Geography and Native American Homes
JoAnn Bedwell
Clark Elementary School

Overview:
This lesson focuses on discovering the effects of geography on the choice of building materials and the house designs of Native Americans.

Connection with curriculum standards:

    National Geography Standards:
    #15- How physical systems affect human systems.
    #17- How to apply geography to interpret the past.

    SAT-9:
    Intermediate 1: Relate the use of building materials and environmental conditions.
    Intermediate 2: Relate interaction of people with their environment.

    Alabama Social Studies Course of Study- Grade 5
    Standard 4- Describe the natural environment of North America.
    Standard 7- Analyze the different cultures of Native American groups by geography.

Suggested Grade Levels- 4-5

Purpose of the Lesson: Students will explore the primary question-
    "How did the geography of the region they lived in affect the homes of Native Americans?

Secondary Questions:
1. What materials can be used to build a house?
2. What natural resources could be used as building materials in each geographical region of the United States?
3. What clues can the design of a house give about the geography of a region?
4. What is the geography of the region where each Indian home would be located?

Materials needed for the lesson:
    Student copies of chart- Geography and Native American Homes
    Computer/Internet Connection
Lesson procedure:
1. What materials can be used to build a house?
Introduce the lesson by linking to the The Three Little Pigs web page and reading the story together. Ask the following questions and have students fill in part one of their chart:
        What building materials did the pigs use?
        How did the building materials affect the pigs, their homes, and the wolf?

2. What natural resources could be used as building materials in each geographical region of the United States?
Students will study the vegetation map and identify possible building materials. Using knowledge of climate, vegetation, and location, they should also be able to make some predictions about the temperature and the precipitation of each region. They should then fill in part two of their chart.

3. What clues can the design of a house give about the geography of a region?
Students will look at pictures of houses and use their prior knowledge to determine the temperature and precipitation of the area the houses are located in. They should then be able to make some generalizations about the effect of temperature and precipitation on house design. They will use this information to fill in part three of the chart.

4. What is the geography of the region where each Indian home would be located?
Using their knowledge of building materials and design, students will examine the design of Indian homes from each region and identify the the temperature and precipitation of the region.

Resources
Native American Settlements
Native Pre-Contact
Indian Homes