First Americans
What was the first plant people in America learned to farm?
Corn
Which South American civilization created a vast road system and built Machu Picchu?
Inca
Which tribes lived on flat grassy lands and followed herds of bison?
Lakota and Comanche
Who was the explorer who first brought knowledge of the Americas to Europe?
Christopher Columbus
Objects made or used by humans in the past are called…
Artifacts
What is it called when someone moved from place to place with no permanent home
Nomad, Nomadic
Which Mesoamerican civilization built its capital, Tenochtitlán, in modern day Mexico City?
Aztec
Which region of Native Americans lived in longhouses and farmed the “three sisters”?
Northeast
What kind of boat did many European Explorers use to sail around the world
Caravel
A resource that is an eye-witness account or was created during the event you are studying
Primary Source
What did the first people in America use to get to North America
The Bering Land Bridge
Which Mesoamerican civilization built pyramids, large cities, and an accurate calendar?
Maya
Which Native American Tribes built mud and clay houses partially underground to escape the heat?
Hopi and Zuni
Why did Christopher Columbus sail west to America?
To find a faster way to India and Asia
What is a document that is created using secondary sources, but is created after the event happened
Secondary Sources
This word refers to how most early American people survived
Hunter-Gatherers
The first Mesoamerican civilization that built colossal heads
Olmec
How did the Great Plains affect the homes and the food of the tribes who lived there.
Homes: Tribes used teepees made from animal skin that were easy to move and worked with the nomadic lifestyle of the Plains
Food: Without good farming land, tribes migrated with Bison herds and relied on them for food
What were the names of Columbus's 3 ships that he sailed to America with
Nina, Pinta, and the Santa Maria
What is the preserved remains of an organism that lived a long time ago
Fossils
HOW and WHY did the first Americans reach America
They crossed the Bering Land Bridge following herds of animals (megafauna)
Similarity: All adapted to their environments. Farmed similar crops (corn/maize, squash, beans)
Difference: North America was split into many different, independent tribes. Mesoamerica and South America both had large empires like the Inca, Aztec, Maya
give TWO examples of how Native American Tribes adapted to their environments
Inuit (North Region): Built igloos from snow and ice to stay warm and hunted seals, whales, and fish since farming wasn’t possible in the frozen land.
Plains Tribes (Great Plains): Followed buffalo herds and lived in teepees made of animal hides, which were easy to move as they traveled.
Southwest Tribes (Desert Areas): Used irrigation systems to bring water to their crops and built pueblos (clay and stone houses) to keep cool in the hot, dry climate.
Northeast Tribes (Forests): Built longhouses from wood and bark and used slash-and-burn agriculture to farm the "three sisters"
Northwest Coast Tribes (Coastal Rainy Areas): Used the abundant forests to make large wooden totem poles and kayaks, and relied on fishing (especially salmon) for food.
Why do historians say America was not “discovered” by Europeans? Explain your answer.
There was already millions of people and advanced civilizations in America when Columbus arrived
Once Europeans “discover” America, how do you think life will change for both Europeans and Native Americans?
For Europeans: They will gain new land, resources, and opportunities for wealth, trade, and power. Many will migrate for land or religious freedom, and European nations will compete to build colonies.
For Native Americans: Their lives will be disrupted as Europeans take land, bring new diseases, and change trade and culture. Some tribes will benefit from new goods like horses or metal tools, but many will suffer from conflict, disease, and loss of land.