Grade 4, Kentucky Unit, Lesson 4
Native Americans in Kentucky
Essential Question
What was life like for the first Kentuckians?
Lesson Summary
Students are introduced to the four time periods archeologists have used to order prehistoric Native
American life in Kentucky. Students create timelines in their “Discovering Kentucky” notebook to develop
a chronological sense of how long ago Native Americans lived in Kentucky. Students read informational
passages to learn about the Paleoindian, Archaic, Woodland, and Late Prehistoric periods. On Day Two,
learn more about Kentucky’s historic tribes (i.e. Shawnee, Cherokee, and Chickasaw) through learning
stations. Students continue to think about change over time in Kentucky.
Core Content for Assessment
SS-04-2.1.1
Students will identify early cultures (Native American, Appalachian, pioneers) in Kentucky and explain
their similarities and differences.
Duration
Two 45-minute lessons
SS-04-4.1.1 Students will use geographic tools (e.g., maps, charts, graphs) to identify and describe natural
resources and other physical characteristics (e.g., major landforms, major bodies of water, weather, climate,
roads, bridges) in regions of Kentucky and the United States.
SS-04-4.3.1 Students will describe patterns of human settlement in regions of Kentucky and explain how
these patterns were/are influenced by physical characteristics (e.g., climate, landforms, bodies of water).
SS-04-4.4.1 Students will explain and give examples of how people adapted to/modified the physical
environment (e.g., natural resources, physical geography, natural disasters) to meet their needs during the
history of Kentucky and explain its impact on the environment today.
Student Learning Targets
 I can identify groups of early Native Americans who first lived in Kentucky.
 I can explain similarities and differences of early Native Americans in Kentucky.
 I can use geographic tools (maps) to identify prehistoric Native-American sites in Kentucky.
 I can describe the patterns of early Native-American settlements in regions of Kentucky.
 I can explain how these patterns were/are influenced by physical characteristics (climate, landforms,
bodies of water) in Kentucky.
 I can give examples of how Native Americans in early settlements adapted to/modified their needs
during the history of Kentucky.
Materials
Lesson Content Vocabulary
 Rulers
 Paleoindian Period: the period of time
ranging nearly 12,000 years ago when the
 “Discovering Kentucky” notebook
first Native Americans lived in Kentucky
 Resource 4A Change Over Time: Native
(10,000 B.C.to 8,000 B.C.)
Americans
 Archaic Period: the longest period of
 Resource 4D Native-American Learning
Native-American life in Kentucky in which
Stations
the climate became warmer and drier (8,000
 First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story by
B.C. to 1,000 B.C.)
Joseph Bruchac
 Woodland Period: the period of Native KET Kentucky’s Story: Early Kentucky
American life in which gardening increased
http://www.ket.org/kentuckystory/program1.
and led to more sedentary lifestyle (1,000
htm
B.C. to A.D. 1000)
 Additional resources are available in the
 Late Prehistoric Period: the period in which
Lesson 4 Wikipage.
corn-based farming flourished and led to an
Grade 4, Kentucky Unit, Lesson 4
For additional background information on Native
increase in population, larger villages, and
Americans, see the following resources:
trade (A.D. 1000 to 1750)
 Faces of Kentucky by James and Freda
Note: Trade also took place in the Archaic and
Klotter, Chapter 1
 The Kentucky Adventure by Tracy Campbell, Woodland Periods, not just the Late Prehistoric
Period.
Chapter 4
Assessment Evidence
1. Resource 4A Change Over Time: Native Americans
Formative
2. Resource 4D Native-American Learning Station Handouts
Formative
Classroom Instructional Framework
Establishing Engagement/Fostering Connections (entering activity/anticipatory set)
Day One
1. Have students create a Know Want Learn (KWL) chart in their “Discovering Kentucky” notebooks.
Have them record everything they know about Native Americans in the “K” column and everything
they want to learn in the “L” column. Invite students to share their ideas. Let students know they
will have the opportunity to revisit the KWL chart in a few days.
