TeachersFirst Collection: Native Americans' Contributions to American Culture
Native Americans, the indigenous peoples of North America, have had a huge impact on the fabric of American culture, shaping the nation's identity in countless ways. This comprehensive collection of resources offers a deep dive into Indigenous peoples’ influence on the United States, from pre-colonial times to the present day. From agricultural innovations and environmental stewardship to art, language, and political thought, these materials highlight the diverse and significant impacts of hundreds of distinct tribal nations. This curation includes historical documents, oral traditions, archaeological findings, and more across medicine, military service, literature, music, and cuisine. It serves as a testament to the resilience, creativity, and ongoing importance of Native peoples in shaping American culture and identity.
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National Museum of the American Indian - Smithsonian Institution
Grades
K to 12
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The National Museum of the American Indian contains an expansive collection of Native American artifacts. In addition, the museum's online offerings share photographs, media, and additional...more
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The National Museum of the American Indian contains an expansive collection of Native American artifacts. In addition, the museum's online offerings share photographs, media, and additional resources for educators and students. Browse through the homepage to view current exhibits and events; online events are clearly labeled, and there is a different section with a link to all online resources. Be sure to visit this site section to find links to various topics, including poetry, Native American women, and much more. Select the link from the dropdown box at the top of the page to view materials provided for educators. Included in the resources for educators is Native Knowledge 360 Education Initiative, reviewed here, which offers many teaching resources, including lessons, media, and professional development webinars. If your district blocks YouTube, then the videos may not be viewable.
tag(s): explorers (65), native americans (169), primary sources (177), professional development (307), thanksgiving (24), westward expansion (42)
In the Classroom
Be sure to bookmark this site for use with lessons on Thanksgiving, using primary sources, or when teaching about Native Americans. Consider using curation tools such as Padlet, reviewed here, or Wakelet, reviewed here, to organize resources for easy retrieval. Padlet and Wakelet are also handy when sharing information and resources with students. As you begin your lessons on American Indians, begin with a formative assessment to gauge your students' understanding of the topic. Use an easy online quiz tool such as Baamboozle, reviewed here, to engage students in your learning activities. As you continue in your lessons, continue to motivate and engage students using Wooclap, reviewed here, to review information either in class or as a homework activity. Instead of testing to assess knowledge upon completing your unit, offer students the opportunity to share their understanding of content in various ways. Examples include creating an infographic using Canva Infographic Maker, reviewed here, an explainer video made using Clipchamp, reviewed here, and an interactive map built using Google My Maps, reviewed here.
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Indigenous Peoples of the Americas - The Kennedy Center
Grades
K to 8
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This diverse collection of resources provides many opportunities to experience the culture of Indigenous Peoples of the Americas through visual arts, dance, music, and more. Resources...more
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This diverse collection of resources provides many opportunities to experience the culture of Indigenous Peoples of the Americas through visual arts, dance, music, and more. Resources include lessons for grades K-8 that focus on learning about indigenous people through integrating the arts with science, social studies, and language arts. Other resources include videos that feature Native Americans discussing their crafts through interviews and storytelling. The videos are hosted on YouTube. If your district blocks YouTube, then they may not be viewable. Lessons correlate to National Core Arts Standards, Common Core, and Next Generation Science Standards.
tag(s): cross cultural understanding (167), cultures (302), dance (42), holidays (292), native americans (169), north america (15), stories and storytelling (81)
In the Classroom
Print lesson plans during Native American Month, as a supplement to social studies lessons about cultures and states, or during geography lessons. Lesson plans are available in PDF format or as Google Documents; save any lesson to your Google Drive as a copy of the original document and edit it to fit your curriculum or adapt it as desired to fit current lessons. Use any or all materials found on this site as a personalized learning lesson for students to complete in person or remotely. For example, add a video, poem, and reflective activity, and additional materials to a SchoolStack, reviewed here, an activity that offers students a choice of learning materials and activities. Consider asking students to work in collaborative groups to research indigenous people based on their interests. For example, have a group explore dance, another their art and sculpture, and a group that researches geographic locations of the different tribes. Ask each group to share their learning by creating simple websites made with Telegra.ph, reviewed here. Telegra.ph provides simple website creation tools without all the distractions of backgrounds, templates, and other distractions. Easily add text, images, and links to any Telegra.ph site.
