The Earliest The Earliest AmericansAmericans

Crossing The Land BridgeCrossing The Land Bridge33rdrd Grade Social Studies Grade Social Studies

Presented by Joan StewartPresented by Joan StewartCore Knowledge FacilitatorCore Knowledge Facilitator

P. S. 123MP. S. 123M

The Big IdeaThe Big Idea

For thousands of For thousands of years before the arrival of years before the arrival of Christopher Columbus, America was Christopher Columbus, America was populated by a variety of Native populated by a variety of Native people…people…

What Students Should What Students Should Already KnowAlready Know

One or more groups of Native One or more groups of Native American peoples.American peoples.

The earliest people were Native The earliest people were Native Americans and nomads.Americans and nomads.

The “land bridge” from Asia to North The “land bridge” from Asia to North America.America.

The development of cities and towns.The development of cities and towns. Sequoyah, The Trail of Tears. Sequoyah, The Trail of Tears.

What Students Need to What Students Need to KnowKnow

During the Ice Age, scientists During the Ice Age, scientists believe that Nomadic hunters believe that Nomadic hunters migrated from Asia to North migrated from Asia to North America, possibly by crossing a land America, possibly by crossing a land bridge across what is now the bridge across what is now the Bering Strait.Bering Strait.

What Students Need To What Students Need To KnowKnow

Different people with different Different people with different languages and ways of life spread languages and ways of life spread throughout North and South throughout North and South America.America.

InuitInuitAnasaziAnasaziMound Mound buildersbuilders

PueblosPueblos

IroquoisIroquoisHopiHopiZuniZuniNavajoNavajoCherokeeCherokee

Student VocabularyStudent Vocabulary AdobeAdobe Cliff-dwellingsCliff-dwellings LonghouseLonghouse CaribouCaribou Land bridgeLand bridge kayakkayak NomadNomad PrehistoricPrehistoric migrationmigration

PueblosPueblos AlaskaAlaska Arctic OceanArctic Ocean Bering SeaBering Sea AsiaAsia North AmericaNorth America Bering StraitBering Strait Wooly mammothWooly mammoth Hunter-gathererHunter-gatherer

Cross-Curricular Cross-Curricular ConnectionsConnections

Language ArtsFictionMyths

LegendsInformational books

Visual ArtsAmerican Indian Art

ScienceClassification of animals

ReptilesMammals

Birds

GeographyMap-making

Latitude and longitudeContinents

Human interaction

Important IdeasImportant Ideas

The first people of North America are The first people of North America are believed to have crossed from Asia into believed to have crossed from Asia into North American, either by a land North American, either by a land bridge or by water between 30, 000 and bridge or by water between 30, 000 and 15,000 years ago.15,000 years ago.

As the first peoples spread throughout As the first peoples spread throughout North and South America their North and South America their customs, traditions and languages customs, traditions and languages changed as they adapted to new changed as they adapted to new environments and new ways of food environments and new ways of food production.production.

Crossing the Land BridgeCrossing the Land Bridge

Scholars generally agree that the Scholars generally agree that the native people of North and South native people of North and South America migrated to North America America migrated to North America across the land bridge called across the land bridge called Beringia from Asia anywhere from Beringia from Asia anywhere from 50,000 to 1.500 years ago.50,000 to 1.500 years ago.

Bering Strait Bering Strait

The Ice AgeThe Ice Age

Earth was in the middle of the last Ice Earth was in the middle of the last Ice age. Much of Earth’s water was age. Much of Earth’s water was frozen in the form of ice and snow. frozen in the form of ice and snow. During the Ice Age, Asia and North During the Ice Age, Asia and North America were connected by ice and America were connected by ice and snow. Scientists believe that the first snow. Scientists believe that the first Americans crossed a land bridge that Americans crossed a land bridge that joined the eastern tip of Asia with joined the eastern tip of Asia with what is now Alaska, in North America.what is now Alaska, in North America.

The Earliest AmericansThe Earliest Americans

The first people to cross into North The first people to cross into North America from Asia hunted America from Asia hunted prehistoric animals like the wooly prehistoric animals like the wooly mammoth. It is thought that the mammoth. It is thought that the earliest Americans followed the earliest Americans followed the herds of animals across the land herds of animals across the land bridge bridge

Heading SouthHeading South

As the Ice Age warmed, the earliest As the Ice Age warmed, the earliest Americans followed the prehistoric Americans followed the prehistoric animals south into Canada, North animals south into Canada, North America. Mexico, Central America America. Mexico, Central America and South America.and South America.

From Hunting to From Hunting to FarmingFarming

As the ice disappeared so did the As the ice disappeared so did the prehistoric animals that the hunters prehistoric animals that the hunters relied on for their food, clothing and relied on for their food, clothing and shelter. The animals may have died shelter. The animals may have died off because it began to get warmer off because it began to get warmer or because the hunters killed off too or because the hunters killed off too many animals. many animals.

From Hunting to From Hunting to FarmingFarming

Hunters began to hunt smaller Hunters began to hunt smaller animals like deer and rabbits for animals like deer and rabbits for their food. The earliest Americans their food. The earliest Americans also began to pick wild plants, seeds, also began to pick wild plants, seeds, berries and dig up roots to eat.berries and dig up roots to eat.

From Hunting to From Hunting to FarmingFarming

Some people began to understand that Some people began to understand that if they planted the seeds of the plants if they planted the seeds of the plants they found they would be able to get they found they would be able to get more food and they would not have to more food and they would not have to travel everyday looking for food. travel everyday looking for food. Planting seeds and harvesting the Planting seeds and harvesting the crops was the beginning of farming. crops was the beginning of farming. Farming meant that people needed to Farming meant that people needed to stay in one place to take care of their stay in one place to take care of their crops. crops.

