Geography and Land
100 — What word describes flat or gently rolling land covered mostly with grasses and wildflowers?
prairie
100 — Besides drinking water, give one main benefit for Plains people living near water.
allows them to plant crops and farm, allows them to fish
100 — What kind of portable home did many Plains people use that was made from easy-to-find materials?
Teepee
100 — Did Plains children attend school according to the study guide? (Yes or No)
No
100- What does "nomadic" mean?
traveling, roaming, not in one place
200 — Name one feature of the Plains that made it a good place for buffalo herds to live.
wide open grasslands (allowed large herds and a lot of grazing)
200 — How did having water nearby change how some Plains people got food?
They could farm for food instead of only relying on buffalo, they may not travel as much
200 — Name two advantages of teepees listed in the study guide.
1. made from easy to find materials
2. easy to move from place to place
200 — How/what were Plains children taught?
They were taught skills for the roles they would play as adults (hands-on learning from family/community)
200- Name one state where these Plains People lived.
North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma
300 — Explain why grasses and wildflowers were important to people living on the Plains (one clear reason).
provided food for the Buffalo, materials (prairie plants) and recourses for people, soil for some plants
300 — Explain how access to water could affect where a group decided to live for part of the year.
water attracted groups to settle seasonally to farm or camp near water sources
300 — Why were teepees especially useful for groups that followed buffalo herds?
They could be taken apart easily to follow herds of buffalo.
300 — Give one example of a skill a Plains child might learn to prepare for their adult role.
hunting skills, horse riding, tool making, gathering, preparing hides, cooking, building teepees
300- What are buffalo actually called? What animal are they actually?
Bison
400 — Describe how the shape of the land (flat or gently rolling) might affect how people travel across the Plains.
flat land made traveling easy by foot or horseback; long distance travel was possible
400 — Describe one way plant growing (farming) would change a Plains group's dependence on buffalo.
farming gave a steady food sources, less reliant on buffalo
400 — Describe how materials available on the Plains shaped the design of the teepee (one or two clear points).
wooden poles and animal hides were available on the plains, the shape was able to shed wind, they were easy to take apart and build
400 — Explain why teaching children practical skills at home or in the community was important for Plains life.
Practical skills ensured children could contribute to survival and keep cultural knowledge alive.
400- What are moccasins?
A type of shoe that looks like a slipper.
500 — Give two ways the prairie environment influenced the daily life or food sources of Plains people.
hunting buffalo for meat and hides, using grasses for shelter and tools, travel was possible for people
500 — Explain why living near water could lead to both planting crops and still hunting buffalo — how might the two food strategies work together?
People could farm for food at some parts of the year, and also allow them to hunt other parts of the year. They had two ways to get food.
500 — Compare a nomadic group using teepees to a settled farming group: give one advantage and one disadvantage of being nomadic.
Nomadic advantage: could follow food sources (buffalo) and adapt; disadvantage: less permanent storage or farming.
Settled farming advantage: stable crops and storage; disadvantage: less mobility
500 — Describe how daily life and learning on the Plains helped communities survive in a landscape with buffalo, grasses, and sometimes changing water access.
Daily learning matched community needs: hunting and following herds taught tracking and mobility; farming near water taught planting and tending crops; both preserved food and materials for shelter and clothing.
500- What is "counting coup"?
Respect from a battle, when someone got so close to an opponent without killing them. It was a large feat of bravery.