Native Nations Before Contact
Aligned to C3.D2.His.1 — C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.
What this lesson teaches
Long before Europeans arrived, millions of Native Americans lived across North America in hundreds of different nations. Each nation had its own language, government, and beliefs. The way people lived depended a lot on the land and resources around them.
Worked example
The Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) of the northeastern woodlands lived in long, bark-covered homes called longhouses. Several related families shared one longhouse, and they farmed corn, beans, and squash together.
Practice questions
- About how long ago did Native nations live in North America before Europeans came?
- Explain why Native nations in different regions lived in different ways.
- Compare how the environment might have shaped life for a woodland nation versus a nation living on the dry plains.
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Las naciones indígenas antes del contacto
Mucho antes de que llegaran los europeos, millones de indígenas americanos vivían por toda América del Norte en cientos de naciones distintas. Cada nación tenía su propia lengua, su gobierno y sus creencias. La forma de vida dependía mucho de la tierra y de los recursos de alrededor.
Ejemplo: Los haudenosaunee (iroqueses) de los bosques del noreste vivían en viviendas largas cubiertas de corteza llamadas casas comunales. Varias familias emparentadas compartían una misma casa comunal y cultivaban juntas maíz, frijol y calabaza.
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