A webquest about the first Ameri

Native Americans

A web quest about the first Americans

Cherokee, Cheyenne, Apache, Navajo, Iroquois, Kwakiutl, Catawba, Choctaw, Cree, Chinook, Shawnee, Seminoles, Wampanoag, Arapaho, Hopi, Zuni,

Created by: Lauren McDaniel
Fourth Grade Teacher
Belleview Elementary

Introduction

Questions/Task

Process

Resources

Conclusion

Evaluation

Standards

Introduction

Did all Native Americans of long ago look similar, behave the same, dress alike, and live in teepees? Well, you and your group members are going to research the major Native American cultures and discover the answers about the first Americans.

Questions/Task

You and your group will research a tribe from one of the following major Native American cultures of North America: the Eastern Woodlands, Great Plains, Southwest Desert, and Northwest Coast. Each group member will have a specific job and become an expert on the culture’s clothing, shelter, location, and customs or beliefs. You will make a PowerPoint presentation with at least five slides to present to the rest of the class. You will also make a model of one of the aspects of your tribe’s culture. Your group will also role-play a scene from an aspect of your tribe's culture. After all groups have made their presentations, you will be asked to compare and contrast the Native American cultures.

Process

You and your group members will choose randomly to research one of the following tribes: Iroquois, Cheyenne, Apache, or Kwakiutl. Each person will be assigned a job. There are five jobs outlined below with their names and expectations.

The Cartographer

The cartographer's job will be to locate where your tribe lived and which of the four major groups it belonged to. You will need to trace on a poster board an outline of the United States. You will color the section of your country where your tribe and other tribes in that Native American culture group lived. Place a star at the exact location where your tribe was located. Include physical features, such as mountains, rivers, lakes, etc.

Visit:
http://www.mce.k12tn.net/indians/navigation/native_american_territories.htm

http://www.ahsd25.k12.il.us/Curriculum Info/NativeAmericans/Index.html

The Architect

The architect's job is to research your tribe's shelter. Explain how it was made and what natural resources were used to make it. Why do you think they chose this type of shelter? Describe what it looks like. You may include a picture also.

Visit:
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/settlements/index.shtml

http://www.kstrom.net/isk/maps/houses/housingmap.html

Find information about how to make Native American shelters. Visit: http://www.greatdreams.com/native.htm

The Chef

The chef's job is to find out what kinds of food did the tribe hunt or plant. Did they use any special methods, such as an irrigation system, to grow and harvest their crops? What types of animals did they hunt? What weapons were used to kill these animals and how did they make them?

Visit:
http://www.cyberbee.com/manifest_destiny/buffalo.html

The Anthropologist

The anthropologist's job is to describe at least two customs or beliefs of your tribe. Why were they important to your tribe? Did they make any crafts or tools to help with these beliefs?

Visit:
http://www.kidinfo.com/American_History/Native_Americans.html

The Tailor

The tailor's job is to describe your tribe's clothing. What were they made of and how were they made? Include pants, shirts, headdresses, shoes, belts, etc. Did different members of the tribe wear different clothing to be easily identified?

Visit:
http://www.nativetech.org/clothing/regions/regions.html

http://www.nativetech.org/clothing/moccasin/mocmap.html

After all group members have completed your research, you will be given time to work on your PowerPoint presentation. You must include at least five slides and a title slide that includes all group member's names. You may include more slides if you would like. Each person's research must be published on a slide. Include pictures if possible to help your explanations. Next, you and your group members will work together to make a model of one of the things you learned about. Some examples include, but are not limited to, the type of shelter, an item related to their customs or beliefs, an item of clothing, etc. Last, your group will role-play a scene from an aspect of your tribe's culture. For example, making a weapon (remember safety rules), going on a hunt, participating in a tribal party or function. Be creative and you may even dress the part in authentic clothing if you would like!

Conclusion

Now that you have finished your research, all groups will present their PowerPoint presentations, models, and role-plays to the class. After all presentations we will compare the similarities and differences of the tribes and the regions they lived in. Your journal entry for that day will be to use a Venn diagram to compare your tribe with one of the other tribes presented to you in class.

Resources

http://www.picadome.fcps.net/lab/currl/nativeam/primary.htm

Iroquois

http://www.mce.k12tn.net/indians/navigation/native_american_chart.htm

http://www.mce.k12tn.net/indians/reports1/iroquois.htm

http://www.geocities.com/bigorrin/iroquois_kids.htm

Watch a video about tool making:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOlJ3dgq-1I

Cheyenne

http://www.mce.k12tn.net/indians/navigation/native_american_chart.htm

http://www.mce.k12tn.net/indians/reports4/plains.htm

http://www.nhusd.k12.ca.us/ALVE/NativeAmerhome.html/Cheyenne/cheyenne.html