Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission
Educational Material
This packet of materials contains content and lessons for you to use with your students. To
access the files on this CD hold down the ‘Ctrl’ key and click on the blue links below and the
document will open in a new window. Inside you will find the following:
1. Teaching About American Indians – Stereotypes and Contributions: A Resource Packet
for Kentucky Teachers: by Tressa Townes Brown (1999). Developed for use by
secondary school librarians, resource specialists, and teachers. Divided into three parts.
The first provides information about stereotyping and offers ideas for activities; the
second presents information about American Indians' contributions to American culture,
as a group and individually; and the third part is a resource guide that lists books,
curriculum materials, videos, and addresses of organizations and sites on the World Wide
Web. Can be used in conjunction with Native Americans: Who Are They Today. It is
also a resource guide for information related to Kentucky's native peoples, mainly the
Cherokee, Shawnee, and Chickasaw.
2. A Native History of Kentucky: By. A. Gwynn Henderson and David Pollack.
Selections from the chapter on Kentucky in Native America: A State-by-State
Historical Encyclopedia present the rich history of Kentucky's native peoples
from 9,500 B.C. to the present.
3. Who Are They Today: A Discipline-Based Unit in Social Studies for Grades 4-5 by
Tressa Brown, Karen Cheser, Kathy Dickison, Paula Whitmer, and Robin Chandler for
the Kentucky Native American Heritage Commission and the Kentucky Department of
Education (2002). This program is designed to help educators teach about Kentucky’s
Native Americans in a manner that is accurate, culturally sensitive, and avoids the pitfalls
of stereotyping.
4. Teacher’s Guide to Native American Literature: By Judy Sizemore. A Cross-curricular,
literature-based activities for teaching about Native American arts, history, and
contemporary social issues in grades K-8 using books written by Native American
authors.
5. Columbian Kentucky: by Vicky Middleswarth (1994). A two-week lesson plan
developed, in part, from actual archaeological research at prehistoric sites in Kentucky.
To be used as a companion activity program with Kentuckians Before Boone (by A.
Gwynn Henderson (1992). Follows one Indian family's life during late summer and early
fall of 1585 in central Kentucky. Based on archaeological, ethnohistoric, and historic
information about central and eastern Kentucky's village farming peoples known as the
Fort Ancient people Subjects covered include native games, foods, clothing, burial
practices, and houses. Includes resource lists. 50 p. Grade: elementary-middle school.
6. A Native Presence: A supplement to A Native Presence, a video produced by KET, The
Kentucky Network in 1995 that addresses issues of concern for Kentucky’s indigenous
people. Also, whenever possible, selected reading resources of individuals of American
descent who represent the American Indian ethnic groups that have historical links to
Kentucky, notably, the Cherokee and the Shawnee, were included.
7. Teaching Respect – Oyate Poster:
8. The Myth of Kentucky as the “Dark and Bloody Ground”: By Gwynn Henderson. A
short essay explaining this persistent myth about Kentucky’s history.
9. Experimental Archaeology: Making Cordage: In this lesson, students learn how to make
cordage, and learn how experimental archaeology can provide insights into prehistoric
technologies.
10. Native Peoples, Continuing Lifeways: This resource contains an array of materials about
Kentucky prehistory and American Indians. It includes a Teachers' Guide to the Kentucky
Before Boone poster. Each also contains classroom applications, lists of available resource
materials and persons; places to visit; and teaching/assessment strategies prepared by
teachers keyed to particular KERA outcomes. 156 p. Grade: K-12.
11. Ancient Fires at Cliff Palace Pond: A Companion Guide for Middle and High School
Teachers. By Judy Sizemore. A guide to the Kentucky Archaeology Video Series
Episode One. The booklet, Forests, Forest Fires, a& Their Makers: The Story of Cliff
Palace Pond, used with this guide is available on line at:
http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5276203.pdf
12. The Adena People: MoundBuilders of Kentucky: A Companion Guide for Intermediate
and Middle School Social Studies Teachers. By Judy Sizemore. A guide to the Kentucky
Archaeology Video Series Episode Two. The booklet, Adena: Woodland Period
Moundbuilders of the Bluegrass, used with this guide, is available at KY Unbound at
kyunbound.lib.overdrive.com or can be purchased at the Kentucky Heritage Council,
www.heritage.ky.gov/kas.htm
13. Kentucky Before Boone Poster: Produced by the Kentucky Heritage Council, it illustrates
Kentucky's prehistoric peoples and their technologies. Accompanying explanation sheet
describes their diverse lifeways.
14. Kentucky Before Boone: content sheet