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CHAPTER 1: The First Americans and the Land They Found

I. INTRODUCTION A. History is the record of what has happened to

humanity. It is the true story of what mankind has done

with the time God has given him and how God has

sovereignly intervened with (involved himself with) and

guided it.

B. Geography is the study of the earth, including the

continents, oceans, rivers, mountains, plains, and other

features of the earth.

C. In this class we

will be learning about

the New World or Western Hemisphere, which includes North and South America.

This is called the “New World” because it was settled much later by the first Native

Americans and then by colonists from the Old World and its human history is

“younger”.

D. The Western Hemisphere is the half of the world where most of the New World

lands are. This includes North America, South America, and the Islands of the

Caribbean Sea

E. The Old World or Eastern Hemisphere is the part of the world where history

began and where history has lasted for the oldest and longest time. That is why we

call it the “Old” world.

MAP ACTIVITY: Look at your Old World/New World map in your notebook. Find the continents in the New World section? Do you notice anything?

DISCUSSION QUESTION: What is the difference between history and geography? Why is it important to study both?

Figure 1: The Western Hemisphere, or western half of the world, where the "New World" countries and regions reside. (Add Copyright)

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Continents & Oceans Map Mnemonics:

Directions: Practice reading and saying these mnemonics, a device to help you remember something, while looking at our chapter map and touching the places we are talking

about. Eventually try to say and remember the mnemonics while only looking at the map without looking at the words.

CONTINENTS: 1. “Never Stop Eating Apples, Apples, Apples, Apples!” Never – North America,

Stop – South America, Eating – Europe, Apples – Africa, Apples – Asia, Apples – Australia, Apples – Antarctica.

OCEANS: 2. “I Ate Some Apple Pie!” I – Indian Ocean, Ate – Atlantic Ocean, Some –

Southern Ocean, Apple – Arctic Ocean, Pie – Pacific Ocean

CARDINAL DIRECTIONS: 3. “Never Eat Slimy Worms!” Never – North, Eat – East, Slimy – South, Worms

– West

(Other Variations: Naughty Elephants Spray Water, Never Eat Shredded Wheat, Never Eat Soggy Waffles, Never Ever Smoke Weed)

NWH C1 P4 II. (1.1) THE GREATEST MIGRATION IN HISTORY

A. Thousands of years ago, some humans began one of the greatest migrations in

history. A migration is the movement of a group of people or animals from one part of

the world to another. People from Asia eventually came to North America and South

America. These first Native Americans (sometimes called “Indians”) became probably

the first people to discover and live in the New World.

B. How the first people got to the Americas is surprising! They walked from Asia! In

the far north of Asia, the lands of modern day country of Russia and the U.S. state of

Alaska are separated by only about 50 miles.

MAPPING ACTIVITY: 1. Label the six continents and five oceans pictured. 2. Look at the maps in your notebook and talk with your partner about how people

could get from Asia to the Americas. Write and sketch your ideas below.

NWH C1 P5 C. This narrow body of water that links the Arctic Ocean to the Pacific’s Bering Sea is

called the Bering Strait. A strait is a narrow body of water that connects two larger

bodies of water. Many think that at one time the Bering Strait was dry land which

made a land bridge that people could cross over. Also, the water between the two

lands regularly freezes with ice. People could also have possibly crossed the ice or

used boats. Some animals may also have crossed the land bridge to the Americas.

MAPPING ACTIVITY: 1. Working with a partner, use the maps in your notebook, textbook, or

classroom to label the following. 1. North America 2. South America 3. Asia 4. Australia

5. The Pacific Ocean 6. The Atlantic Ocean 7. The Arctic Ocean 8. Russia

9. China 10. The United States 11. Alaska 12. The Bering Strait

2. Now draw a clear line/arrow leading from China to the United States, crossing the Bering Strait.

NWH C1 P6 D. Many scientists also believe that the earth at one time was made up of one

supercontinent named Pangaea. Either over a long time because of the natural

processes of the earth called plate tectonics or in a short time because of the flood of

Noah, the continents moved away from each other to the positions they are today.

Many animals may have gotten to the Americans that way as well.

E. The idea of Pangea is why many of the continents look like they could fit together

like a giant puzzle. This is even more true when you look at the underwater

continental shelf, the parts of the continents that we can’t see because of the ocean.

F. Today South America has the widest variety of animals on any continent. It has

every type of climate and habitat, which means the setting in which certain types of

plants and animals thrive. South America is known for its large, lush rainforests.

COMPREHENSION CHECK 1A: DIRECTIONS: Use your notes and textbook if necessary to answer the following questions.

1. The movement of a group of people or animals from one part of the world to another is called a (n) ___________? Migration

2. What narrow body of water links the Arctic Ocean to the Bering Sea?

The Bering Strait

3. A ________ is a setting in which certain types of plants and animals thrive.

Habitat

4. Which continents make up the Old World?

Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, Antarctica

5. Which continents make up the New World? North America, South America

6. What are the five oceans? Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Southern Ocean, Indian Ocean

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PANGEA PUZZLE ACTIVITY:

DIRECTIONS: Can you see how the continents fit together? Cut and paste your continent puzzle pieces and see if you can find a way they fit together. Start with North and South America and Africa. Remember that the continents had to go from where they started to where they are today. Also use the fossils and rock types to match where the continents might have connected.