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Native American Heritage Collection - PBS LearningMedia
Grades
3 to 12
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Learn about Indigenous art, history, and culture with the PBS LearningMedia Native American Heritage Collection. This collection of teaching resources includes videos, lesson plans,...more
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Learn about Indigenous art, history, and culture with the PBS LearningMedia Native American Heritage Collection. This collection of teaching resources includes videos, lesson plans, media galleries, learning interactives, and more! Open each resource in this collection and find entire lessons already created for you. Share items quickly with your students with the share to Google Classroom or sharing links. Teachers can use the site's included Lesson Builder to create detailed lesson plans customized just for them. A free account is required to download and save resources.
tag(s): native americans (169)
In the Classroom
Use this collection during Native American Heritage month to dive deeply into studying America's Indigenous people and culture. Teachers can enhance learning by downloading videos and creating interactive questions using tools such as Edpuzzle, reviewed here. Resources from this collection include support materials that you can use with Kami, reviewed here, or upload to your learning management system. Many included resources have comprehension or discussion questions that classes can discuss digitally with tools such as FigJam, reviewed here.
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Native Knowledge 360 Education Initiative - Smithsonian Institute
Grades
K to 12
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Find support for teaching about Native Americans with the many resources found at Native Knowledge 360. Access live and recorded professional development webinars that feature guidance...more
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Find support for teaching about Native Americans with the many resources found at Native Knowledge 360. Access live and recorded professional development webinars that feature guidance on the proper use of primary sources, understanding problematic narratives about Native Americans, and much more. Browse through the lesson resources to view and use featured activities, handouts, digital posters, and more. The search feature includes tools to filter searches by grade level, subject, region, or format of resources. Several lesson options are available in Spanish. This website also offers free virtual field trips led by museum educators; advance registration is required. These events fill up quickly; sign up to receive newsletters and updates to receive notification in advance of event signups.
tag(s): native americans (169), thanksgiving (24), westward expansion (42)
In the Classroom
Replace some (or all) of your current written Native America resources with the genuine artifacts and stories available for viewing on this site. Use Padlet, reviewed here, to organize important information and resources found on this site to share with students. As students learn about Native Americans, instead of written or oral presentations, ask student groups to create quizzes for their classmates using a quiz-creation tool like Baamboozle, reviewed here. Baamboozle is a quick and easy resource for creating and sharing quizzes for teams of two. As a final project, transform and extend student technology and learning by using Book Creator, reviewed here, to create class books sharing information about Native Americans. Book Creator is a digital book creation site offering the ability to add images, text, video, and more. Be sure to share student-created books on your class website or blog after publication.
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Native American Heritage Month - Described and Captioned Media Program
Grades
K to 12
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Each November, we celebrate American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. This site provides a series of videos for students to learn about the history and stories of Native Americans....more
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Each November, we celebrate American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month. This site provides a series of videos for students to learn about the history and stories of Native Americans. The website features five video series, broken into the categories of A History of Native American Achievement, Native American Culture, Native American Folklore, Native American History, and Celebrate Native American Educators. Each video includes suggested grade level use and links to content standards. Most videos are available as a preview, register for your free account to view videos in full.
