TeachersFirst's Native Americans Resources
Other TeachersFirst Special Topics Collections
This collection of reviewed resources from TeachersFirst is selected to help teachers and students learn about the rich heritage and legacy of Native Americans and to plan projects and classroom activities so students can explore the contributions and experiences of the native nations of North and South America. Whether you spend one class exploring these resources or plan an entire unit on Native Americans, the ideas included in the "In the Classroom" portion of reviews will launch discussions and projects your students will not forget.
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Social Studies Foldables - Susie Orr
Grades
4 to 8tag(s): abolition (6), american revolution (35), bill of rights (20), black history (31), colonial america (80), declaration of independence (7), history day (9), inventors and inventions (88), louisiana purchase (7), maps (159), native americans (32), politics (51), presidents (76), slavery (41), states (144), washington (19)
In the Classroom
Even if you do not have time to explore all the offerings, check the list of activities often to enrich your background information on U.S. historical events and people and your lessons. Search for templates or maps that are useful to what you are currently studying.You must be registered and logged in to add items to your favorites.
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Daria -World Music for Children - World Music by Daria
Grades
K to 5This site includes advertising.
tag(s): hispanic (14), martin luther king (27), musical instruments (13), native americans (32), sound (70)
In the Classroom
Turn up your speakers and try the limbo. Make simple instruments as part of your cultural heritage celebrations. Record your class singing one of the simple songs using a simple tool such as PodoMatic (reviewed here ) or your computer's own recording software; then share the link to the recording on your class web page for younger students to sing along at home. During units on sound in elementary science class, make some of the instruments to explore how sound is created and transmitted. PE teachers can teach lessons using the song/dance options, such as the limbo. World language classes and world cultures classes may even find some of the ethnic instruments from other parts of the world interesting, despite the more juvenile appearance of this site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Learn About Oklahoma - State of Oklahoma
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): native americans (32), states (144)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students to demonstrate how to navigate the site, then allow students to explore on their own. Have students create an online book of images and captions about Oklahama using bookr (reviewed here.) (Bookr uses Flickr images, so you must first upload or find the images on Flickr). Have students create trading cards with information about famous Oklahoma natives as part of their state research.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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New Mexico Kids - New Mexico Tourism Department
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): hispanic (14), native americans (32), states (144)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students on your interactive whiteboard, then let them explore on their own. Print out the trading cards and/or stories for students to read and share during Guided Reading time. Have students create their own trading cards featuring animals, state symbols, or other information included on the site. Have students or student groups create an online, interactive poster using Web Poster Wizard (reviewed here) featuring information found on the site.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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NebraskaStudies.org - Nebraska State Historical Society
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): native americans (32), railroads (6), states (144)
In the Classroom
Share this site on your interactive whiteboard with students then allow them time to explore on their own. Share this site with students who are performing research for state projects, American History, or international events. Have students or student groups create an online, interactive poster using Web Poster Wizard (reviewed here) showing information learned from the site. Use the international and national timelines on the site to research important world events.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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The Real Story of Thanksgiving - Manataka American Indian Council
Grades
3 to 6tag(s): native americans (32), thanksgiving (24)
In the Classroom
Challenge your students to take a different point of view on Thanksgiving. Follow the historical information of the Manatake to see their Thanksgiving story. Lead students through a Socratic seminar to think about who really was thankful. Why should the people at the time celebrate? Write essays using reflections on the purpose of reflection and celebration. Determine if similar situations still exist today. Lead your students to a service-learning project to help others.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Legends and Stories to Share for Thanksgiving - Apples 4 the Teacher
Grades
K to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): crafts (23), holidays (97), native americans (32), poetry (159), puzzles (133), reading lists (55), thanksgiving (24)
In the Classroom
Be prepared for the Thanksgiving holiday with the ones you are thankful for, your students! Enjoy the academic content and party ideas to make it the best Thanksgiving yet!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Learning Island - Learning Island.org
Grades
1 to 6This site includes advertising.
tag(s): animals (157), birds (33), folktales (56), poetry (159), short stories (14), space (129)
In the Classroom
Bring new meaning to your reading and writing workshop! Make sure your students read by offering each student a personalized library. The wide variety of choice offers every student his or her favorite subject. Reading and writing games allow fun on the interactive whiteboard, centers, or as a personal reward for students. The writing books bring new ideas into your writing workshop. Use many of the books as examples for gifted students or older writers. ESL/ELL students can read books that are at their interest level. Read ghost tales, pirate tales, or Native American tales! Extend your fun by encouraging your own writers to fill in the gaps when subject matter is missing. Create your own classroom library of books!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Test Your Science Knowledge - American Chemistry Society
Grades
5 to 12tag(s): architecture (44), native americans (32), trivia (9), word study (28)
In the Classroom
Teaching online? Try using parts of this site as reading selections in an alternative to a standard textbook. Using one or more of these topics in your class? Introduce students to the site and have them read about the topic outside of class ahead of the teaching so that they can have richer discussions when the time comes for discussion. Or, use this site as a reinforcement activity after you have taught about the topic in class. It is a good, multipurpose site which could turn into a fast and easy tool for your classroom!Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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ArtsEdge - Kennedy Center
Grades
K to 12This site includes advertising.
