Before the Colonies
What was life like in Native America?
Goal:
Goal:
Long before Christopher Columbus came to this land, Native Americans lived here. They lived in different tribes. Each tribe had its own language, customs, and ways to live.
In all of the tribes, learning did not happen in a school building. The elders of the tribe passed on their tribe's history to the younger ones. Parents taught children the language and ways of the tribe. Schooling happened every day, and all adults in the tribe were the teachers.
Another common thing among all tribes was a respect for the earth and all living things. Each tribe also worked together so no one was hungry.
If you lived in a Great Plains tribe, you would move around a lot. Your home would be a teepee, which is easy to transport. These tribes followed the herds of buffalo. Buffalos were very important to the tribe. They provided food and materials for clothes and teepees.
If you lived in the Iroquois tribe, you lived in a longhouse in a village. You would grow your own food: corn, squash, green beans, lima beans, kidney beans, pumpkin, and melon.
Draw a picture on your timeline of something you learned about Native American communities. Then, write three words to describe their way of living.
Click the arrow to move forward in time to the Colonial Times.