GENERAL CURRICULUM TEST OBJECTIVE : 0006  Understand major developments in the history of the United States from precolonial times to the present.

• Demonstrate knowledge of indigenous peoples before the arrival of the Europeans    

The Paleo-culture was the earliest known collection of human beings in the New World, the Americas were not new to them as they had been there thousands of years before the Europeans arrived. Most believe they arrived by crossing the landbridge from Siberia to what is now Alaska. Much later groups such as the Adena-Hopewell who are known for creating large burial mounds using metal tools traded and moved within a large section of North America.

The Mezo-Americans, such as Mayans and Aztecs, occupied Central America and much of what is now Mexico with highly developed agriculture and trade networks. They followed a solar calendar and had complex ritualistic religious and political ceremonies.

Person to Know:

Montezuma - Aztec ruler

The Southwestern Groups - The Pueblo had a representative government, perhaps the oldest in the world. They are known for constructing their villages from the cliffs and rocks, and for their adobes, or living quarters. The Pueblo were a successful agricultural people and were known to domesticate animals such as dogs and turkeys.

The Northeastern groups - The Iroquois (made up of 5 nations in the Iroquois Confederacy: the Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca peoples in what is now upper New York state)

As a whole, North American indigenous peoples centered their lives on finding and growing food, becoming proficient in hunting and farming.

For more information about the indigenous peoples of North America, consult the following resources many of which include interactive maps, videos, games, and other experiences:

http://mrnussbaum.com/nativeamericans/  

http://www.learner.org/interactives/historymap/indians.html

http://www.history.com/topics/native-american-history/native-american-cultures

http://www.indians.org/articles/native-americans.html

http://www.ballard-tighe.com/eaweb/InteractiveOnline/activities/ea1_1.swf

http://www.ballard-tighe.com/eaweb/InteractiveOnline/activities/ea1_3.swf

http://www.ballard-tighe.com/eaweb/InteractiveOnline/activities/ea1_4.swf

http://www.nps.gov/webrangers/activities/bandelier/bandelier.swf

(sources: MTEL General Curriculum, NEA)