Native Americans: Culture & History Lessons & Activities with Supporting Materials

For a variety of reasons, it is important to teach children about Native Americans, their history, and culture.

• Accuracy: Native Americans are an important aspect of our country’s history and culture, but they are frequently misrepresented or overlooked in traditional school curricula. Teaching youngsters the truth about Native Americans can help them grasp the entire history of the United States and the world.
• Empathy: Learning about Native American experiences can help students develop empathy and understanding for others, regardless of culture or background. This is a necessary ability for a diverse and interconnected society.
• Critical thinking: Learning about Native Americans can assist youngsters in developing critical thinking skills. They will learn to challenge preconceptions and assumptions, as well as to think critically about the information they are given.
• Appreciation for diverse civilizations: Learning about Native Americans will help youngsters acquire an appreciation for different cultures. They will learn about Native American peoples’ rich and diverse cultures, as well as the contributions they have made to society.

Children and students can gain knowledge about Native Americans by exploring the following:

• History: Children can study Native American history from pre-European contact to the present. They can learn about many Native American tribes and nations, as well as their customs, traditions, and contributions to society.
• Culture: Children can learn about the various cultures of Native Americans. Native American languages, art, music, dance, and literature can all be taught to them. They can also learn about indigenous values and beliefs.
• Issues: Children can learn about the problems and challenges that Native Americans experience today. They can learn about Native American communities’ discrimination, poverty, and environmental issues.

Ideas for introducing Native Americans and their cultures and histories to children include:

• Begin early. It is never too early to begin teaching Native American history and culture to children. You can begin by reading Native American-themed books to them or taking them to a Native American museum or cultural center.
• Be precise. Use accurate and up-to-date facts when teaching children about Native Americans. Avoid using generalizations or stereotypes.
• Be inclusive. Make an effort to educate students about the diversity of Native American peoples. In the United States, there are over 500 officially recognized tribes, each with its own distinct culture and traditions.
• Be courteous. Respect Native Americans’ customs and traditions when teaching children about them. Avoid appropriation and broad generalizations.

Below are 36 lesson folders, each containing a main lesson along with its supplementary material. You can download the complete folder in zip format by using the “download” button or only individual files, as desired. Some of the links for supplement content inside the PDF lessons or activities are broken, so I spent time finding the files in various archives and made them all available in each folder. Additionally, further below are 32 single lesson and activity PDF files, with each one containing all the content needed. 

Lesson Folders: Native American Culture & History Lessons & Activities

1. A Life in Beads: The Stories a Plains Dress Can Tell, Grades 4-6
2. American Indian Values Lesson Plan Modules, All Grades
3. American Indians in Idaho Lesson with Supplements, Grades 3-5
4. American Indians in Oklahoma: Reading, Coloring, Activities
5. Beyond Jamestown, Virginia Indians Today and Yesterday, Grades 4-9
6. Buffalo and the Plains Indians Readings and Activities, Grades 4-8
7. Cherokee Chickasaw Traditions Lessons with Supplement, Grades 2-8
8. Cherokee Indian Tribe Lesson and Exercises, Grades 7-HS
9. Choctaw Code Talkers Lessons with Supplement, Grades 7-12
10. Choctaw Dances Video, Reading and Questions, Grades 4-6
11. Comanche Heritage Lessons, Grades 3-5
12. Exploring Northeast Native Americans Iroquois Lessons, Grades 6-8
13. Haudenosaunee and Iroquois Lessons, Guides and Worksheets
14. Indigenous Encounters with the Transcontinental Railroad, Grade 7
15. Interpreting Rock Art of the Anasazi Lesson with Pictures, Grades 1-8
16. Kwakwakawakw Potlatch, Ways of Living Giving, Study & Lesson, Grades 6-8
17. Mound Builders Lessons with Supplements, Grades 4-10
18. Native American Foodways Lessons with Supplements, Grades 4-10
19. Native American Heritage, Traditional Arts, Middle-High School
20. Native American Heroes and Legends Lessons, Grades 3-12
21. Native American History of Storytelling Lessons with Workbook, Grades 3-12
22. Native American Language And Culture, Middle-High School
23. Native American Sovereignty Lessons, Grades 3-12
24. Native Americans and Westward Expansion, CoreKnowledge, Grade 5
25. Native Heritage Culture and Innovation Lessons with Workbook, Grades 3-12
26. Native Views Lessons with Supplement, Grades 2-8
27. Oklahoma Indian Country Study Material & Teacher Guide, HS
28. One State Many Nations, Native Americans of Ohio Lessons, Grades 4-6
29. Potawatomi Language Lessons with Supplements, Grades 3-12
30. Prehistoric Native American Craft Projects, Grades 2-8
31. Tecumseh’s and Patrick Henry’s Language of Resistance Lesson, Grades 6-8
32. The Earliest Americans, Coreknowledge, Grade 3
33. Timucuan Technology Middle School Lessons Curriculum
34. We Have a Story to Tell, Chesapeake Virginia Natives, Grades 9-12
35. Why Treaties Matter – Educator Guides
36. Zuni People, Native People and the Land Lesson with Supplements, Grades6-8

Single PDF Lesson Files: Native American Culture & History Lessons & Activities

1. American Indian FAQs Booklet
2. American Indian Removal, Does It Make Sense, Grades 7-12.mp4
3. California Chumash Readings and Activities Teacher Guide, Grades
4. Columbus and Native Peoples Lesson, Reading and Worksheets, Grades 4-8
5. Harvest Ceremony, Beyond the Thanksgiving Myth, A Study Guide, G4-9
6. How the Possum Lost His Tail Lesson, Cherokee, all grades
7. How to Make Moccasins
8. Idea Book for Creating Lesson Units About American Indians
9. Model Wigwam Lesson, Grades 5-8
10. Native America Reading & Worksheets with Answers at end, Grades 6-10
11. Native American Art Cave Painting Lesson, Grades 2-3
12. Native American Contributions Reading Study
13. Native American Dolls Lesson and Activities, Grades 4-8
14. Native American Games and Activities
15. Native American History at a Glance, Reading, Worksheets with Answers
16. Native American Indian Storytelling Lessons with Handouts, Grades 6-12
17. Native Americans in the West, Readings with Worksheets, Grades 3-6
18. Native Americans of the Chesapeake Bay Lesson, Grades 4-5
19. Native Americans Readings and Worksheets, Grades 2-4
20. Native Americans Readings with Review Questions
21. Native People of Wisconsin Activities and Worksheets, Grades 4-12
22. Native Peoples of North America Textbook
23. Native Quilting Traditions Study, Activities and Lessons, Grades 5-8
24. Native Texans Readings, Activities, Questions
25. North American Bison Lesson with Supplements, Grades 3-5
26. Northwest US Indian Treaty Lesson, Middle School
27. South Carolina Native Americans Lesson, Grades 4-8
28. Teaching with Historic Documents, Maps of Indian Territory, Grades 4-12
29. The Medicine Wheel Activities, Grades 4-8
30. This Land Is Whose Land Lesson, Grades 4-8
31. Tribes of the Great Plains, Comprehension Activity, Grades 3-8
32. Westward Expansion Study and Lesson Module

You may want to visit our other Native American learning pages:

• Cherokee Trail of Tears Lessons, Activities, Materials & Videos
• Lone Dogs Winter Count, Lakota Dakota Lesson with Supplements, Grades 4-8
• American Indian Perspectives on Thanksgiving, Grades 4-8
• Native American Dance, Music and Culture Lessons and Videos
• Traditional Native Art Lessons with Supplements, Grades 2-6

-love learning -your best ed lessons guide, Scott