tag(s): african american (104), baseball (37), civil war (78), comics and cartoons (46), dance (16), folktales (56), greece (19), habitats (50), immigration (39), literature (178), mexico (31), musical instruments (13), myths and legends (6), native americans (32), painting (50), surrealism (3)
In the Classroom
Search this site for a topic that you are teaching in your class. Share the lesson on your interactive whiteboard or projector. Better yet, make the video or slideshow a learning station for students to do themselves in small groups.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Maryland Kids Page - Maryland Secretary of State
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): biographies (22), maryland (8), states (144)
In the Classroom
Challenge your students to go past PowerPoint and make an online presentation using Animoto (reviewed here) or another reviewed presentation tool from the TeachersFirst Edge. Share the page with the bill-creation process on your interactive whiteboard (or projector) with students and have them compare with other states' processes. Create a scavenger hunt including information from the site and have students explore the pages to find answers. Share the site with students as a resource for state research or famous American projects.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Mr. Donn's Social Studies - Mr. Donn
Grades
K to 8This site includes advertising.
tag(s): 1920s (8), africa (168), archeology (16), china (47), civil rights (58), civil war (78), colonial america (80), egypt (52), great depression (13), greece (19), holidays (97), immigration (39), india (32), industrial revolution (10), japan (56), mayans (7), mesopotamia (7), native americans (32), psychology (23), religions (22), renaissance (29), resources (67), rome (16), slavery (41), westward expansion (9)
In the Classroom
This is the perfect site for Social Studies and History teachers. Use this site for background information when planning lessons. Place this link on your classroom computers to provide students with safe places to research. Several topics have video clips that are perfect for showing on a projector or interactive whiteboard. If using this site for research, challenge students to create a multimedia presentation using one of the many TeachersFirst Edge tools reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Arizona Kid's Page - State of Arizona
Grades
3 to 8tag(s): national parks (9), native americans (32), natural resources (21), westward expansion (9)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students when working on state research projects. Display photos included on the site with students on your interactive whiteboard or projector when discussing Arizona, the Grand Canyon, or other areas of the state. Copy and use the coloring pages with the state seal, flag, and other images when learning about the state of Arizona. Rather than having students create a traditional research project, have students create a multimedia presentation using Voicethread reviewed here. This site allows users to narrate a picture.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Florida Kids Page - Florida Division of Historical Resources
Grades
4 to 12tag(s): native americans (32), states (144), symbols (11)
In the Classroom
Share this site with students researching state symbols, native americans, or Florida. For students studying Florida, challenge cooperative learning groups to create online books about one part of this website. Use a tool such as Bookemon, reviewed here.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Virtual Jamestown - Virtual Jamestown
Grades
6 to 12tag(s): colonial america (80), colonization (7), jamestown (13)
In the Classroom
The zoomable maps and rotating views of Jamestown artifacts would be effective on an interactive whiteboard or projector. Plan a day to explore together or with partners to find out specifics about the colony. The site also contains a large volume of primary source documents that could be used for students doing research on Jamestown, or in History Day projects. Have students use a tool such as Woices (beta) (reviewed here) to share the location of Jamestown and what they learned. Woices allows students to create audio recordings AND choose a location (on a map) where the story takes place.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Native Americans - A problem-solving approach - Franklin Institute
Grades
6 to 8tag(s): native americans (32)
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The Listening Doll - Joyce Payne
Grades
K to 4tag(s): native americans (32)
In the Classroom
Some arts & crafts materials are needed for these lessons. This would be a great option to accompany the study of Native Americans in an elementary classroo, drawing in your language arts time for story writing and telling.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Native American Crafts Unit - TeachersFirst
Grades
3 to 6tag(s): crafts (23), native americans (32), thanksgiving (24)
In the Classroom
Try using this unit with a study of Thanksgiving, colonial settlements, or Native Americans of the eastern U.S. Share the hands-on crafts and be sure to take digital pictures. Ask students to write explanations of the crafts on your class wiki (with the accompanying pictures)! Or include the link to directions for one of these crafts on your class web page for students to try as a summer activity.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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Shmoop US History, American History - Shmoop
Grades
9 to 12tag(s): blues (20), civil war (78), constitution (59), fashion (6), gold rush (13), war of 1812 (6)
In the Classroom
Students will love this site for reviewing and preparing for exams. Share this link on your class website for students to access both in and out of the classroom. Take advantage of the FREE study guides. Why not have cooperative learning groups investigate specific topics relative to your current unit of study and create multimedia presentation. Create podcasts, using a site such as PodOmatic (reviewed here). Have students create a Voicethread reviewed here. This site allows you to narrate a picture. Challenge students to find a photo (legally permitted to be reproduced), and then narrate the photo as if it is a news report about the event or topic.Teachers can also use this site to differentiate between the typical lectures used to teach a US history project. Use the images on this site to create a "picture walk" in your classroom, introducing any one of the topics offered. Select 10-15 of the more powerful and diverse images, hanging them up in different locations around your classroom. Have students rotate around the classroom every 30-45 seconds, jotting down what they observe and infer about each image until the entire class has completed the circuit. After the class is back in their seats, have a class discussion based on what they observed and what this says about the topic.
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Race Bridges for Schools - Race Bridges for Schools
Grades
3 to 12tag(s): black history (31), diversity (39), native americans (32), racism (12)
In the Classroom
Use the lesson plans that are relevant to your class as you study different cultures, history, racial tensions in the U.S. , or even character education. Share the stories on your interactive whiteboard or projector. With older students, have cooperative learning groups explore different lessons. Have the groups create a multi-media presentation sharing their discoveries. Have the groups create an online book using a tool such as Bookemon . You could also use this site as the core of a contemporary topics debate series.Add your comments below (available only to members) | Become a Member
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