Does Where You Live Matter?

This inquiry focuses on the relationship between people and their environment over time with a focus on Native American nations of the northern Great Plains. The compelling question, “does where you live matter?” asks students to analyze how geography influences human existence, but also how human activity can shape the environment around them. Three supporting questions guide students in their inquiry by exploring the diverse physical features of North Dakota and how Native Americans interacted with their physical environment over time to meet their needs. The importance of understanding mapping and early exploration in this inquiry is twofold: (1) students should be able to understand what kind of information maps can tell us and (2) students will understand the culture and history of Native Americans on the northern Great Plains, how different cultures have different perspectives on geo-spatial understanding, and that a great variety of Native American people had already lived in this region for thousands of years before first contact with explorers of European heritage. While progressing through the inquiry, students will analyze the changes occurring to Native American homelands and other territories.

This inquiry is expected to take one or two class periods; however, teachers are encouraged to adapt the inquiry to meet the needs and interests of their students and the amount of time they have available.