NWH C1 P8 III. (1.2) THE LAND THE AMERICANS SETTLED

A. TWO VAST CONTINENTS

1. North and South America are

two huge continents. By spreading

out, the Native Americans of

different family and language

groups filled up the entire space

from the Arctic Ocean in the north

to the southern tip of South

America and from the Pacific Ocean

in the west to the Atlantic Ocean in

the East. Each tribe created its own

unique culture or way of life. Their

lifestyle of hunting, fishing, farming,

or raising animals was shaped a lot

by the land they lived in.

B. NORTH AMERICA: LAND

OF PLENTY

1. North America is the third largest continent and covers over 9 million square

miles and extends 5,000 miles from north to south. It is connected to South America

by a narrow strip of land called the Isthmus of Panama. This is the narrowest part of

the Americas and only 30 miles wide at one point.

2. North America has high Rocky Mountains in the west, low Appalachian Mountains

in the east, and great plains that lie between. Alaska’s Mt. McKinley, recently changed

to its Native American name Denali is the highest peak in north America with an

altitude of 20,320 feet above sea level.

MAPPING ACTIVITY:

Label North & South America as well as the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, and Southern Oceans

NWH C1 P9 3. The plains area is very flat and they slope down the lowland areas of the

Hudson Bay, the world’s largest bay, and the Gulf of Mexico, the world’s largest

gulf. The Mississippi River is North America’s largest river with hundreds of

miles of waterway.

4. Greenland is the world’s largest island, lying northeast of the continent. It is

about 1/3rd the size of Australia and is almost completely covered by ice.

5. Farther south one travels in North America the warmer the weather is.

Mexico is south of the Rio Grande river and has mountains, canyons, a high

central plateau, and two large peninsulas, Baja California, and the Yucatan

Peninsula. Mexico also has deserts, tropical rain forests, and cold mountains.

The most famous Indians to live in Mexico were the Aztecs.

C. CENTRAL AMERICA: A NARROW BRIDGE

1. Central America is actually a part of

North America. It is a narrow bridge of

land that connects North America to South

America and divides the Atlantic Ocean and

Caribbean Sea from the Pacific Ocean.

2. The weather is cool high in the

mountains and the area often has volcanic

eruptions and earthquakes. The coastal areas are hot and steamy jungles. The

Maya Indians were an advanced early civilization that lived here.

D. WEST INDIES: ISLANDS OF THE CARIBBEAN

1. Some Indians moved to the West Indies, a 2,000 mile long chain of mountainous

islands in the Caribbean Sea. There are thousands of Islands here, including the

Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The weather is very

pleasant and many islands have tropical forests.

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NORTH AMERICA MAPPING ACTIVITY: Label the following as you discuss them in your notes. Color as directed.

1. United States (Red) 2. Canada (Blue) 3. Pacific Ocean 4. Atlantic Ocean 5. Arctic Ocean 6. Isthmus of Panama 7. Rocky Mountains 8. Appalachian Mountains

9. Alaska (Red) 10. Mount Denali 11. Hudson Bay 12. Gulf of Mexico 13. Mississippi River 14. Greenland 15. Mexico (Orange) 16. Rio Grande

17. Baja California 18. Yucatan Peninsula 19. Central America (Green) 20. Caribbean (Purple) 21. Bahamas 22. Cuba 23. Jamaica 24. Puerto Rico

NWH C1 P11 2. Christopher Columbus landed in the West Indies in 1492 and claimed them for

Spain. He called this land the “Indies” because he thought it was part of the Indies

islands in Asia. He also called the Native Americans “Indians” because he thought they

lived there as well. His discovery led to a lasting connection between the Old World

and the New World.

E. SOUTH AMERICA: LAND OF THE AMAZON

1. South America is the fourth largest continent. There are many high mountains,

such as the Andes Mountains in the west, low mountains in the east, and plains in the

middle. The climate is much warmer than North America because the equator, where

the sun’s rays are the strongest, passes over South America. Most of the land lies in

the tropics. The great Amazon River, runs from the Andes Mountains in the west to

the Atlantic Ocean in the east and is the second longest river in the world and also the

largest river in the world for amount of water in it. South America’s Atacama Desert is

one of the driest places on earth.

COMPREHENSION CHECK 1B: DIRECTIONS: Use your notes and textbook if necessary to answer the following questions.

1. A ____?____ is a people’s unique way of life. Culture

2. Name three important Indian groups that lived south of what is now the

United States. Aztec, Maya, Inca

3. ____?____ America is the narrow bridge of land that connects North America to South America Isthmus of Panama

4. Why Did Columbus call the Native Americans “Indians”?

Columbus thought he had found Asia and that the people there were part of

the Asian “Indies” Islands (Modern Indonesia near India) so he called them wrongly “Indians”. The name has stuck every since.

