Native American Culture Webquest

Introduction

Long ago, when Columbus came to North America it was very different than it is today. Native American people lived here. They had lived here for thousands of years. They knew this land better than anyone else.

The Native Americans lived in tribes much like a large family. There were thousands of tribes. Each tribe had its own customs, or usual ways of doing things.

Some tribes lived on very similar land. They had the same trees to build with, the same animals to hunt, and same weather to farm in. Tribes that shared similar ideas, habits, and actions are said to belong to the same culture group. Four important culture groups are Northwest, Plains, Southwest, and Woodland.

Task

Imagine you traveled back in time. You visit the Pilgrims in Massachusetts. It is just before the first Thanksgiving. The Pilgrims find out that you know a lot about Native Americans. They ask you to share what you know about their culture. The Pilgrims hope to have a good first dinner with their new neighbors by learning more about them.

Process

The Pilgrims want to know about Native American shelters, food, clothing, and where each culture lives. You will write about the Northwest, Southwest, Plains, and Woodland cultures on a chart. Also include interesting facts about each culture.

1) Print out the Native American Culture chart, or use the chart given to you.

2) Click on on each Native American culture (below) to find the facts for your chart. CLUE: look for different colored words for different kinds of facts.

 

RED words for place
GREEN words for shelter
PINK words for food
BROWN words for clothing
BLACK words for any interesting facts
Remember, BLUE words are new links
PURPLE words are visited links

 

Go To:

 

4) CHALLENGE: Which culture of Native Americans do you think the Pilgrims had the first Thanksgiving dinner with?

 

5) Are you finished? Then try clicking on some of the BLUE (or PURPLE) words on this webquest. They will take you to other sites on the Internet. You can learn more about each word or play games online.

Assessment

You must read about each Native American culture carefully. Write down as many facts as you can find on the chart. You will work on this project for three computer classes. In the third class, you will check how your answers compare with the answer key. We will then discuss the answers together.

Conclusion

 
The Pilgrims are so happy that you helped them learn about Native American cultures. They talk about the cultures with the Native Americans over a great Thanksgiving dinner. You travel back home to your own time. You feel proud that you helped bring the Pilgrims and Native Americans closer together.