Introduction:

Ms. Richardson has assigned your first project for social studies. Being a
good student, you ask to go to the library. On the way to the library, you
notice a door to room youve never seen before beside the computer lab.
Being curious, you open the door, step in, and POOF! You find yourself in
another time: The time in America before Columbus!
You look around. Where are you exactly? Are you in the Eastern Woodlands,
the Southeastern region, on the Plains, in the Southwestern area, or
standing in the Pacific Northwestern region of what is now the United States?
You look around for clues: landforms, the weather and possible climate, the
natural resources, and the animals and plants that make up the ecosystems
you see around you.
Suddenly, you see a group of people and hide. From what youve learned in
class, you know that these are Native Americans before the time of any
explorers or colonies, and you do not want to frighten anyone with your
strange clothes and weird talk. You decide to watch from afar and observe
life in these times for a while.
Being curious you begin to wonder:

How does the group get their food? Are they hunter gatherers or do
they farm?

Is the groups everyday life based on frequent migration or do they live

in permanent village settlements?

How does their physical environment influence the type of homes that
they construct, the clothes that they wear and the food that they eat?

What are their cultural practices, including beliefs and religious

practices?

How are they governed?

Lunch is a few hours away, and Ms. Richardson may not notice you are gone
for a little while. You decide to stay in this other place and time and find
answers to your questions.
Before you leave, you want some proof- an arrowhead, a clay pot, a cedar
box, a turtle shell rattle- something to prove that you have traveled through

time, but as you step back through the door with your proof- POOF! You are
suddenly empty-handed. You find out that you cannot bring back any
souvenirs, artifacts, or photographs from your adventure.
How will you ever convince your friends and classmates and most especially
Ms. Richardson that you were really there?
Suddenly, youve got a great idea: You will re-create a scrapbook of your
memories to help re-live your time- traveling adventure and show everyone
what life was really like for the Native Americans before Columbus time.

TASK:
After choosing and researching a cultural region of the Native American
groups students will create a scrapbook page on a full-size sheet of poster
board that will include a map, charts, and images. The poster will feature a
postage stamp of images that represent that cultural group and the
resources from their environment that were the most important in their daily
lives. When projects are complete they will be displayed in a museum for
Native American History Month in November.
PROCESS:
STEP 1: Choose a Native American cultural group:
o Eastern Woodlands
o Southeastern
o Plains
o Southwestern
o Pacific Northwestern

STEP 2: GET TO KNOW THE BASIC SCRAPBOOK PAGE DESIGN:

Your scrapbook page will be based on a Four Square. Here is the model to
use:
Map

Description of the regionenvironment, resources, etc.

Sources:
Culture/ beliefs/ everyday life

Sources:
Postage Stamp using clip art,
magazine clippings, etc.

Sources:

Sources:

STEP 3: Find a United States map to print.

You will need to find a printable map to use for your project.
You will go to http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/
o
o
o
o
o
o

Click on ATLAS.
Select location at the dropdown
Choose United States
Click on Printable Maps PDF
When the map appears, go to the toolbar and click on the printer icon.
Click OK.

STEP 4: Describe the environment and resources of region.

o Use the chart The Environment and Its Resources to record your
notes.
o You may find these sources to be helpful as you complete Steps 4, 5,
and 6:

Mr. Donns Native American Index

http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/index.html
Learn About Native Americans
http://www.ahsd25.k12.il.us/Curriculum
%20Info/NativeAmericans/index.html

MrNussbaum.com
http://www.mrnussbaum.com/nativeamericans.htm
Oracle Thinkquest: Native Americans
http://library.thinkquest.org/J0110072/navigation/native_american_chart.ht
m

STEP 5: Describe the culture and everyday life of the Native people
of this region.
On separate 3x5 cards, you will write these questions. Using the internet,
your textbook and notes, and other nonfiction trade books from our
classroom and the library, find answers to the following:
o How does the group get their food? Are they hunter gatherers or do
they farm?

o Is the groups everyday life based on frequent migration or do they live

in permanent village settlements?
o How does their physical environment influence the type of homes that
they construct, the clothes that they wear and the food that they eat?
o What are their cultural practices, including beliefs and religious
practices?
o How are they governed?
Put your cards into a Ziploc bag. Write your name on the outside of the bag
with a Sharpie marker and one of the cards, also. Give your cards to your
teacher.

