Elementary Unit 1 US History

Encounter, Colonization, & Devastation Tribal Homelands

Historical Era

Time Immemorial to 1770

STI Unit Overview

To understand the founding of our country, it is important to consider the causes and consequences of colonization of the Americas for the tribes who live in the land that was colonized.

Level 1

Activities students will create their own Sacred Space, read and discuss text to understand the impact colonization had on tribal people, and use maps to show and analyze information about Northeastern Tribes and the thirteen colonies.

Download Level 1 Curriculum

Level 2

Students will participate in the enactment of a poem reading that demonstrates the impacts of colonization to Indians, consider questions of fairness and justification for taking things/spaces that are important to others, and study maps to examine the continued impacts of colonization to tribal people today.

Download Level 2 Curriculum

Level 3

Focuses on the completion of the "Causes of Conflict" CBA.

Download Level 3 Curriculum

STI Essential Questions

  1. How does physical geography affect Northwest tribes' culture, economy, and where they choose to settle and trade?
  2. What are local tribes doing to meet the challenges of reservation life? What are these tribes, as sovereign nations, doing to meet the economic and cultural needs of their tribal communities?

Standards for Social Studies, English Language Arts, Environmental and Sustainability Education, and Social Emotional Learning

OSPI-Developed Assessments for Social Studies


Unit Developed By

Shana Brown (Yakama descendent)