Native American Studies Teaching Resources

Bring the rich cultures and histories of Native Americans into your classroom with a host of worksheets,  maps and more printable and digital activities for kids — created by teachers for your classroom.

Native American studies are part of the state curriculum standards across the United States, and this collection of social studies resources is designed to help students build a deeper understanding of the Native Americans whose land we now live on. It includes cultural resources about specific tribes from various regions of the modern-day United States.

Whether you're focusing on a specific tribe local to you or looking for help teaching students about the lives of indigenous people all across the country, your lesson plans will be made easier with this collection of teacher-created and teacher-reviewed resources.

Looking for tips to teach about the Indigenous Tribes of North America in culturally-appropriate ways? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including dos and don'ts that can help guide your lesson planning.

How Do You Teach Kids About Native American History Respectfully?

American history is littered with wrongs done to Native American peoples by white colonizers from the days of Christopher Columbus onward. Teaching this history in a respectful way is a vital part of ensuring future generations do not continue the practices of our ancestors.

But how do you ensure you're being culturally appropriate in the things you say in your classroom? Here are some dos and don'ts from our teacher team to help guide your classroom conversations.

• Do not refer to Native American people as American Indian. This outdated term is considered offensive by many, and largely abandoned. If you're teaching about the period in American history often referred to as the French and Indian War, you may want to refer to it instead as the Seven Years War.
• Do refer to Native American people as Native American or indigenous people.
• Do use the name of a particular nation when refer to that nation's history. For example, say Navajo people or Hopi people.
• Do teach students that the indigenous people of America all have their own distinct traditions and histories and are not all the same. In fact, there are currently 574 federally recognized Native American Nations — called tribes, nations, bands, pueblos, communities and native villages, depending on that particular nation's identity — in the United States. These nations each have a formal nation-to-nation relationship with the US government.
• Do refer to Alaska Natives by their preferred terminology.
• Do show images representative of a particular tribe's cultures, traditions, clothing, homes and food when teaching about that nation.
• Do teach your students about the original inhabitants of the land they live on today. If you don't know the names of all of the nations, this free app can help!
• Do include books in your classroom library that include representation of Native characters and are written by Native authors.
• Don't refer to indigenous people only in the past tense. While you may be teaching history, it's important to let students know that there are more than 9 million Native American and Alaska Native people living in the United States today.
• Do incorporate Native primary sources whenever possible when teaching about their history or culture.
• Do use terms like “pre-contact” or “pre-European settlement" when referring to the history of indigenous people in North America, rather than terms like "pre-historic."
• Don't use assignments that involve students dressing up like Native American people.

Native American Vocabulary for Teachers

Another important aspect of teaching your class the history of the indigenous people of the US in a sensitive and respectful manner is to be mindful of the different vocabulary terms you are using.

As the creators of the Elements of Indigenous Style point out, the language that is used around Native peoples is constantly evolving, so it's important to stay up-to-date on the terminology to ensure your students are also using the correct terms.

Here are some of the more common vocabulary words that crop up in social studies lesson plans, along with definitions that are appropriate to use with kids.

Indigenous

This adjective can be used to refer to the original inhabitants of a particular region or land. Native American peoples are considered indigenous to the Americas.

Pueblo

This type of communal dwelling made of adobe (sun-dried clay bricks) or stone is commonly found in the southwestern United States. Pueblos were traditionally built by the members of some Native American people, such as the Hopi and Zuni.

Teepee

While some Native Americans lived in pueblos, many who lived in conical tents called teepees. These structures were most common in the plains in the midwestern part of the US.

Wigwam

Another housing type lived in by some Native American people was the wigwam, a dome-shaped shelter typically constructed using wooden poles covered with bark or mats.

Longhouse

This long, narrow dwelling made of poles and covered with bark or mats, was used as a home by many Native Americans in the northeastern part of North America. Longhouses were often communal dwellings where  multiple families would live together.

Tribe

This term is often used to describe a group of people who share a common ancestry, culture and language. Be aware, however, that not all Native Americans use the term tribe in how they identify themselves.

Reservation

Over the course of American history, many Native Americans were forced onto areas of land called reservations by the United States government. These sections of the country still exist today and are home to millions of Native Americans.

Sovereign Nation

The many Native American nations are legally recognized by the United States Constitution as sovereign nations. This means that these nations have their own recognized governments, just like Mexico or the United Kingdom, and they are not subject to the rules of the US government on reservation land.

Native American Tribes in Texas for Kids

Are you a teacher in Texas? In addition to Common Core-aligned activities in this collection, we have resources aligned directly to the TEKS Social Studies Standards for 4th grade and 5th grade.  We can help you teach your students about the Jumano, Karankawa, and Caddo Native American tribes that formed the foundation of Texas' history.

Print your own Texas Native American mini-book, or print a set of reading comprehension passages about the different tribal groups.