Deepening Understanding (guided practice)
2. Introduce the prefix paleo. Let students know that this prefix means “very old.” Next, write the
word Paleoindian on the board. Have students discuss what the word might mean. Record all
responses.
3. Let students know that the term Paleoindian refers to the original people who lived on the North
American continent a very long time ago. Ask students to consider when they might have lived.
They will do a quick activity to determine just how long ago the Paleoindians lived in Kentucky.
a) Give students a ruler and have them draw a line six inches long. Let them know that
each inch represents 2,000 years.
b) At the 0-inch mark, have students record 12,000 years ago.
c) At the 1-inch mark, 10,000 years ago.
d) Repeat until the 6-inch mark, indicating 0 thousand years ago.
e) Have students record the “Present” at the 6-inch mark.
4. Let students know that Paleoindians came to Kentucky about 12,000 years ago (10,000 B.C. to 8,000
B.C.). Most of the northern United States was covered in ice during this time. Have students think
about how the life of Paleoindians was different from our lives today.
5. Have students realize that change occurs over time. Their time line symbolizes a 12,000-year time
span. Let students know that archeologists have divided those 12,000 years into four time periods:
a) Paleoindian Period—10,000 B.C. to 8,000 B.C.
b) Archaic Period—8,000 B.C. to 1,000 B.C.
c) Woodland Period—1,000 B.C. to A.D. 1000
d) Late Prehistoric Period—A.D. 1000 to 1750
6.
Have students label the time periods on their timelines.
7. Give students a copy of Change Over Time: Native Americans (Resource 4A). Model the process of
thinking through each time period through the use of the graphic organizer and informational
passages (Resource 4A):
Grade 4, Kentucky Unit, Lesson 4
 Describe the geography and/or climate of Kentucky during this time.
 Describe the animals hunted and/or food planted by Native Americans during this time.
 Describe how the Native Americans lived (camps, shelter, customs, traditions, daily
life, etc.).
8. Have students with a partner read to learn about the remaining time periods, completing the graphic
organizers provided with Resource 4A, carefully thinking about how life for Native Americans
changed during each time period. Note: Students may need more time to complete the organizer
so they may continue with the reading the next day.
9. Review the completed graphic organizer as a class, emphasizing differences among time periods.
Day Two
1. Remind students that they have been exposed to the idea of change over time for Native-American
groups of Kentucky. They are going to continue to dig deeper to learn about native peoples who
lived in Kentucky during the Late Historic Period. Additionally, they will learn about the native
peoples who lived in Kentucky during the period after the Late Prehistoric Period, known as the
Historic Period.
2. Divide students into six groups. Have students work in small groups to rotate through the six NativeAmerican Learning Stations (Resource 4D), exploring the Native Americans of the Historic Period.
a) Have students read The First Strawberries: A Cherokee Story by Joseph Bruchac.
Have students discuss aspects of Cherokee culture presented in the text (e.g., the
importance of friendship and respect).
b) Kentucky’s Story: Early Kentucky (14:05)
http://www.ket.org/kentuckystory/program1.htm and writing prompt
c) Kentucky Prehistoric Object Images and Analysis
d) Mapping Native-American Stories
e) Maps Tell a Story: Maps of Kentucky Sites by Period
f) Dig Articles: Comparing Artifacts
Man’s Best Prehistoric Friend by A. Gwynn Henderson
A Hairpin’s Tale by A. Gwynn Henderson
3. Have students share their findings from the learning stations. What new information have they
uncovered? How does it change their initial understanding?
4. Review the ideas collected on the anchor chart. After learning more about the different native groups
who called Kentucky home, ask students what evidence of change over time was observed.
 How were the Native-American cultures of the earlier time periods different from the NativeAmerican cultures of the Historic period?
 What additional information can be added to the anchor chart?
Constructing Meaning (closure/independent practice)
1. Now that students have explored many aspects of Native-American culture, have students revisit their
KWL charts and complete the “L” column. Invite students to share what they have learned.
 Based on what they have learned, have students explain how Native Americans have
impacted the environment today.