This unit investigates the native tribes of America, in 1492 – just before the arrival of Europeans changed everything. Delve into the lives of the northwest coast peoples and those of the northeastern forest – and all the tribes in between.
The year 1492 was undoubtedly the most pivotal one in the history of Native Americans; in this unit, kids will learn how America, in 1492, was a rugged, unspoiled land where native farmers and hunter/gatherers killed only the game they needed to survive. Buffalo – and the tribes that hunted them – were plentiful, but as Europeans seized lands, brought diseases, and killed game for sport, both the buffalo and Native Americans were nearly wiped out. Before this tragic time, life was idyllic for natives in the five different regions of America. Each of the many tribes in each region had a distinctive language and culture, but one thing they all had in common was a belief in the sacredness of the natural world.
Natural wonders abounded in America in 1492; for kids, a map of the U.S. wildlife population at that time will give them a sense of just how plentiful game was all over the continent. They will also be surprised to discover that up until Europeans brought horses over, Native Americans had to hunt huge game – like bears, elk, and mountain lions – on foot! An in-depth section on how archaeologists have uncovered most of what we know about America in 1492, for kids, will give them a glimpse of the simple yet artful objects that Native Americans created, and they will also see how some of Native America’s most important traditions, like storytelling and powwows, live on today.
8 Topics in this unit
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The First Americans
The very first Americans were big-game hunters who came from Asia and carried spears of bo ...
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The Sea People of the Pacific Northwest
In 1492, the rivers and oceans of the Pacific Northwest were filled with salmon, halibut, ...
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The Desert Dwellers of the Southwest
Some parts of the Southwest are desert, and the rest is very dry.
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The Farmers of the Plains
The western Great Plains is a flat, dry area where tall grasses once grew everywhere.
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The Wildlife
Imagine seeing bison (American buffalo) wandering through fields in New York State, jaguar ...
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The People of the Forest
Five hundred years ago, forests covered the eastern half of North America. In many areas, ...
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The Mound Builders of the Southeast
Mysteries still swirl around some places where Native Americans of the Southeast once live ...
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Clues to the Past
How do we know that Makah girls played with toy cradles in 1492? Where did we get the exac ...
- 560L-740L
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