The first supporting question, “how do we think about the land we live on?” helps students use sources to unwrap the context of the time and topic being examined. North Dakota is home to a variety of physical features, including wetlands, riparian areas, prairie, woodlands, and badlands. Across North Dakota, one can explore many different types of landforms—from the Red River valley in the east to the badlands in the west. Early peoples in North Dakota used the land, water, and other natural resources to meet their basic needs. How did Native Americans react to and modify these environments to meet their basic needs of food, clothing, and shelter? Water was a primary means for both transportation and trade for many tribes. Village tribes who lived along the Missouri River and its tributaries became renowned farmers and traders. While these early villagers also hunted bison and other game animals, they built earthlodges and relied more on farming, including the Three Sisters crops (corn, beans, and squash). In contrast, other tribes were more mobile—living in tipis and being influenced by seasonal movements of the great herds of bison and the availability of seasonal plant materials for sustenance and medicine to support mental, spiritual, and physical health. Both groups interacted with their environments, although in different ways.
Facilitate a classroom discussion about the physical features and natural resources of North Dakota starting with what students already know. What is the landscape and environment like? Where are rivers and lakes located? What is the weather and climate like? Are there mountains, hills, plains, prairies, forests, or other significant features? What types of natural resources are available? Where were Native American population centers located? How do we know? How did that change over time, or not? Why? How do students know what they already know? Talk about what their knowledge is based on. Have they read about it before, or saw it in a movie or television show?
Formative Performance Task 1
Working individually or in groups, have students study the following sources: Google Earth, Native Land, and European Possessions in North America. What do these three different maps depict? What can be inferred from these sources? Using library and internet resources, students will locate additional topographic maps through which they can identify the physical features and natural resources of North Dakota. They will fill in a blank map of the state identifying significant and notable features.
Featured Sources 1
For this section, students will be required to find additional sources themselves.
Learn more about the history of North Dakota by visiting the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum.