Why were the nations so different? Because the LAND was so different! People everywhere used what their environment gave them.
In the eastern woodlands, trees were everywhere — so people built homes of wood and bark, and hunted deer in the forest. On the plains, huge herds of buffalo roamed — so plains nations followed the herds and used buffalo for food, clothing, and shelter.
In the dry Southwest, there were few trees — so people built with clay called adobe and grew corn that needed little water. On the northwest coast, the sea was full of salmon — so people became expert fishers and carved giant cedar canoes. Same continent, many clever ways to live!
1. Why were the nations so different from each other?
2. What animal was most important on the plains?
3. What is adobe?
4. What did northwest coast people catch from the sea?
Write what each word means in your own words.
Write W (woodlands), P (plains), S (Southwest), or C (coast) for each clue.
| Clue | W, P, S, or C? |
|---|---|
| Homes built of wood and bark | |
| Following the buffalo herds | |
| Adobe houses and corn farming | |
| Salmon fishing and cedar canoes | |
| Hunting deer in the forest | |
| Dry land with few trees |
1. People used what their gave them.
2. Plains nations used the for food, clothing, and shelter.
3. Southwest homes were built of clay called .
4. Coast people caught from the sea.
5. Giant canoes were carved from trees.
6. Southwest farmers grew that needed little water.
1. Look outside your window. If you had to build a home only from things in YOUR environment, what would you use?
| I learned... | Circle one |
|---|---|
| Why nations lived differently | YES / NOT YET |
| What each region provided | YES / NOT YET |
| How clever people were with their environment | YES / NOT YET |