High School Unit 2 Contemporary World Problems

Download Curriculum

Level 1 | Level 2 | Level 3

Corresponding Videos

Contemporary Voices Along the Lewis and Clark Trail

Native Homelands Along the Lewis and Clark Trail

Environmental Issues: The Boldt Decision

Historical Era

The Present: Nation Building

STI Unit Overview

Level 1:

Indian people lived in the Pacific Northwest for thousands of years, with salmon as a foundation for their culture, economy, and religion. There are many dates, names, and places that were important in establishing current tribal fishing rights. Students will define terms related to tribal fishing rights and interpret legal terms associated with Indian case law.

Level 2:

Students will evaluate important events in tribal fishing rights, select ten events that seem most important, and construct a timeline. They will make an accordion book to present their timelines.

Level 3:

Students will gather an artifact box filled with information, facts, photo evidence, and so on that an international environmental lawyer might use to defend indigenous water rights.

STI Essential Questions

  1. What were the political, economic, and cultural forces that led to the treaties?
  2. What are the ways in which tribes respond to the threats and outside pressure to extinguish their cultures and independence?
  3. 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)

Creative Commons license image

Except where otherwise noted, "Since Time Immemorial: Tribal Sovereignty in Washington State" by Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction in partnership with the Federally Recognized Tribes in Washington State is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. All logos are property of their respective owners.