During writing class, you will use these note cards to write a one-page report
about your Native American cultural group.
STEP 6: Postage Stamp/ Art work
Choose at least 3 but no more than 5 images. The images should reflect
what resources or beliefs that are the most important to the Native
Americans of the region. You should be able to give a reason you choose
each image based on what you have learned about this region and its
people.
The following sites have clip art and images that you may use.
Mr. Donns Native American Index
http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/index.html

MrNussbaum.com
http://www.mrnussbaum.com/nativeamericans.htm
Kid Friendly Search Tools
http://www.pomfret.ctschool.net/computer_classes/kid_friendly_search_tool
s.htm
How to search for an image online:
o Click on Kid Friendly Search Tools
http://www.pomfret.ctschool.net/computer_classes/kid_friendly_searc
h_tools.htm
o On the new page, go to Pics4Learning.com
o Click on the link: http://www.pics4learning.com/
o Go to the search box.
o Type a word to search. Ex. Totem pole.

o Find the image your want. Click Download.

o Click Open.
o Windows Photo Viewer will open.
o Go to the tool bar and click Print
o Click Print to print a full-page picture.
o Be sure to write the name of the website where you found your
picture. You will need to include this information in your sources.
o NOTE: Not all websites will have exactly the same steps as
Pics4Learning.com
o

If you are not sure of the steps, ask 2-3 classmates who may help
you if the teacher is working with another student or a small group or
wait until your teacher can assist you.

STEP 7:
You now have all the pieces for your scrapbook page:
Map
Description of the regionenvironment, resources, etc.

Printable Map

Sources:
Culture/ beliefs/ everyday life

Note cards

Chart

Sources:
Postage Stamp

3-5 images: clip art, clippings,

etc.

Sources:

Sources:

As you start to think of putting the pieces of your page together, here are
some things to remember:
1) Your poster will feature a postage stamp of images that represent that
cultural group and the resources from their environment that were the most
important in their daily lives.

o
o
o
o

Go to Google and click on images at the top of the page.

Type postage stamps in the search box.
Look at several examples of stamps.
You may also want to look at some images of scrapbook pages to see
how colorful and creative a scrapbook page can be.

2) When projects are complete they will be displayed in a museum for Native
American History Month in November.

Resources
Brief Description of
Resource
Xpeditions is home to the U.S.
National Geography Standards
and to thousands of ideas,
tools, and interactive
adventures that bring them to
life.

How Will Students Use The

Resource?
Students will use this site to
locate a blank United States map
for their final scrapbook project.
In the final project, the region
that they have chosen will be
highlighted and identified.

Title of Resource

URL or Locator

1.

National Geographic
Xpeditions

http://www.nation
algeographic.com/
xpeditions/

2.

Mr. Donns Native

American Index

http://nativeameri
cans.mrdonn.org/i
ndex.html

This website has lesson plans,

power-point presentations,
games and clip art for history.
There is a for kids section on
nearly every page.

Students will use information

from this website to complete a
chart in their final project. In the
final project, there will be a chart
of the everyday life, beliefs, and
how the people got their food,
etc. and also a chart describing
the ecosystems in the region and
the resources that would offer to
people living there.

3.

Learn About Native

Americans

http://www.ahsd2
5.k12.il.us/Curricu
lum
%20Info/NativeA
mericans/index.ht
ml

This site includes a clickable

map of each cultural region with
a description of the way of life
as it relates to the environment
of that region.

As stated above, in the final

scrapbook project, students will
share information about the
environment and natural
resources of the region that they
have chosen.

