Native Americans: Past and Present

Native Americans: Past and Present is comprised of six reading passages as PDF’s and Google Forms quizzes, an online Jeopardy-style review game, and a summative exam. Together, they give students an overview of Native American life both past and present across North America.

Each passage includes ten Common Core-aligned comprehension questions and an answer key, and is differentiated at three Flesch-Kincaid text levels: Grade 3,

Grade 5, and Grade 7.

Passage 1: The Land Bridge

In this informational text, students learn how early Native Americans reached North America. They will learn about:

• The precursors that led up to migration to North America
• The various ways in which Native Americans reached North America
• The reason why the land bridge formed across the Bering Strait

Vocabulary: migration • distant • land bridge • ice age • glacier

Passage 2: The Cherokee Creation Myth

Written in the style of a traditional myth, this passage describes Dayunisi the beaver’s search for dry land. Students will learn about:

• The Cherokee cosmology
• How geography informed Cherokee mythology
• Why the Cherokee myth teaches that some animals can see in the dark

Vocabulary: abode • immense • buzzard • crawfish • prey

Passage 3: A Longhouse on Campus

Written in the style of a current events newspaper article, this passage describes how a university student worked to build a longhouse on her campus. Students will learn about:

• Why longhouses are important to Native Americans in New York
• How an ancient longhouse design will be modernized for use on a modern campus
• The difference between historical Native American dwellings and current homes

Vocabulary: longhouse • reservation • poverty • inclusive • community

Passage 4: A Palace in the Cliffs

This informational passage teaches students about the famous Cliff Palace of Colorado. Students will learn about:

• How changes in climate can lead to human migration
• Why the Pueblo indians built Cliff Palace
• Why the Pueblo left Cliff Palace

Vocabulary: rancher • mesa • drought • fortress • kiva

Passage 5: What is a Teepee? Three Short Stories

This passage presents three short stories on teepees from three varying perspectives. Students will learn about:

• How the teepee helped Native Americans survive on the plains
• Why a Native American might still build a teepee today
• What teepees represent to modern Native Americans

Vocabulary: plain • teepee • smolder • dismantle • herd

Passage 6: Two Sides of Pine Ridge Reservation

This informational passage asks students to think deeply about the relationship between the artist and his/her subject. It explores a Native American photography project, and in it students will learn about:

• Why many Native American reservations struggle with poverty
• How some non-Native Americans might view life on a reservation
• How the people of one reservation wanted their story to be told through photographs

Vocabulary: reservation • poverty • tract • tragedy • amidst