Unit Overview

In this unit, students will be learning about the vibrant society that existed in Texas prior to European contact. Each indigenous tribe has adapted to the materials and
resources around them. Students will learn more about how government, communication, and trade were sophisticated and complex.

Unit Strands:

4.1 History. The student understands the origins, similarities, and differences of American Indian groups in Texas [and North America] before European exploration.
4.8 Geography. The student understands how people adapt to and modify their environment.
4.9 Economics. The student understands the basic economic activities of early societies in Texas.
4.12 Government. The student understands how people organized governments in different ways during the early development of Texas.
4.19 Social Studies Skills. The student applies critical‐thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid sources, including technology.
4.20 Social Studies Skills. The student uses geographic tools to collect, analyze, and interpret data.
4.21 Social Studies Skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms.

Enduring Understandings

Essential Questions

1. Who lived in Texas before European exploration and colonization?
2. What was life like for the native peoples of Texas before European exploration and
colonization?
3. How did American Indians survive in their environment?

Vocabulary:

indigenous: native to an area or region
Paleo-Indians: nomadic peoples who were the first inhabitants of the Americas
wickiups: oval-shaped huts covered in grass