Introduction
We have been discussing in class the ways Native Americans have been portrayed in history and in the media (think about the mascot discussion we had). We have also read in our textbook a little bit about the regions of the United States that Native Americans inhabited and the differences between them. Before we go into the history of the relationship between the European settlers and the Native Americans, it is important to get some background about what their life was like before the Europeans showed up.
In the following webquest, you will be learning about the various groups of Native Americans (or American Indians) who lived in North America before the arrival of the Europeans. You will need to choose two out of the six regions of North America to compare: Eastern Woodland, Southeastern, Plains, Southwestern, Western, and Northern. The big question you will need to answer: How are Native American tribes different from or similar to each other and how did they adapt to and survive in their surroundings?
Task
Once you have chosen the two regions, you will be responsible for researching five aspects of the respective cultures: 1. land (geographic features) and specific tribes, 2. food and hunting, 3. shelter and transportation, 4. clothing and technology, and 5. religion, customs and traditions. Additionally, you may include interesting or unique facts as well as common misunderstandings about Native American cultures.
Your final product will be a comparison of the two regions you chose and the peoples that lived in them. You will have two options to display the information you gathered. Both options include a written report, in which each aspect of the region will be presented in paragraph form. The report may be typed or handwritten. The other part will be the "project" portion.
You have two choices for the "project" portion:
1. Create two "Flapbooks" in which you will draw/ cut out and label pictures for each aspect of the culture you researched.
*Please note, the link provided is simply to explain what a flapbook should look like. This is not an example of the correct material for this project!
2. Create two models or dioramas of what life looked like for people in each region.
Process
Step 1. Decide which two regions you are going to research.
Step 2. Begin your research. Choose one of the six aspects of the region to begin with. You may use books or websites for your research. The portaportal (Guest sign in name- Mrs.Beers) has links, but you are also welcome to do your own research with parent approval/ supervision. Some class time at school will be set aside for research, but you should plan on doing the majority of it at home.
You can start by taking basic notes that you will eventually organize and write in your own complete sentences to write your report. You can use the guiding questions below to help narrow down what you are looking for.
- Tribes and Geographic Features
- Include an outline map – label the major landforms and water sources of your region
- Where did they live? What are the states that currently make up that region?
- Describe the geography of the area.
- What were the major tribes in this region?
- Food and Hunting
- What did they eat?
- How did they hunt for food?
- What tools did they use?
- Who did the hunting and gathering?
- How was the food prepared?
- Shelter and Transportation
- Describe the type of home they lived in.
- Did they use different shelter depending on the season/weather?
- What natural resources were used to construct the home?
- How did they move from place to place?
- Did they travel from place to place? (Were they nomadic?) Why or why not?
- Clothing and Technology
- What did the men wear?
- What did the women wear?
- What did the children wear?
- How was their clothing affected by the climate and natural resources?
- What “technology” did they have? (tools, arts and crafts, natural resources used in daily life)
- Customs and Traditions
- What were religious beliefs or burial practices?
- Did they have a government?
- What were the traditional roles of members of the tribe?
- Did they have social classes?
- What kind of games did children play?
- Were they known for anything – making jewelry, weaving, etc.?
Be sure to include any other interesting information or facts that you discover about the Native Americans in your region.
Step 3. Begin your report. It is up to you how you compare the two regions. You can write about the geography of one region and then immediately after compare it to the other region OR you can report on all aspects of one region and then write about the other.
Step 4. Decide whether you will be creating flapbooks or models. Collect the materials you will need for each, and start creating... and be sure to thank your families for their help!
*REMEMBER- if you copy complete sentences from resources without giving credit, you are plagiarizing. PUT IT IN YOUR OWN WORDS!!
Evaluation
|
Category |
4- Exceeds |
3- Meets |
2- Meets Some |
1- Does Not Meet |
|
Required Elements (report comparing two regions and flipbook or model) |
The project includes all required elements, as well as additional information |
The project includes all required elements |
Missing one of the required elements |
Several required elements are missing |
|
Report- Content Accuracy |
Report is completely accurate, all facts are precise and specific |
Mostly accurate; ~3 inconsistencies or errors in information |
Somewhat accurate; >4 errors in information |
Completely inaccurate; facts are misleading to the audience |
|
Report- Neatness, Spelling & Mechanics |
Report is well organized, interesting to read, neatly written, and has few (<3) spelling, capitalization, or punctuation errors |
Report is organized, neatly written, and has a few spelling, capitalization, or punctuation errors |
Report is somewhat organized, has many spelling, capitalization, or punctuation errors |
Report is extremely messy, poorly organized, and has multiple spelling, capitalization, or punctuation errors |
|
Project- Content Accuracy |
Project is completely accurate |
Project is mostly accurate, with few details missing |
Project is somewhat accurate, with some details missing |
Project is inaccurate and lacking detail |
|
Project- Effort |
Project is exceptionally attractive in terms of layout, neatness, and design or creativity |
Project is satisfactory in terms of layout, neatness, and design or creativity |
Project shows some effort but is lacking in layout, neatness, and design or creativity |
Project shows little effort |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Native American Report and Project Grading Rubric
Due on or before Wednesday, October 7th.