From Hunting to From Hunting to FarmingFarming

Once people began to stay in one Once people began to stay in one place, some type of laws were place, some type of laws were required to organize groups of required to organize groups of people living together.people living together.

This was the beginning of This was the beginning of government. Someone needed to government. Someone needed to decide what was to be done and who decide what was to be done and who needed to do it. needed to do it.

From Hunting to From Hunting to FarmingFarming

The development of Native The development of Native American culture in the United American culture in the United States was different for each group. States was different for each group. While the Anasazi in the Southwest While the Anasazi in the Southwest United States and the Eastern United States and the Eastern Woodland Indians in the Northeast Woodland Indians in the Northeast United States both hunted and United States both hunted and farmed, many North American farmed, many North American native people remained hunters. native people remained hunters.

LanguageLanguage

As most Native Americans settled in one As most Native Americans settled in one place and adapted to their environment, place and adapted to their environment, they began to develop different they began to develop different languages. People who became farmers languages. People who became farmers would need a larger vocabulary to would need a larger vocabulary to explain their crops, tools and growing explain their crops, tools and growing process. The hunters would need to process. The hunters would need to have words to name the animals they have words to name the animals they killed and the uses they made of them, killed and the uses they made of them, such as food, clothing and shelter. such as food, clothing and shelter.

The Inuit (Eskimos)The Inuit (Eskimos)

The northernmost people in North The northernmost people in North America were the Inuit. They are America were the Inuit. They are also called Eskimos. They live in also called Eskimos. They live in Alaska and in the Arctic region of Alaska and in the Arctic region of Canada. They also live in Greenland Canada. They also live in Greenland and Siberia.and Siberia.

The Inuit (Eskimos)The Inuit (Eskimos)

Scientists believe that the Inuit did Scientists believe that the Inuit did not cross the land bridge over the not cross the land bridge over the Bering Strait from Asia to North Bering Strait from Asia to North America until about 4,000 years ago. America until about 4,000 years ago. It is believed that the Inuit probably It is believed that the Inuit probably came by boat or walked across the came by boat or walked across the frozen Bering Strait. They live the frozen Bering Strait. They live the farthest north of all Native farthest north of all Native Americans.Americans.

The Inuit (Eskimos)The Inuit (Eskimos)

The Inuit live very much the way The Inuit live very much the way their ancestors lived thousands of their ancestors lived thousands of years ago. years ago.

For food, clothing, weapons, tools For food, clothing, weapons, tools and fuel they depend on the fish they and fuel they depend on the fish they catch and the caribous, seals, whales catch and the caribous, seals, whales and walruses they hunt.and walruses they hunt.

The Inuit (Eskimos)The Inuit (Eskimos)

In the winter the Inuit live in houses In the winter the Inuit live in houses made of sod, wood and stone. In the made of sod, wood and stone. In the summer they use tents made of summer they use tents made of animal skins. Igloos, houses made of animal skins. Igloos, houses made of blocks of snow are only used when blocks of snow are only used when the Inuit go on hunts and then only the Inuit go on hunts and then only rarely. rarely.

The Inuit (Eskimos)The Inuit (Eskimos)

Kayaks and dog sleds are their Kayaks and dog sleds are their means of transportation. Inuit life means of transportation. Inuit life revolves around the sea and animals. revolves around the sea and animals.

Ongoing AssessmentOngoing Assessment

Have students create a dramatization Have students create a dramatization showing how humans may have crossed showing how humans may have crossed the land bridge.the land bridge.

Review writing paragraphs by having Review writing paragraphs by having students write about the Inuit, students write about the Inuit, researching the Inuit in more depth, researching the Inuit in more depth, highlighting what they have learned highlighting what they have learned about the Inuit, review the structure of about the Inuit, review the structure of a paragraph including topic sentence, a paragraph including topic sentence, at least three supporting details and a at least three supporting details and a concluding sentence.concluding sentence.

Ongoing AssessmentOngoing Assessment

As a way to organize the study of As a way to organize the study of Native American groups, have students Native American groups, have students make writing webs. Instruct them to make writing webs. Instruct them to put the name of a Native American put the name of a Native American group in the center of the web and group in the center of the web and then extend supporting details about then extend supporting details about the group around the web. Use these the group around the web. Use these graphic organizers to help students graphic organizers to help students make short presentations.make short presentations.

Ongoing AssessmentOngoing Assessment

Give students an opportunity to Give students an opportunity to learn about Native American groups learn about Native American groups in their area. Museum trips or in their area. Museum trips or speakers are some ways for students speakers are some ways for students to learn about the local culture of to learn about the local culture of Native Americans. Have students Native Americans. Have students compare and contrast the local compare and contrast the local Native American culture with other Native American culture with other Native American cultures. Native American cultures.

Ongoing AssessmentOngoing Assessment Organize a classroom library and Organize a classroom library and

have students read about the various have students read about the various Native American groups.Native American groups.

Have the students plan and act out a Have the students plan and act out a skit to inform the class of some skit to inform the class of some aspect of Native American life. Have aspect of Native American life. Have students submit the skit to the students submit the skit to the teacher to check accuracy. At the teacher to check accuracy. At the end of the presentation ask each end of the presentation ask each student to tell one new fact that he student to tell one new fact that he or she learnedor she learned..

ReviewReview

Where did the first people of North Where did the first people of North America come from and how might America come from and how might they have gotten here?they have gotten here?

What kind of big animals did the What kind of big animals did the earliest Americans hunt?earliest Americans hunt?

What happened when the prehistoric What happened when the prehistoric animals disappeared?animals disappeared?

Why did the ancestors of Native Why did the ancestors of Native Americans spread throughout North Americans spread throughout North and South America?and South America?