Native American Groups and the Environment
Unit description: In this unit, students will students will study Native American groups, chiefly the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and Algonquian-speaking groups, and focus on how they inhabited the region that became New York State. These people interacted with the environment and developed unique cultures. Student will investigate how geographic factors often influenced locations of early settlements and people made use of the resources and the lands around them to meet their basic needs. In addition, students will study how Native American groups developed specific patterns of organization and governance to manage their societies and how each Native American group developed a unique way of life with a shared set of customs, beliefs, and values.
Standards
Standards: 1, 3, 5; Themes: ID, MOV, GEO, GOV
Essential Questions and Big Ideas
Big Idea: Early Native American groups inhabited this region and adapted the environment to meet their needs and create rich culture.
What physical features are most likely to support growth of populations?
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- Settlements with food and water sources and natural protection support population growth.
How did the early Native American people govern their groups?
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- Early Native Americans groups had systems for decision making, creating and implementing rules, agreements with other groups and many other features of today’s government.
How were early Native American groups unique in their culture?
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- Many of the early Native American daily routines were based on survival and their relationships with nature.
Prerequisite Skills
Teachers should note that some Key Ideas and Concepts may require extra time or attention. These include Key Ideas 4.4 Government and 4.6 Westward Movement and Industrialization