early Native American cultures developed in North America.
a. Locate where Native Americans settled with emphasis on the Arctic (Inuit), Northwest (Kwakiutl), Plateau (Nez
Perce), Southwest (Hopi), Plains (Pawnee), and Southeast (Seminole).
b. Describe how Native Americans used their environment to obtain food, clothing, and shelter.
SS4G1 The student will be able to locate important physical and man-made features in the United States.
a. Locate major physical features of the United States; include the Atlantic Coastal Plain, the Great Plains, the
Continental Divide, the Great Basin, Death Valley, the Gulf of Mexico
SS4G2 The student will describe how physical systems affect human systems.
a. Explain why each of the Native American groups (SS4H1a) occupied the areas they did, with emphasis on why
some developed permanent villages and others did not.
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Glynn County Fourth Grade
Created: 9-12-11
DECISION 1
Student Learning Map
Key Learning:
Geography impacted how early Americans survived.
Unit Essential Question:
How did Native Americans use their environment to survive?
Concept:
Geography
Lesson Essential Questions:
What are the major landforms of
the US? Where are they?
What are the natural resources of
each landform?
Concept:
Needs
Lesson Essential Question:
How do people use natural
resources to meet their needs?
Concept:
Native Americans
Lesson Essential Questions:
How did the Native Americans use
their envrironment to survive?
How did _______ (tribe) use its
environment to survive?
Vocabulary:
Topography: Atlantic Coastal
Plain, Great Plains, Continental
Divide, the Great Basin, Death
Valley, Gulf of Mexico; cardinal
directions (north, south, east,
west), map skills, atlas
Vocabulary:
Cause and effect relationships
Vocabulary:
Cause and effect relationships
Arctic (Inuit), Northwest
(Kwakiutl), Plateau (Nez Perce),
Southwest (Hopi), Plains
(Pawnee), and Southeastern
(Seminole)
Addditional Information/Resources:
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Glynn County Fourth Grade
Created: 9-12-11
DECISION 2
Culminating Task
Essential Question: How did Native Americans use their environment to survive?
Description of Task for Students:
Student Choice 1. Shoe box diorama of Native American tribes with correct topography, clothing, food, and shelter
2. Poster of Native American tribes with correct topography, clothing, food, and shelter
Both will include a written summary of the tribe and its characterstics.
Steps of the Task:
1. Teacher presents power point with examples (included in folder).
2. Teacher reviews rubric and sets timeline/deadline.
3. Students choose a tribe.
4. Gather resources (from the classroom and media center) including pictures.
5. Construct diorama or poster (may be in or out of school).
6. Write summary of tribe (in school).
DECISION 3
Rubric for Task
Criteria
Exemplary
Meets Criteria
Does Not Meet
DECISION 4
Student Assessments
 Quiz of the various Native American tribes
 Flow map or multi flow map to demonstrate how physical systems affect human systems
 A map and label/draw picture for the topography of the US
 Oral review of human needs
DECISION 5
Launch Activity
Teacher shows a power point of various artifacts from Native Americans and the class talks about what it is and
how it met the needs of the people.
Teacher shows pictures of landforms and the class describes each. The teacher can also add in pictures of
students for extra interest.
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