World History
World History
It was generally believed that the Clovis people originally came from Asia and were directly related to contemporary Native Americans, but an alternative theory suggests that the Clovis predecessors emigrated from southwestern Europe. Clovis, with its distinctive stone tools, is the oldest widespread archaeological complex in North America. It dates to around 12,600-13,000 years ago.~Dr. Shane Doyle
Since World History Curriculum focuses on cultures and places other than North America, there are less opportunities for infusing IEFA.
Teachers may choose to infuse more detail about people and empires in the Americas, such as the mound builders of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys (1800 BCE-700 CE).
In this video (run time 11 minutes) The National Historic Preservation Act in Big Sky Country shares a story of two fascinating archaeological sites that essentially bookend 10,000+ years of human habitation in the Big Sky Country that we know today as Montana.
mound_builders.docxAlternatives to the Behring Strait theory respect American Indian perspectives, and can be found in tribal histories such as Montana Tribal Histories by Dr. Julie Cajune. The following file is collation of some Montana origin stories.
origin_stories.pdfBelow you will find helpful resources to help you teach accurate and up to date information about indigenous people in North America. I tried to choose lessons that are closer related to World History and North American rather than the United States Specifically. Each set of lessons has the original website linked for your exploration. While teaching about the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) may not meet your Indian Education for All requirements, it is important to remember that there were no borders or restrictions throughout the continent and throughout time. There are many similarities between tribes and time. There are also many differences. Each tribe is unique and every American Indian is a unique human being. There are many ways to bring in outside regions and tribal perspectives then compare them to tribes in Montana in order to create a better understanding of the uniqueness of each tribe and individual.
There are also events in world history that affect American Indian People today. Columbus, Thanksgiving and the Fur Trade are the most prevalent and are great examples for creating a connection between the past and the present.
Living Maya Time - a fully bilingual (Spanish and English) website featuring Maya people discussing their culture and astronomy, and dispelling doomsday myths about the end of the Maya calendar on December 21, 2012.
Haudenosaunee - designed to provide a deeper and more integrated understanding of Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) life—past and present. This guide can serve to enrich the New York State–mandated curriculum.
Ways of Living, Ways of Giving is teaching poster, designed for grades 6–8, features the Kwakwaka'wakw people of British Columbia, Canada. Through lessons and activities, students will learn about some of the cultural traditions of this North Pacific Coast people, their values, and the potlatch—one of the most important practices that remains strong today.
Chaski: Official Messengers of the Inka Empire - This Teacher's Guide provides information about Chaski, relay runners in the Inka Empire, as well as other activities for students in grades 4–12 who are visiting The Great Inka Road: Engineering an Empire exhibition. Este recurso también está disponible en español.
Northern Plains History and Cultures: How Do Native People and Nations Experience Belonging? This online lesson provides perspectives from Native American community members, images, objects, and other sources to help students and teachers think about the significance that homelands, kinship systems, and nationhood hold for Native Peoples of the Northern Plains. Explore four case studies to learn more about the relationships that help to create a sense of belonging.
The Inka Empire: What Innovations Can Provide Food and Water for Millions? The Inka Empire thrived in South America in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. This lesson highlights Inka-period engineering accomplishments that allowed the Inka to manage their vast and disperse empire, and how their legacy has relevancy in the present day. Explore a variety of sources to investigate how the need to feed and provide water for millions of people across a vast territory led to Inka innovations in water management and agriculture. Many of these innovations are still in use today by indigenous communities in the Andes. Este recurso también está disponible en español.
The Great Inka Road: How Can a Road System Be an Example of Innovation? The Inka Empire thrived in South America in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. To support the empire, the Inka built a vast road system for transportation, communication, and integration. This lesson highlights Inka engineering accomplishments that allowed the Inka to manage their vast and disperse empire, and how their legacy has relevancy in the present day.
Montana Historical Society
Prehistoric Life in Montana - Exposes Montana prehistory (10,000-12,000 years ago) and archaeology through a study of the Pictograph Cave site in eastern Montana.
Making an Atlatl (Designed for grades 4-8, adaptable to high school) provides detailed instructions on how students can make atlatls and darts while learning more about the physics behind this ancient technology and the tremendous skill it took to hunt large games in the pre-contact era.
Ordinary People Do Extraordinary Things! Connecting Biography to Larger Social Themes Lesson Plan (Designed for grades 8-12) This lesson uses essays published on the Women’s History Matters website to help students explore how ordinary people’s lives intersect with larger historical events and trends and to investigate how people’s choices impact their communities. After analyzing two essays on American Indian women from the Women’s History Matters website, students are asked to conduct interviews with people in their own community to learn about how that person has chosen to shape the world around him or her.