1. Early North America: Prior to Colonization
Day 1, Unit 1

2. Agenda
1. Bell Ringer: What would you like to learn in US History this year. (10)
2. Go over syllabus and questions (15)
3. Notes: First Americans and Contact with Europe (20)
4. Map of Native American People (15)
5. Primary Analysis, Creation Stories, Compare and contrast activity. (15)
6. Image Analysis: Architecture of the period and effects on geography (10)
HW:

3. The First Americans (Science)
It is said that the first Americans arrived 12,000 years ago utilizing the Bering Land/Ice Bridge.
A more recent theory claims it was by boat, and much earlier than B.C.E.
Other groups, such as the Eskimo population arrived about B.C.E.

4. The First Americans (Oral Tradition)
Pueblo and Navajo tradition talk about arriving from underground after a great journey. (No, not Zombies)
It could represent experiences (the journey of) their ancestors coming from Asia.

5. Advancement and Cultural Diversity
Agriculture becomes prominent in Central America around B.C.E.
North American populations had a blend of nomadic and permanent settlements depending on geography.
Mesoamerica tended to be the most advanced of the cultures.

6. Governmental Structure in Mesoamerica
Chiefdoms were popular from the Mississippi River Valley through the Yucatan Peninsula.
Teotihuacan was a large urban area with a complex of pyramids.
Influenced by the Mayans
The Aztec Civilization would eventually overtake Teotihuacan and other cultures in the area around Mexico City. Expanded through the 1500s, until the arrival of Europeans

7. Southwest Population
Population faced a variety of geographic challenges.
Some settled on the Pacific Coast, while others concentrated their efforts in the desert.
Water is the greatest challenge
Major cultural traditions were the Hohokam and the Anasazi.

8. Hohokam
Mastered the use of irrigation canals that aided in their harvest of two crops per year.
Culture based on Mesoamerican culture of the period. 600 C.E.
Large village structures with ball courts.

9. Anasazi Most powerful peoples in the Southwest region.
Originated in the Four Corners of Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado meet.
Known for complexes of attached apartments and large villages.
At the height of power, it had inhabitants in a confederation near Chaco Canyon.
Utilized a road system radiating from the canyon.
Ended in the 1200s C.E. mainly due to drought.

10. Eastern Woodlands
Abundant water led to large confederations and eventual maize farming by 700 C.E.
Poverty Point utilized a large mound and concentric rings for religious ceremonies and solar observations.
Hopewell Culture was very advanced, with elite burials.
Cahokia is the penultimate Mississippi River society C.E.
Dominated until a food shortage led to competition.
Eventually the area would separate into smaller confederations.

11. Cahokia

12. The Eve of European Contact
We will concentrate on the positive and negative effects of European Contact tomorrow.

13. Image Analysis
Examine each of the dwellings of Native Americans, what does it say about their geography based simply on the image?