Imagine this moment from Columbus' perspective...

Imagine being out at sea for two months, you have borrowed a lot of money and supplies to make this voyage, your crew is starting to turn on you, and your not entirely sure that you won't fall off the end of the Earth.  Then... you finally see land... how would you feel?

European Exploration and Settlement

European Settlements in North and South America, 1750

• Identify at least four details about this map?
• What do the different colors on the map represent?
• Which country settled the largest area?
• Which country represents the smallest area?
• What connections do you see between the area in which you live and the map?
• Which country first settled the area in which you?

3 Native American Creation Stories

This is a middle school Language Arts project.  It explains 3 different creation stories from 3 different North American tribes; the Iroquois, the Seminole, and the Cherokee. 

• What is a creation story?  (What does it explain?)
• What do all 3 of these creation stories have in common?
• What is the connection between animals and humans according to many different Native American tribes?
• How does the Native American view differ from the of native Americans?

Check out the tribal websites for all 3 of the tribes in this video.
The Cherokee
The Seminole
The Iroquois are actual made up of 6 smaller tribes...
The Seneca
The Cayuga
The Onondaga
The Oneida
The Mohawk
The Tuscarora

History of Native Americans Documentary

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Chapter 1 Vocabulary

indigenous 

people who have always been in the same place
example: The Mayans are indigenous to Guatemala

subsistence farming

when families farm their own food in order to survive;
any surplus crops are sold

migrate

people or animals who move (often seasonally), usually following food

environment

the natural features of an area;
including: water, land, plants, animals, climate

natural resources

things found in nature that can be used to make material possessions
natural resources = money 

culture

the beliefs, way of life, art, and customs that are shared and accepted by people in a particular society

cultural region

an area where people share the same culture

Map of Native American Cultural Regions

Here are some very good Internet resources for further investigation...

• Snow Owl
• Native American Cultural Regions
• Tribes Chart

15 Major Physical Features of the U.S.

Physical Map of the United States

Mountain Ranges

Rivers

The Great Basin

The Great Plains

1. The Pacific Ocean
2. The Atlantic Ocean
3. Chesapeake Bay
4. Mississippi River
5. Missouri River
6. Rio Grande
7. Colorado River
8. The Gulf of Mexico
9. Port of New Orleans
10. Great Plains
11. Great Basin
12. Appalachian Mountains
13. Sierra Nevada 
14. Great Lakes
15. Rocky Mountains

Hungry Planet