4.

Cosmeo

http://www.cosme
o.com/

Cosmeo is a homework help

site with links to videos that are
produced by its parent
company, The Discovery
Channel. There is a video series
about Native Americans that
has full-length programs and
short clips about the native
peoples of the Eastern
Woodlands, the Plains, the
Southwest, and the Pacific
Northwest.

Each full-length video is already a

part of our Native American
study. The clips that usually run
about 2-5 minutes in length will
be used to review information
about everyday life of each
regional group as well as
resources that were in their
environment.

5.

If You Lived (series)

If You Lived With

The Sioux Indians
by
Ann McGovern
Publisher:
Scholastic
Paperbacks
(September 1,
1992)

ISBN-10:
0590451626

ISBN-13:
9780590451628

If You Lived With

The Hopi Indians
Anne
Kamma Publisher:
Scholastic
Paperbacks
(November 1,
1999)

ISBN-10:
0590397265

ISBN-13:
978-

There are several books in this

series. Most books do not focus
on the cultural regions, but
there is a tribe from each of the
regions: the Sioux from the
Plains, the Hopi from the
Southwest, the Iroquois from
the Eastern Woodlands, the
Cherokee from the Southwest,
and the Pacific Northwest.
The books are easy to read and
written in a question-andanswer format.

Using the books from this series

will give students another print
resource for information (other
than the textbook). The books
will give greater detail about the
everyday life, beliefs, and
government of a tribe living in
their cultural region than the
textbook and will be easier to
read than many other non-fiction
books.

6.

7.

MrNussbaum.com

Oracle Thinkquest:
Native
Americans

http://www.mrnus
sbaum.com/native
americans.htm

The introduction to this website

says it best:

http://library.think
quest.org/J011007
2/navigation/nativ
e_american_chart.
htm

This Thinkquest library item has

a chart of the cultural regions.
The chart has headings such as
habitats, food, and customs
with a clickable links.

Welcome to
www.MrNussbaum.com, an
interactive website designed
specifically for students in grades K
- 8. On MrNussbaum.com you will
find dozens of interactive games,
activities, worksheets, and teacher
tools that pinpoint essential skills.
MrNussbaum.com was created and
developed by a teacher! Please
explore this site and feel free to
contact me with questions,
concerns, or feedback. Many of the
advertisements were recently
removed from this site to give
students a better educational
experience. One thing to note, as
you explore MrNussbaum.com, you
might have noticed that many
activities are color-coded. Different
colors identify the grade-level
appropriateness of the activity.

Students will use an interactive

clickable map to read and take
notes about the cultural region.

This resource will be used to be

used to show the link between
the resources, the environment,
and everyday life of the native
people.

Evaluation:
WEBQUEST SCRAPBOOK RUBRIC

ON TOPIC

PAGE DESIGN

Not Met
1 point
Two (or less) of the
key parts are present.

Met
2 points
Three of the four key
parts are present.

Exemplary
3 points
All of the four key parts
of the scrapbook page
are present:
o Map
o The Environment
and Its
Resources
o Culture and
Everyday Life
o Postage Stamp

The scrapbook page is

not well-constructed.

The scrapbook page is

carefully constructed and
visually appealing.

The scrapbook page is

carefully constructed and
visually appealing.

There are few pieces of

information.
There are few labels on
the page.

Some pieces of the page

include information about
the subject.
Some elements of the
page are labeled on the
page.

MAP

The map shows little

information about the
region.

The map shows some

information and some
labeling about the
region.

Each piece on the page

shows details and
important information
about the subject.
All four parts of the
page are clearly labeled:
o Map
o The Environment
and Resources
o Culture and
Everyday Life
o Postage Stamp
The map identifies the
cultural region and also
included some
additional information.
The cultural area is
o Shaded
o The region is
labeled
o There is a
compass rose on
the map.
o The oceans are
included and
labeled.
o The Mississippi
River is identified
and labeled.

