1. First, you will be assigned to a team of 4 students.
2. Use books available to you, your Missouri history textbooks, and internet resources to learn all you can about Missouri Indian tribes. Organize your information by tribe using the Inspiration software program. Your web should include information about each tribe's culture: its home and village, clothing, food, government, activities, and general way of life.
Internet Resources:
Osage
Heritage
A story about the origins of the Osage.
Indians often have stories to explain nature and life, and stories like
these are a large part of their culture.
The
Osage Nation
A short history of the Osage Tribe and
how they began as a tribe.
The
Osage Indians
A good physical description of the Osage
Tribe members and what life was like for them.
The
Osage in Missouri
Find out what items Osage Indians traded
and their relationship with settlers.
Osage
Lifestyle
A description of the way of life for the
Osage and some pictures of different tools and clothing. This is
a GREAT site about the Osage Indians!
The
Story of the Spider
A traditional Osage story. Stories
like these are part of Osage culture.
Mound
City
This site has pictures of Native American
relics. You can see photos of tools made and used by Native Americans who
lived in Missouri.
Native
American Music
Audio samples of music. Look for music
that is by or for Plains Indians.
The
I'n-Lon-Schka Ceremonial Dance
Read a first-hand encounter with modern-day
Osage and their traditional dancing.
Cherokee
Boundary Maps
This collection of maps demonstrates how
the Cherokee were effected by white settlers who were pushing them off
of their land. This site should help you to understand what was happening
to the Native Americans as the United States was being settled.
Cherokee
Art
This site is filled with his traditional-style
Native American artwork, information about the Cherokee people, and links
to good Native American sites.
Plains
Indian Culture
Find out how the Plains Indian tribes
lived. There are major differences between the Plains Indians and
other Missouri Indians such as the Osage or Cherokee.
Woodland
Indians
Find out how the Woodland Indians lived.
There are major differences between these Indians and the Plains Indians.
The Mound Builders are a part of this culture. Be sure to click on
the links at the bottom of the page for more Indian information.
Indian
Cultures
This site has a good chart that compares
five of the Indian Nations. Be sure to click on the links at the
bottom of the page for more Indian information.
Missouri
History
History of the Missouri territory and
the names of the first settlements. There is a little bit of Information
about Indian tribes in Missouri.
Missouri
Dept. of Conservation: Historic Crafts and Skills
Descriptions and instructions about making
authentic frontier clothing, tools, and crafts. There are frontier
and Indian items.
Sac
and Fox Nations of Missouri
Information about the Sac and Fox Nations
is included.
Missouri
and Oto Indians
Information about the Missouri and Oto
Indians is included.
Early
Days of South County St. Louis
A brief account of the Indians that lived
along the Meramec River.
Many
Indian Tribes in Missouri
Lots of information about prehistoric
peoples that lived around the Meramec.
The
First Missourians
This site was designed by Sharon Sumner
at Sullivan Elementary. There are many links to sites about Native
Americans and pre-historic period in the Midwest. A very good site
to find a lot of information about various Indian tribes.
Mound
Culture Figurines and Images
Images of bowls, tools, figures, and buriel
sites made by Mississippian mound builders.
3. Your group needs to choose one MIssouri Indian Tribe as the focus of your project. All members of your group should agree on the tribe you choose.
4. Each group member should now choose one aspect of your village to become the "expert" about:
- Homes and their arrangement in the village
- Stores, trading areas, and what items are needed by your Indian tribe
- Government and schooling
- Recreation activities and roles of each family member
6. Share your ideas for your topic with your group members. Listen to each others' ideas and add them to your own.
7. Plan your village on notebook paper. Then, using available classroom materials such as glue, craft sticks, paint, tagboard, construction paper, etc. create your model village. Remember, the idea of your village is to create a place that will meet the needs of your Indian Tribe, while still fitting into our modern world.
8. Using Microsoft Word, write a blurb about each feature in your village. Edit and print your blurbs and attach them in appropriate places in your model.
9. As a group, write interview questions and answers for your Indian tribe member. For the videotaped interview, each member of your group should choose a role:
- Indian (The person who will dress up like a Tribe member and answer the interviewer's questions.)
- Interviewer (The person who will dress up like a reporter and ask the questions.)
- Producer (The person who organizes the taped interview and makes sure the taping session runs smoothly.)
- Camera Operator (The person who learns to use the video camera and does the taping of the interview.)