Sessions

NOTE:

Sessions 1 - 4 objectives are the same first four sessions in the First Americans and Colonization course.

This class goes deeper than the First Americans and Colonization course.

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Session 1: The First Americans

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define the following vocabulary words:

glacier, migration, theory, artifact, descendent, origin story, ancestor, Ice Age, time line, decade, century and millennium.

Students will explain how the Ice Age changed life for early Americans.

Students will understand how Native Americans used the natural resources found in the United States. 

Students will analyze Native American origin stories and describe what they tell about the creation of the world.

Students will practice reading a timeline. 

HOMEWORK: 

Create a timeline of important events in your life. 

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Session 2: The Ancient North Indians

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define the following vocabulary words:

nomad, technology, extinct, agriculture, tribe, civilization, class, slavery, pueblo, generalization and Agricultural Revolution.

Students will explain why the Clovis and Folsom points was important to ancient Indians. 

Students will describe how the agricultural revolution changed the way the Native Americans lived their lives. 

Students will examine early Native American civilizations built by the Olmecs, Mound Builders, Anasazi and Mayas.

Students will learn how to read a cultural map.

HOMEWORK: 

Why do you think the arrival of early people in the Americas caused many different cultures to form? Explain your answer. 

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Session 3: Native Americans of the Desert Southwest, Northwest Coast and the Arctic

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define the following vocabulary words:

adapt, staple, surplus, ceremony, hogan, dugout, barter, potlatch, clan, pit house, harpoon and totem pole.

Students will examine the interior and exterior of a pueblo.

Students will describe how Native Americans adapted to the environment where their civilizations developed.

Students will explain what a medicine person does.

Students will understand the evolution of Native American pottery.

Students will describe how to make a dugout canoe.

HOMEWORK: 

Create a totem pole for your family.

 

Session 4: Native Americans of the Plains and Eastern Woodlands

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define the following vocabulary words:

lodge, sod, tepee, travois, palisade, slash-and-burn, wigwam, wampum, longhouse, confederation, council, compromise and resolve.

Students will examine Native American homes: the teepee, longhouse and wigwam.  

Students will describe how Native Americans adapted to the environment where their civilizations developed.

Students will understand why the buffalo was so important to Native Americans of the Plains.  

Students will describe the uses of a wampum.

Students will analyze the Iroquois Legacy.

Students will learn how to resolve conflict.

HOMEWORK: 

Create Calendar Robe of your life. 

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Session 5: The Geography of the Americas

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define isthmus, tropical, Mesoamerica, Yucatan Peninsula and slash-and-burn agriculture.

Students will present their calendar robe to the class. 

Students will describe the physical geography of the Americas.

Students will contrast some of the major differences between the geographies and climates of North America and South America.

Students will identify the geographical features that are characteristic of the Andes.

Students will explain what makes the Andes a harsh environment.

Students will describe how the geography and climate of Mesoamerica contrast with those of the Andes.

Students will explain how climate affects the two main regions of Mesoamerica.

HOMEWORK: 

Trace a map showing Mesoamerica and the western coast of South America. Label the major landforms, bodies of water, and regions in both places. Use a legend to identify any symbols or colors on the map. Be prepared to share your map with the class in the next session.

 

Session 6: Ancient Andean Civilzations 

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define Chavin, textile, Nazca, aquifer and Moche.

Students will present their map to the class. 

Students will identify the main crops in the western highlands of South America.

Students will describe the Chavin civilization.

Students will explain how the Chavin influenced other cultures.

Students will analyze Nazca Lines.

Students will describe how the Nazca adapted to their harsh environment. 

Students will identify what the Nazca culture is known for.

Students will explain what Moche art tells us about their civilization.

Students will summarize what archaeologists have learned about the Moche civilization.

HOMEWORK: 

Sketch a plan for a Nazca drawing that would be 100 feet long. Be sure to indicate the scale you use in your drawing. Be prepared to share your drawing with the class in the next session. 

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Lesson 7: The Olmec of Mesoamerica

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define Olmec and mother culture.

Students will present their map to the class. 

Students will explain how the Olmec were able to keep track of the flood season.

Students will identify what helped the Olmec develop the first civilization in the Americas.

Students will explain why the Olmec were able to build cities.

Students will analyze jaguar sculpture.

Students will summarize what the Olmecs accomplished in art and learning. 

Students will describe how Olmec art was tied to religion.

Students will describe how the Olmecs influenced other cultures.

Students will explain why the Olmec civilization is called Mesoamerica's mother culture.

HOMEWORK: 

Choose Your Own Adventure

Students will chose ONE of the projects listed below to complete for homework.

They should be ready to share their project with the class in the next session.

1) Make a time line that shows events from the end of the Ice Age to the end of the Olmec civilization. Be prepared to share your timeline with the class in the next session. 

OR

2) Imagine that you are an Olmec artist. Write a letter in which you explain why the jaguar is important to you. Be prepared to share your letter with the class in the next session. 

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Lesson 8: The Mayan Civilization

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define Maya, maize, stele, glyph and codex

Students will present their project to the class. 

Students will identify where the Maya civilization rose.

Students will explain how the Maya developed into a great civilization.

Students will describe how Mayan society was structured.

Students will explain how Mayan life was shaped by religion.

Students will describe the religious beliefs of the Maya.

Students will summarize what the Mayans accomplished in art and learning. 

Students will analyze Mayan pyramids, the Mayan Ball Game, Chichen Itza, Mayan glyphs and Mayan pottery.

Students will explain how art and learning were linked to religion.

Students will identify what caused the Maya to leave the highlands.

Students will explain the effect the cycle of seasons had upon the Maya's methods of farming.

Students will explain why the Maya used different calendars. 

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