During the 2024-2025 school year, the state of South Dakota will implement a curriculum inspired by the conservative Hillsdale College model. South Dakota teachers will need to expand their content coverage without the benefit of additional instructional time; find ways to teach young students content that is developmentally inappropriate; base…

Manifest Destiny, the idea that Providence guided the conquest and settlement of North America, is one of the most contested ideas in American culture and history. One's opinion about this central aspect of American mythology depends heavily on one's point of view. Exploring westward expansion and the Cherokee Trail of Tears with primary sources…

People confront stereotypes every day, both in and out of the classroom. Some ideas have been carried in the collective memory and classroom textbooks for so long they are generally recognized as fact. Many are constantly being reinforced by personal experiences, family discussions, and Hollywood productions as well. The distinct advantage to…

What is "Creole"? The textbook answer is that the word derives from the Portuguese "crioulo" or Spanish "criollo," from the verb "to create." The term developed out of the colonial experience, and was used as a way to identify those people and things born in the New World from Old World stock. Hence, second generation French or Spanish colonial…

The cowboy is viewed as an American icon: rider of the open range, rugged individual, and champion of good. Cowboys are still very much a part of American culture today. Why is it important to study cowboys? The introduction of cattle and horses by the Spanish "conquistadors" transformed the local culture, influenced the economics of the…

Letters received and sent by Secretary of War Lewis Cass in the 1830s reveal much about relations between the U.S. government and Native Americans. In the immediate aftermath of the Indian Removal Act, signed into law on May 28, 1830, by President Andrew Jackson, some letters came from interpreters and school teachers seeking payment for their…

American Indian children are not succeeding in school. A major reason is language. American Indians speak their own indigenous language as well as an indigenous English. Linguistic pressures by teachers are viewed by an Indian child as an attack on his/her identity. Teacher education concerning the relationship between language and identity is…

In this activity, elementary students analyze and discuss photographs of an American Indian tribe--the Minnesota Dakota family--and compare and contrast the Dakota family with their own family. They learn that families are alike in their basic structure. (RM)

Refers to a study on how negative perceptions of American Indians held by elementary students change over time. Addresses curricular issues and suggests professional-development activities to help supplement teachers' knowledge of American Indian peoples. Provides a list of children's books and other resources that present the perspectives of…

Lists Web sites maintained by 38 different Native American nations that deal with topics ranging from tribal history, news, arts and crafts, tourism, entertainment, and commerce. Represented nations include Apache, Blackfeet, Creek, Iroquois, Mohegan, and Sioux. (CMK)

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)

Offers an innovative way to teach mid-nineteenth century North American Indian history by having students create their own Indian Ledger art. Purposes of the project are: to understand the role played by American Indians, to reveal American Indian stereotypes, and to identify relationships between cultures and environments. Background and…

Presents an interdisciplinary unit for middle school students, focusing on the removal of the Cherokee and other tribes from Georgia to so-called Indian Territory, also known as the Trail of Tears. Outlines cooperative learning activities addressing whether or not this act constituted genocide. Uses excerpts from the novel, "The Education of…

Presents letter signed by 19 educators that disagrees with tone and content of position statement on Columbus Quincentenary issued by National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS). Argues that the encounter with Europeans effectively destroyed the indigenous culture of the Americas. Maintains that the Columbus voyages were not the beginning of a…

Provides an overview of historic Native American tribal government structures and discusses ways of integrating this subject into the social studies curriculum. Specifically examines the tribal governments of the Iroquois, Muscogee, Lakota, and Pueblos. Includes illustrations, a list of references, and suggested teaching activities. (MJP)