tag(s): commoncore (63), native americans (169)
In the Classroom
Include these videos as part of your studies of American Indians and their heritage. Engage students by making the videos interactive using edpuzzle, reviewed here, to add both teacher and student comments. Use Google My Maps, reviewed here, for extending learning when students create virtual field trips sharing locations and information found during their research of American Indians. Have students create interactive timelines using Timeline Infographic Templates, reviewed here, for younger students, or Timeline JS, reviewed here, for older students who can include music, photos, videos, maps, comments, and more.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Reading Treks: Buffalo Dance The Journey of York - TeachersFirst
Grades
10 to 12
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TeachersFirst Reading Treks create a virtual field trip of resources about a piece of literature or text using the My Maps feature of Google Maps. This Reading Trek provides inspiration...more
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TeachersFirst Reading Treks create a virtual field trip of resources about a piece of literature or text using the My Maps feature of Google Maps. This Reading Trek provides inspiration and suggestions for using the trade book Buffalo Dance The Journey of York. Get to know York, the only enslaved man on the Lewis and Clark expedition, through these poems that provide insight into how and what York may have felt and thought. Use our robust Instructional Guide with students in grades 10-12. Content correlates to Common Core Standards, ISTE Student Standards, and National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Find the entire selection of Reading Treks here.
tag(s): 1800s (90), commoncore (63), explorers (65), lewis and clark (16), poetry (194), Reading Treks (56), social justice (44), westward expansion (42)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many suggested classroom uses for this resource found on the Instructional Guide (PDF). As a class, discuss social justice situations within the school, the community, state, nation, and the world. To enhance learning and the discussions of online information, use Fiskkit, reviewed here, as a collaborative discussion tool. Fiskkit allows you to highlight and add comments to online articles. Have students share their written work, including poems, to bulb, reviewed here. bulb includes free resources for creating and sharing online portfolios that include images, written work, and video making it perfect to use for sharing student work during parent conferences and when submitting college applications.
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Reading Treks: The Journey of York: The Unsung Hero of the Lewis and Clark Expedition - TeachersFirst
Grades
2 to 6
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TeachersFirst Reading Treks create a virtual field trip of resources about a piece of literature or text using the My Maps feature of Google Maps. This Reading Trek provides inspiration...more
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TeachersFirst Reading Treks create a virtual field trip of resources about a piece of literature or text using the My Maps feature of Google Maps. This Reading Trek provides inspiration and suggestions for using the trade book The Journey of York The Unsung Hero of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. York, the only enslaved man on the journey, did not choose to go. Slaves did not have choices. However, his contributions to the expedition were valuable, and this is his story. Use our robust Instructional Guide with students in grades 2-6. Content correlates to Common Core Standards, ISTE Student Standards, and National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies. Find the entire selection of Reading Treks here.
tag(s): 1800s (90), commoncore (63), explorers (65), lewis and clark (16), native americans (169), Reading Treks (56)
In the Classroom
Take advantage of the many suggested classroom uses for this resource found on the Instructional Guide (PDF). Consider using the historical information and primary sources from the book to have students create timelines of the important events throughout the time of Lewis and Clark's explorations. Find a variety of free online timeline creation tools at located here. Using the map and locales, trace and then calculate distances for some of Lewis and Clark's travels.
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Americans - Smithsonian Institution
Grades
6 to 12
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Take a virtual field trip to the National Museum of the American Indian exhibit that explores American Indian identity from before the birth of the United States. Click on gallery ...more
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Take a virtual field trip to the National Museum of the American Indian exhibit that explores American Indian identity from before the birth of the United States. Click on gallery images to read and learn more about the artifacts shared, including coins, dolls, posters, and much more. Additional links take viewers to videos and displays that tell the stories of Thanksgiving, Queen of America (Pocahontas), The Removal Act, and The Indians Win.
tag(s): battles (19), native americans (169), thanksgiving (24), westward expansion (42)
In the Classroom
Replace some of your current written Native American resources with the genuine artifacts and stories available for viewing on this site. Introduce the site to students on your interactive whiteboard to demonstrate its features and how to find them. After students have had time to explore, create groups to conduct in-depth research in the four featured areas. Create a Padlet, reviewed here, with four columns for students to share web and video resources found during their research. Instead of written or oral presentations, ask student groups to create quizzes for their classmates using a quiz-creation tool like Baamboozle, reviewed here. Baamboozle is a quick and easy resource for creating and sharing quizzes for teams of two. As a final project, transform student learning by using Book Creator, reviewed here, to create class books sharing information about Native Americans. Book Creator is a digital book creation site offering the ability to add images, text, video, and more. Be sure to share student-created books on your class website or blog after publication.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Ancestral Pueblo People - National Park Service
Grades
6 to 10
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Discover a wealth of information about the Bandelier National Monument, the Pueblo people in New Mexico and their historical significance beginning 15,000 years ago. Gorgeous pictures...more
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Discover a wealth of information about the Bandelier National Monument, the Pueblo people in New Mexico and their historical significance beginning 15,000 years ago. Gorgeous pictures bring the history of the Pueblo people to life in screens with short, informative pieces to read. Be sure to click the "Learn About the Park" tab at the top to find virtual tours, multimedia, more images, history and culture, and other topics of interest.