ENVIRONMENT

The information is not

organized on the chart
or some information is
missing
o

CULTURE

Temperature
2 or less words
to describe
Water:
2 or less words
to describe
amount

Plant Life:
2 or less
examples

Animal Life:
2 or less
examples

The writing indicates a

little understanding of
the topic.
The writing does not
reflect the use of
resources.

POSTAGE STAMP

Some of the art and

images do not support
the information in the
text.
There are 2 or less
images displayed.

NEATNESS

The information is
organized on the chart:

A few parts of the

poster show care and
neatness in handwriting
and spelling.
There are many errors
in the conventions of
writing.

The information is
organized on the chart:

Temperature:
3-4 words to
describe

Temperature:
5 words to
describe

Water:
3-4 words to
describe amount

Water:
5 words to
describe amount

Plant Life:
3-4 examples

Plant Life:
5 examples

Animal Life:
3-4 examples
.

Animal Life:
5 examples

The writing indicates a

some understanding of
the topic
and reflects the use of
several resources.

Most of the art and

images support the
information in the text.
There are 3-4 images
displayed.
Many parts of the poster
show care and neatness
in handwriting and
spelling.
Several errors in
writing conventions
appear.

TOTAL POINTS: ____________ out of 21 points

WEBQUEST CHECKLIST

The writing indicates a

complete understanding
of the topic
and reflects the use of a
range of resources. The
bibliography
lists a variety of sources
(for example, nonfiction
texts, print
and electronic articles,
and audiovisual
resources).
The art and images on
the postage stamp
are visually appealing
and display accurate
details about the subject.
There are at least 5
images displayed.
The poster shows care
and neatness in
handwriting and spelling.
Most of the print follows
the conventions of
writing.

Use the checklist to help you work through the steps of your webquest
project.
1. I chose a Native American cultural group:
Eastern Woodlands
Southeastern
Plains
Southwestern
Pacific Northwestern
2. I know the basic design of my scrapbook page
Map

Description of the regionenvironment, resources, etc.

Sources:
Culture/ beliefs/ everyday life

Sources:
Postage Stamp using clip art,
magazine clippings, etc.

Sources:

Sources:

3. I found a United States map to print.

4. I described the environment and resources of region by using the
chart The Environment and Its Resources to record my notes.
5. I described the culture and everyday life of the Native people of
this region and have a separate 3x5 card for each of the questions
and answers:
o How does the group get their food? Are they hunter gatherers or do
they farm?

o Is the groups everyday life based on frequent migration or do they live

in permanent village settlements?

o How does their physical environment influence the type of homes that
they construct, the clothes that they wear and the food that they eat?
o What are their cultural practices, including beliefs and religious
practices?
o How are they governed?
6. I created a Postage Stamp. My stamp uses at least 3 but no more
than 5 images that reflect what resources or beliefs that are the
most important to the Native Americans of the region.
I am able to give a reason I chose each image based on what I have
learned about this region and its people.
7. Before I begin to work my poster, I will be sure that I have edited
each piece of writing
Correct use of capital letters and punctuation
Correct grammar
Correct spelling
Neat handwriting
I will also have someone (a classmate, teacher, or parent) look at
my work to make sure the grammar, spellings, and conventions
are correct.

Conclusion:

You have now completed your scrapbook page of a cultural region of a

Native American group. Your poster includes a map, charts, and images and
features a postage stamp of images that represent that cultural group and
the resources from their environment that were the most important in their
daily lives. Your project is ready to be displayed in our museum for Native
American History Month in November.

Before you display your project, think back to the day you found that
strange door in the hallway that took you into the past. You wondered then
How will I convince my friends and classmates and most especially Ms.
Richardson that I was really there?
If someone looks at your poster, it is clear to them that you know a great
deal about the Native Americans of that region.
You can now see the connection between all the parts: the map, the
environment and the resources, the everyday life of the people, and all the
images you chose for your postage stamp.
You are now a Native American expert!