The diversity of customs and habitats under which the aboriginal peoples of North America lived in the past--and in which they live today--is one of the many possible topics for consideration in the social studies classroom. Along with an examination of the tribes, social studies educators can teach about the experiences of the explorers and the…

The cultural interaction between Euro-Americans and the original inhabitants of this country constitute one of the most compelling and defining conundrums in U.S. history. This unit explores 19th-century ideology as manifested in public attitudes, justifications for action, and the formation of government policy. The unit is based on primary…

A biography for elementary school students describes the life and career of Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve (Sioux), a Native American free-lance writer, and includes her photograph and a map of South Dakota reservations. A story by Mrs. Sneve tells about a half-Sioux boy who confronts his heritage when his grandfather makes a long journey between his…

This guide focuses on the heritage of Oregon Native people by discussing their ancient habitation, their historical lifeways and the disruption of those lifeways by Euro-American settlement and federal policies, and their continuing role in the state. The guide consists of 18 essays organized into 3 sections. The first section consists of five…

This American Indian economics supplement is based on the 1997 U.S. voluntary national content standards in economics. That national document is predicated on 20 "content standards" of student knowledge, each of which includes "benchmarks" for grades 4, 8, and 12. For each set of benchmarks, the national standards contain…

Discusses the controversy surrounding the ends of the Treaty of New Echota (the removal of eastern Cherokees from their land). Describes the Cherokee's route and the hardships they endured during their trek to the Indian Territory beyond the Mississippi, known as the "Trail of Tears." Provides nine teaching suggestions. (CMK)

In 1989 Wisconsin legislation mandated the integration of American Indian history, culture, and tribal sovereignty into the K-12 social studies curriculum as a component of multicultural education. This document assists teachers to fulfill that mandate, as well as to meet statutory requirements of instruction on the Chippewa Indians' treaty-based,…

Learning objectives, discussion questions, activities, background information, and a resource bibliography are presented in this teacher's guide to "Fisherman on the Puyallup", which is the tale of a young Puyallup Indian boy who is learning to fish for salmon. Recommending that the book should be read aloud as part of an intermediate…

This report was written to teach the people and children of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation about their history, tribal government, and its functions. The reservation is populated mainly by members of the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre communities. The report begins with a tribal history starting from the 17th century, when a group of Assiniboine…

This teaching guide contains objectives, activities, vocabulary, suggested readings, visuals, and readings divided into four units of instruction about Native Americans. Unit I examines the history of Native Americans on the North American continent from the precolonial period to the present. Unit II explores representative tribes of the eastern…

The main purpose of this publication is to provide current, accurate information to teachers and students about the Indian tribes living in the state of Oregon. Too often information about Indian tribes is stereotypic, inaccurate, and outdated. A number of Indian tribes have worked on the development of this document, using the "Oregon…

Intended as a basis for student discussions on American Indian issues, this article provides background on American Indian and Alaskan Native spiritual values and the white man's disruption of the Sacred Circle of Life. The foundation of the philosophies of North American indigenous peoples was the idea of cyclical reaffirmation and the goal of…

Presents a high school lesson plan on the Casco Bay Treaty, an agreement between Native Americans and colonial governments in the pre-Revolutionary War era. Includes student objectives, historical background, and instructional strategies. Provides two primary source documents related to the treaty. (CFR)

This guide provides information and instructional materials on the history and culture of the Wabanakis of Maine and the Maritime Provinces (Canada). The Wabanakis include the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, Micmac, and Abenaki peoples. The curriculum was designed for grades 4-8 and is divided into four sections. The first section provides…

Presents a classroom lesson based on a simulation of a U.S. Senate Committee hearing on the issue of coal mining on Arizona Indian reservations. Provides background information for student roles that include government representatives, coal company executives, and both traditional and progressive representatives of Native American tribes. (CFR)