tag(s): archeology (26), geology (59), native americans (169)
In the Classroom
Assign this activity in pairs when studying native Americans. The student challenges teach about the Ancestral Pueblo people and how they adapted to their harsh environment. The text portions might be challenging. Pair weak readers with a strong reader. Allow your ENL/ESL students to try using a text to speech program such as Text to Speech Reader, reviewed here, that will allow these students to follow the text as the article or passage is read to them.
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Edward S. Curtis - The North American Indian - Northwestern University
Grades
9 to 12
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Between 1909 and 1930, photographer Edward Curtis set out to document the life and culture of the North American Indians, and this site shares his work. Like so many of ...more
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Between 1909 and 1930, photographer Edward Curtis set out to document the life and culture of the North American Indians, and this site shares his work. Like so many of his time, he viewed Native Americans as a "primitive" race of people whose customs were a source of curiosity. As westward expansion began to destroy the culture of indigenous people, Curtis wanted to record, through photographs and narratives, what he believed was a savage and mysterious world before it disappeared. While Curtis' work represented the popular viewpoint of his time, today we recognize that it is, at best, the impressions of someone who neither understood nor particularly valued what he was recording. This digital reproduction of the entire project needs to be carefully previewed and introduced so that we don't perpetuate this way of viewing Native American life. In fact, some of the images of the ceremonial life were never intended to be seen by "outsiders," and their use today is controversial. The site does a good job of setting the context for the use of Curtis's work and helps establish respectful boundaries.
tag(s): difficult conversations (53), native americans (169)
In the Classroom
We have come a long way from the study of Native Americans as a single generic group. Careful use of the images and narratives from Curtis' work can help illustrate that outdated mindset and provide a contrast to today's understanding of the contributions indigenous Americans have made to US history and culture. Share these images on your interactive whiteboard or projector as part of a guided discussion.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Carlisle Indian Industrial School - Dickinson College
Grades
6 to 12
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Discover the controversial legacy of the Indian School. In the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the US Government encouraged the establishment of so-called Industrial Schools...more
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Discover the controversial legacy of the Indian School. In the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the US Government encouraged the establishment of so-called Industrial Schools designed to "civilize" Native American children and prepare them for careers outside the reservations and within white society. Today the legacy of these schools remains controversial: did they provide children with useful skills, or were they a form of ethnic cleansing that robbed them of their culture, self-identity, and heritage? The Carlisle Indian Industrial School is best known as the home of internationally renowned athlete Jim Thorpe, but it is also part of the family history of many Native Americans today whose ancestors attended the Pennsylvania school. Dickinson College maintains this digital archive of student records, images and special collections for use by relatives of former students and by scholars doing research on the legacy of the Indian Industrial Schools. Search by student name, by nation, or within collections of school publications and other documents. The archive is an ongoing project and will continue to grow.
tag(s): colonial america (86), cross cultural understanding (167), difficult conversations (53), diversity (62), history day (38), identity (48), native americans (169), westward expansion (42)
In the Classroom
Too often US history survey classes broadly consider Native Americans and their role in the original colonization of North America, or their role in Westward Expansion, without taking the time to understand the differences among nations, or the impact of European settlement on these pre-existing societies. Even if there isn't time for in-depth study, consider asking students to study the individual record of one young man or woman approximately their own age who attended the Carlisle Indian School. How old was he when he left home? What skill was she trained in? What happened to him after he left Carlisle? Enhance student learning by having students use Fakebook, reviewed here, to create a "fake" page similar in style to Facebook about the individual they researched. This personal contact with the real life of another student from another time and another culture will reduce the tendency to stereotype Native Americans as they so often are during the study of US History. Of course, the site is also a wonderful resource for in-depth research such as a National History Day project. Were these people's identities stolen? Use the resources Analyzing Before and After Photographs... and the Telling Lives: The Lost Ones Documentary Film to discuss identity and whether or not that was taken from these students.
