America's First Peoples

America's First Peoples
Lucy Hayes: Religion, Social Issues and Reform

Skill: Elementary School
Time Required: Two to three class periods


Introduction:

The march westward, usually called “Manifest Destiny,” occurred during the lifespan of Lucy Webb Hayes.  Implicit in this move westward was the displacement of the Native American tribes for whom the Great Plains and the Southwest had been home. 

Objectives:


The purpose of this lesson is ambitious—students should emerge from it with an understanding and, hopefully, a deeper appreciation of the culture of the Native Americans who were displaced by Manifest Destiny.   

Materials Required:

Access to the Internet Access to print reference materials Maps Art materials

Procedures:


1.  Explain to students the concept of Manifest Destiny, using a map of the United States.

2.  Engage students in a discussion of what they already know about Native American tribes. 
3.  Note that the push westward and the subsequent settlement of these areas came at the displacement of the Native Americans.

4.  Divide the students into groups to explore the tribal groups located in the Pacific Northwest, the Southwest, the northern plains, and the southern plains, looking specifically for information about:

  • Names of the tribes
  • Location
  • Housing
  • Daily life
  • Art forms

5.  When the group has identified this information for the tribes in their geographic areas, have them create an artifact that is representative of their tribal group(s).

6.  After presentation by all the groups, assist students in looking for correlations between environments and housing, daily life, and arts forms.
 

Extending the Lesson:


The teacher may wish to assign specific tribal groups to student groups in order to address the culture of their specific geographic area.

Sources & Resources:


Websites:
http://access.sd25.org/curriculum/NativeAmericans/NW.html 
 
www.kidzworld.com/site/p1389.htm  
 
www.nps.gov/knri/plains_tribes.htm  
 
www.rootsweb.com/~txkent/tribesk.htm 

 
Credits:
This lesson was created and developed by Bette Brooks, Kent State University.

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