The Plains Indians Ways of Life

This scene takes the form on The Great Plains in North America. It is located west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains and is approximately 500 miles (800km) east to west and 2,000 miles (3200km) north to south. Early European explorers found the plains to be a very hostile environment, and the area was marked on early maps as the ‘Great American Desert’.

# Learning objectives

1: Learn about the geography of North America and the nature of the Plains {.info}

2: Understand who the Plains Indians were; the different tribes: their movements and settlement {.info}

3: Understand the beliefs and way of life of the Plains Indians {.info}

# Who were the Plains Indian’s and where did they live? {.objective .objective1}

The Plains Indians is a term used to describe native Americans who lived in the Great Plains. Here students can investigate the living conditions, paying particular attention to the Tipi. Students should be able to explain why the Tipi was well-suited to the Plains and how important the animal of the buffalo was.

# How were the tribes divided? {.objective .objective2}

The Plains Indians were divided into tribes which hunted and lived together. Students can examine which foods the Plains Indians would consume and what problems they may have faced accessing food.

# What did the Plains Indians believe? {.objective .objective3}

Here students can learn about Wakan Tanka and how the Plains Indians looked after their land.

# Teacher Resources

### Download Teacher Notes

[]( https://data.avncloud.com/activities/767745/files/The%20Plains+Indians+Way+of+Life+Teacher+Notes.pdf?date=1652794488&size=921733&md5=20a1e3dddf4f18149f668b355028d883)