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Ah-Tah-Thi-Ki Museum - 2012 Seminole Tribe of Florida
Grades
2 to 10
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The Seminole Tribe of Florida's Ah-TAh-Thi-Ki is a place to learn about Seminoles and a place to remember. The museum showcases over 30,000 unique artifacts. Even though the website...more
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The Seminole Tribe of Florida's Ah-TAh-Thi-Ki is a place to learn about Seminoles and a place to remember. The museum showcases over 30,000 unique artifacts. Even though the website includes information about visiting the actual museum, there is much to explore without ever going there. Find a Virtual Tour, Online Exhibits, and Podcasts of oral history about alligator wrestling, patchwork, beadwork, dolls, Civil Rights, Brighton Day School, and tribal leaders. To find the Podcasts, click Collections from the top menu and then Oral History. The Online Connections Collection features 2,500 books and periodicals. Besure to check out the Education tab at the top to find even more resources, curriculum, reading lists and fied trips.
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tag(s): florida (12), native americans (169)
In the Classroom
Explore the Seminole Tribe through the online collections and museums. Use the sources as primary and secondary to supplement other class materials. Use the Seminole Tribe to compare and contrast the native American tribes found in your area. Explore the Seminole Tribe in your unit on Civil Rights. Use this site to discover the leadership that lead to the Seminole Tribe of today. Be sure to begin your study with an anticipation guide. End your unit with a post assessment dispelling the myths in the anticipation guide.
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Native Voices: Native Peoples - Concepts of Health and Illness - U. S. National Library of Health and Medicine
Grades
4 to 12
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Native Voices takes an extensive look at Native Peoples' health and beliefs through pictures and descriptions. Begin with an introductory message from the Director of the National Library...more
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Native Voices takes an extensive look at Native Peoples' health and beliefs through pictures and descriptions. Begin with an introductory message from the Director of the National Library of Medicine. This explains content on the site and the background of the exhibition. Read interviews of health professionals, healers, and other community leaders organized by theme, name, or region. An extensive timeline highlights key events searchable by time period, tribe, or keyword. The resources area provides links to lessons, online activities, suggested reading, and more. Explore the exhibition to view Native American art and stories about healing. This site is a must-visit for anyone interested in learning more about Native American's beliefs in regard to health and healing.
tag(s): cross cultural understanding (167), medicine (52), native americans (169)
In the Classroom
Bookmark and save this site as a resource for Native American, American History, health, and other units. Read on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) together. Have groups of students read about individual tribes, then enhance learning by challenging students to create a newspaper article using an online tool such as the Venn Diagram Creator by Canva, reviewed here to create a visual comparison of tribal beliefs-- or perhaps comparing with "mainstream" beliefs in their own culture.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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American Indian Response to Environmental Changes - National Museum of the American Indian
Grades
4 to 12
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This site documents how four Native American communities are responding to changes in the environment where they live. First click the link in the first paragraph or the picture on...more
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This site documents how four Native American communities are responding to changes in the environment where they live. First click the link in the first paragraph or the picture on the right to find this unit. Through videos and primary sources, you can explore these four Native American cultures. Each tribe's section is broken down into the following areas: Getting Started, Meet the People, About Our Homeland, Our Environmental Challenge, Our Strategies, and Our Future.
tag(s): environment (245), native americans (169), natural resources (35)
In the Classroom
Project this site on an interactive whiteboard and watch the videos on each of the tribes. If you have laptops available, have students navigate on their own. Have the class take the included interactive quizzes to see what they've learned. Group students and have each group read about a different tribe. Then using the online story project planner, have students create a presentation about their tribe that can be uploaded to the site. Be sure to visit the teacher area for lesson plans, links and other resources.