5. Name one important mountain range and one important river in South America. Andes Mountains, Amazon River

6.

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SOUTH AMERICA MAPPING ACTIVITY: Label the following as you discuss them in your notes. Color as directed.

1. Pacific Ocean 2. Atlantic Ocean 3. Central America (Red) 4. Isthmus of Panama 5. Andes Mountains 6. Amazon River (Blue)

7. Equator 8. Atacama Desert (Yellow) 9. Tierra del Fuego 10. Strait of Magellan 11. Cape Horn

BONUS: Label these countries 12. Brazil (Green) 13. Columbia (Purple) 14. Peru (Orange) 15. Argentina (Brown) 16. Venezuela (Grey)

NWH C1 P13 2. Many tribes settled in the Andes, including the Incas, the most famous South

American Indians who made a great empire. Some even settled in Tierra del Fuego,

the southern tip of South America. Much of the tip is separated by the Strait of

Magellan. The Southernmost point in the Americas is Cape Horn on Hornos Island.

IV. (1.3) HOW THE NATIVE AMERICANS LIVED

A. The Native Americans

made lives for themselves all

across the new world, from the

frozen north, to the deserts, to

the mountains, to the plains, to

the forests, using the resources

God provided.

B. EDUCATION:

1. Most native Americans did

not go to school. Girls were

taught to be good

housekeepers, food gatherers,

and mothers. Boys were

taught to be brave warriors as

well as how to hunt animals

using weapons like the bow

and arrow and tomahawk (a

type of light ax). The bravery

of boys was tested at about thirteen or fourteen when they were finally considered an

adult.

2. Some Indians, such as the Maya and Aztecs did have schools where priests taught

mathematics, history, astronomy, language, and religion.

Figure 2: Different Native American groups inhabited every piece of the Americans. This map depicts different cultural regions for Native Americans in North America.

NWH C1 P14 C. FOOD, CLOTHING, AND SHELTER

1. Because Indians were excellent hunters, meat was

their main food. They ate deer, buffalo, antelope,

turkeys, rabbits and guinea pigs, as well as fish and

clams.

2. They also gathered many edible plants like berries,

nuts, roots, and seeds. Many tribes also raised crops

like maize (corn), beans, and squash.

3. There were no horses, cattle, hogs, chickens, or

metal tools in the Americas until the Europeans

introduced these things in the 1500s.

4. The Indians taught the Europeans to make

snowshoes, toboggans (sleds), canoes, and to grow

crops like corn, peanuts, potatoes, squash, tomatoes, and peppers.

5. Indians used the skins of animals for clothing. This included deerskins, buffalo

hides, and rabbit furs which were made into shirts, leggings, robes, sandals, and

moccasins. Sometimes they even used tree bark and woven grasses for clothing.

6. Indians lived in different kinds

of homes. Some lived in tepees

which were made by sewing

together animal hides and stretching

them around a frame of poles.

Others lived in wigwams, dome

shaped buildings covered with

leaves and bark, lodges, hogans

(circular homes made with logs and

mud, adobe/mud huts, stone

houses, and other kinds of homes.

Figure 3: Maize (or corn) was an important Native American crop.

Figure 4: Tipis or Tepees are one well known kind of Native American home.

NWH C1 P15 D. RECREATION:

1. Indians enjoyed playing games and competing in

sports. They ran footraces, tested their skill in archery,

and played different kinds of ball games. In winter

months people rode toboggans and probably had

snowball fights. Guessing games were also very

popular.

E. RELIGION:

1. Many Indians believed in a Great Spirit who ruled

over many other gods or spirits. Like most peoples

they worshipped idols and did not believe in the one

true God. Certain groups like the Aztecs, Mayas, and

Incas built impressive civilizations but their false

religions and fallen natures caused them to turn to great wickedness.

F. NATIVE AMERICANS TODAY:

1. Most Native Americans are proud to be descendants of the first settlers of the

New World as well as citizens of their countries. Many have served in the armed

forces or in positions of government. Jim Thorpe was a great American athlete and

Will Rogers was a famous American storyteller.

Figure 5: Jim Thorpe, a famous Native American athlete.

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COMPREHENSION CHECK 1C: DIRECTIONS: Use your notes and textbook if necessary to answer the following questions.

1. What kind of animals did the American Indians hunt and eat? Deer, Buffalo, antelope, turkeys, rabbits, guinea pigs, fish, and clams.

2. Name four kinds of shelters the Indians made. Tepees, wigwams, lodges, hogans, mud or adobe huts, stone houses

3. What was life like for a Native American girl or boy? They did not go to school. Girls were taught how to be good housekeepers,

food gatherers, and mothers. Boys were trained to be warriors as well as

how to fish and hunt for food. They were tested for strength and bravery at

13 or 14 when they became an adult.

4. Why do you think many are proud to be Native Americans? Because they are descendants of the first settlers who came to America

5. Name one famous Native American. Jim Thorpe, Will Rogers, Others