Native American Resource Unit
Tara Geegan
Introduction
Native Americans have an important significance in
American history. From the first Thanksgiving to the Trail of
Tears, children can learn a great deal from the culture,
customs, and history of the Native American people.
• This unit is a thematic unit based on Native Americans,
and it is age-appropriate for first graders. For one week,
students will explore a wide range of information and
experiences based on Native American culture and history.
Content
• Content includes learning about the customs
and traditions of Native American tribes.
Students will learn about rain dances, dream
catchers and jewelry. In addition, students
will explore the different practices of tribes,
such as the roles of men, women and chiefs.
Vocabulary
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dream catcher
tribe
chief
rain stick
rain dance
Iroquois
Sioux
population
teepee
buffalo
Objectives
• Students will learn terms and vocabulary that will
enhance their knowledge of Native American
culture.
• Students will gain an understanding of the
components of Native American tribes.
• Students will experiment with art and dance
influenced by Native American culture.
• Students will compare and contrast Native
American practices to their own lives.
Activities
• Activity One
• Intro: Show rain stick and example of a rain
dance.
• Students will discuss how weather and nature
impact economics. Teachers can tie in spirituality,
rain dances and sticks, and the impact weather had
on agriculture for Native Americans.
• Students will write a story about how Native
Americans used rain dances.
Activities
• Activity Two
• Intro: As a class, read
about Native American
Chiefs.
• Make a Venn Diagram
comparing the roles of the
President of the United
States and the roles of a
Native American chief.
Activities
• Activity Three
• Intro: As a class, make a list of the their
parents’ occupations.
• Students will discuss the primary roles of
men and women in Native American tribes.
• Students will write a story about what their
responsibilities would have been in the
tribe, depending upon their gender.
Activities
• Activity Four
• Intro: Write a list about things that people do to
help one another.
• Students will discuss the seven tribes of the Sioux
and how they worked together to keep peaceful
relationships. Then, the teacher will discuss
classroom communities and student
responsibilities in the room.
• Students will help create classroom rules that they
have agreed upon.
Activities
• Activity Five
• Intro: Show students pictures of Native
American jewelry and lead a discussion
about the characteristics of the jewelry.
• Students will explore Native American
jewelry and discuss the use of jewelry in
the Native American trade market.
Also, different tribes’ artifacts can be
explored and compared.
• Students will design/draw their own
piece of Native American jewelry.
Activity
• Activity Six
• Intro: Read Indian Paintbrush
by Tomie dePaola.
• Discuss Native American art
and the materials they used.
• Students will paint or draw a
scene that connects to the story.
• Activity Seven
• Intro: Show students a
dream catcher. Ask
them questions about
it such as: What does
it look like? What is
its purpose?
• Students will make a
dream catcher using
twine, thin wire,
beads and feathers.
Activity
Activity
• Activity Eight
• Intro: Use a map to locate the Midwest and Ohio.
• As a class, locate several tribes in the Midwest
region.
• Students will make a list of five tribes in Ohio.
Activity
• Activity Nine
• Intro: Read Wise Owl: An Iroquois Creation
Myth.
• Have students complete a graphic organizer
of the beginning, middle, and end of the
story.
Activity
• Activity Ten
• Intro: Discuss the term populations and talk about
the United States and world population.
• Students will learn about the term populations and
explore various populations of Native American
tribes throughout the United States.
• Put the populations of the tribes in order from
highest to lowest.
Evaluation
•
a.
b.
c.
d.
Native Americans lived in ________.
Log cabins
Igloos
Teepees
Boat houses
Evaluation
•
a.
b.
c.
d.
The leader of a tribe is known as a _____.
President
King
Sultan
Chief
Evaluation
•
a.
b.
c.
d.
A man’s main role in Native American
tribes was to _________.
Cook the food
Hunt
Raise the children
Clean the teepee
Evaluation
•
a.
b.
c.
d.
Rain dances were used ________.
To keep the buffalo away
At birthday parties
To pray for rain
To entertain the chief
Evaluation
•
a.
b.
c.
d.
One thing Native Americans used for trade
was _________.
Jewelry
Teepees
Paper money
Diamonds
Evaluation
• Write down the names of two Native
American tribes.
• Name one tribe that was located in the
Midwest.
Evaluation
• Short Essay Questions
• Explain on big difference between the role
of a man and a woman in a Native
American tribe.
• Explain the role of a chief in a Native
American tribe.
Teacher References
Collaborative Thematic Units
http://www.libsci.sc.edu/miller/native.htm
Native American Tribes by Region
http://www.proteacher.com/090018.shtml
Native American Wall Maps
www.maps4u.com
Lessons for Specific Regions and Nations
http://www.mrdonn.org/nativeamericans.html#Lessons
Chart of Native Americans
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/indians/navigation/native_america
n_chart.htm
Student References
Where the Buffaloes Begin by Olaf Baker
Buffalo Woman by Paul Goble
The Gift of the Sacred Dog by Paul Goble
The Desert is Theirs by Byrd Baylor
Hawk, I’m Your Brother by Byrd Baylor
Student References
The Legend of the Indian Paintbrush by
Tomie dePaola
The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie
dePaola
Annie and the Old One by Miska Miles
Only the Names Remain by Alex Bealer
Indian Chiefs by Russell Freedman
Media References
Making a Rain Stick
http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org
Types of Canoes
http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/canoes.html
Native American Culture
http://www.ihs.gov/PublicInfo/Publications/Kids/ind
ex.cfm
Native American Bedtime Stories
http://www.bedtime-story.com/bedtimestory/indians.htm
Media References
Wise Owl: An Iroquois Creation Myth
http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/wiseowl.html
Native American Baskets
http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/baskets.html
Dream Catchers
http://www.mrdonn.org/nativeamericans.html#dreamcatchers
Making a Tepee
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/na/teepee/
Native Web
http://www.nativeweb.org
Media References
Again, A Whole Person I Have Become-VHS
American Indian Dance Theater-VHS
Annie and the Old One-VHS
Shaman of the Andes-DVD
The Art of the Totem Pole-Film
Ceremonial Songs and Dances of the CherokeeCassette
Chippewa Dance Grass Songs-Cassette
Media References
Bulletin Boards:
Native American Culture
Teepees, Totem Poles, and Dream Catchers
Geography- Location of Native American
Tribes
Famous Chiefs
Children’s drawings of chiefs