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A Listening Doll - Joyce Payne
Grades
3 to 5
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The Kennedy Center's "A Listening Doll" lesson introduces students to the Pueblo People of New Mexico's clay sculpture traditions. Through discussion of storyteller dolls, hands-on...more
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The Kennedy Center's "A Listening Doll" lesson introduces students to the Pueblo People of New Mexico's clay sculpture traditions. Through discussion of storyteller dolls, hands-on clay modeling, and guided reflection, students learn about cultural context and artistic principles. The resource includes a comprehensive teacher's guide, a step-by-step lesson plan, background information on Pueblo traditions, and suggestions for classroom discussions and reflections. Teachers can easily integrate these materials to support a culturally responsive, creative arts experience.
tag(s): crafts (109), native americans (169), stories and storytelling (81)
In the Classroom
Guide students in using clay (or Model Magic) to sculpt their own "listening doll." Emphasize body posture (arms open, attentive face) to reflect active listening. Use step-by-step modeling techniques included in the lesson plan. Have them take pictures and write short stories to include in a class presentation using Google Slides, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Native American Crafts Unit - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 6
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This is a collection of craft projects based on toys or articles that Native American or colonial children might have used. There are complete instructions for each item, with illustrations....more
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This is a collection of craft projects based on toys or articles that Native American or colonial children might have used. There are complete instructions for each item, with illustrations.
tag(s): crafts (109), native americans (169), thanksgiving (24)
In the Classroom
Try using this unit with a study of Thanksgiving, colonial settlements, or Native Americans of the eastern U.S. Share the hands-on crafts and be sure to take digital pictures. Ask students to write explanations of the crafts on your class wiki (with the accompanying pictures)! Or include the link to directions for one of these crafts on your class web page for students to try as a summer activity.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Native Tech: Native American Technology and Art - Tara Prindle
Grades
3 to 12
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This site features art and cultural information of native Americans, focusing especially on the Eastern Woodlands region. There is information on , Birds & Feathers, Clay & Pottery,...more
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This site features art and cultural information of native Americans, focusing especially on the Eastern Woodlands region. There is information on , Birds & Feathers, Clay & Pottery, Leather & Clothes, Metalwork, Plants & Trees, Porcupine Quills, Stonework & Tools, and Weaving & Cordage. Some of the text passages may be a bit lengthy, but there are also interactive ways for students to get a "hands on" feel, such as with the beadwork interactive game. The sections under Special Features are certain to make the culture come alive for elementary and middle school students.
tag(s): native americans (169)
In the Classroom
Give students a scavenger hunt to learn the basics about the culture you are studying, then allow them to try some of the interactive games, ass based on the content of the site. This would be a great way to build background knowledge while studying American history or literature that deals with Native Americans.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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National Museum of the American Indian - Smithsonian
Grades
8 to 12
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This national museum dedicated to the Native people of the Americas provides beautiful collections of online multimedia exhibitions on a variety of cultural and historical subjects....more
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This national museum dedicated to the Native people of the Americas provides beautiful collections of online multimedia exhibitions on a variety of cultural and historical subjects. The Education (under Lesson Plans) link offers a search feature that can include the Featured Nation. Choose lessons from Art, English Language Arts, History/Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science. Also find downloadable classroom guides and gentle suggestions on how to avoid stereotyping when teaching your students about Native American culture. Although the site strongly emphasizes artistic contributions of Native Americans, several exhibits examine the tragic loss of native traditions at the hands of social reformers.
tag(s): native americans (169)
In the Classroom
Use the images on this site to create a picture walk in your classroom during a unit on Native American culture. Select 10-15 of the more descriptive and diverse images, hanging them around the classroom in different places. Have students rotate around the classroom, moving every 30-45 seconds jotting down what they see in each image. At the end of the walk, have a class discussion based on what students saw in the images and what the walk has portrayed about Native American culture in the time period being studied. This is a great way to introduce the unit in a non-lecture format.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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