1. LO: to compare the Sioux to other plains tribes
Enquiry 2: How and why were people reimagining the American West? ?
The Sioux way of life
LO: to compare the Sioux to other plains tribes
STARTER
You have just completed enquiry 1: What tensions arose as the US grew? America’s Expansion
Can you now list some of the key tensions that arose from America’s expansion?
Literacy task:
How many words can you make from ‘buffalo’ and ‘horses’?

2. What do you think life was like for them?
From what we know, what kind of characteristics do you think the Sioux would need to be successful?
What do you think life was like for them?
Great Plains - One of the largest areas and perhaps most famous group of American Indians, the Great Plains Indians were known for hunting bison. They were nomadic people who lived in teepees and they moved constantly following the bison herds. One of the most successful Plains tribes were the Sioux.

3. One of the most important aspects of the Sioux Indian life was the bison. They used all of the bison, not just it’s meat for food. They used the skin and fur for blankets and cloths. They tanned the hides to make the coverings for their teepees. Bones were used as tools. The bison hair was used to make ropes and the tendons could be used for sewing thread and bow strings. 

4. Bison are huge and dangerous animals
Bison are huge and dangerous animals. The Sioux had to be brave and clever to hunt them. Sometimes a brave would run the bison down with his horse and use a spear or an arrow to take down the bison. This was difficult and dangerous, but could be done with practice and skill. Before they had horses, the Sioux would cause a large herd of bison to stampede toward a cliff. 

5. Key words Nomad – someone with no fixed home
Nomadic lifestyle – a nomad’s way of life
Tipi (tepee) – a Native American tent
Travois – how the tipi was transported.
From these key words, what can you learn about the importance of the buffalo?

6. Task Should: Match uses to the correct part of the buffalo.
Could: What do some of these uses tell you about Native American culture?
Task
Fur
Bones
Rawhide
Skull
Fat
Brains
Tail
Horns
worksheet
Dung
Beard
Stomach
Hooves

7. FUR
Winter robes, sleeping blankets, clothing.
Check answers

8. How important were horses?
Prior to Europeans arriving and bringing horses with them, there weren't any horses in America. The Sioux Indians would walk everywhere and hunting would take a long time. When they moved their village they couldn't carry too much and the teepees needed to be small enough so that their dogs could drag them along. When horses arrived, everything changed. The Sioux could now make much larger teepees to live in and could move a lot more stuff with them when the village relocated. Horses also made it much easier to travel and hunt buffalo. Food and buffalo skins became much more abundant.
Date
Tribe
Tipis
Indians
Horses
1860
Blackfoot
300
2400
1869
Comanche
2538
7614
1871
Crow
460
4000
9500
Oglala and Brule Sioux
600
5000
2000
Pawnee
260
2364
1050
1878
Hunkpapa/Miniconjou Sioux
360
2900
3500
Prior to Europeans arriving and bringing horses with them, there weren't any horses in America. The Sioux Indians would walk everywhere and hunting would take a long time. When they moved their village they couldn't carry too much and the teepees needed to be small enough so that their dogs could drag them along. When horses arrived, everything changed. The Sioux could now make much larger teepees to live in and could move a lot more stuff with them when the village relocated. Horses also made it much easier to travel and hunt buffalo. Both food and buffalo skins became much more abundant.
Which tribe was the largest?
Which tribe had the most sources?
For each tribe, work out the ratio of horses to Indians.
Which tribe was the richest? EXTENSION: Explain why horses made the Sioux more successful.

9. Explain why the buffalo was important to the Plains Indians
Task
Explain why the buffalo was important to the Plains Indians
Success Criteria:
DO – use connectives to explain why the buffalo was important to the Plains Indians.
DO – 2 P.E.E. paragraphs!
DON’T – just describe features of the buffalo the Indians used.
5 minutes
‘The buffalo was important to the Plains Indians because… for example…so…therefore….’
‘Also, the buffalo was important because… for example…so…therefore….’
End

10. Model Answer
‘The buffalo was important to the Plains Indians because it provided a lot of key materials for them to survive, for example, the fur provided warmth in the harsh winters. So this allowed for the young, elderly and others to survive, therefore the reliance on the buffalo was extremely important.’
‘Also, the buffalo was important to the Plains Indians because they were a nomadic society, and they needed material from the buffalo to cater for their lifestyle. For example, the skin or hide produced tipis, so they could set up camp easily, therefore keeping up with the migration of the buffalo.’
Look at your own work: is there anything from this answer you could add to yours?

11. Peer Assessment
Explain why the buffalo was important to the Plains Indians
Mark Scheme:
OK – just describes some of the important factors of the buffalo.
Good – one detailed explained point of the importance of the buffalo.
Great– two detailed explained points.
Read through your partner’s answer and complete the following tasks.
Have they used a P.E.E paragraph? If so give them a WWW for this.
Read through this mark scheme and score your partner’s work using the mark scheme.
Explain to them why they got this level.
Give them a target to help them improve their work.

12. TASK
Chief Del Boy has got some gear he needs to flog as quick as he can. He has some top quality products from the buffalo he needs to sell to Plains Indians. Write a market speech encouraging Plains Indians to buy your buffalo products.
Must: Describe at least 3 items from the buffalo you wish to sell. What could the Plains Indians use them for?
Should: Explain the importance of each product for survival on the Plains.
Could: Explain how these products are adaptable to the nomadic lifestyle of the Plains Indians!

13. Buffalo
Bingo!!!
Preparation
1. Draw out a small 3x3 grid at the back of your book as shown. The squares need to be big enough to write your key words in.
2. Pick nine key words from the selection on the board.
The Game
3. As each random “use” or definition is read out, check your grid. If you have the word that matches, cross it off your grid.
4. The winner is the first person to cross off all their nine words from the grid.

14. RAW HIDE Great Plains TAIL DUNG BLADDER INTESTINES FAT TENDONS RIBS
Choose only nine words from this selection.
RAW HIDE
Great Plains
TAIL
DUNG
BLADDER
INTESTINES
FAT
TENDONS
RIBS
FUR
HAIR
HOOVES
BONES
TONGUE
SKULL
HORNS
SHOULDER BLADES
Nomadic
Teepee
Sioux

15. How did the Plains Indians live on the Great Plains?
LO: to describe key features of life for the Plains’ Indians
STARTER
What three things did you learn about the Plains’ Indians last lesson?
Possible extension of topic/ second lesson

16. TASK
You are going to create an information booklet on life for the Plains’ Indians covering these topics:
Who were the Plains’ Indians? Where they lived, different tribes and organisation.
Land and Hunting
Everyday life (tipis/ marriage/ roles of men, women and children)
Beliefs and religion

17. Share your work with the class and explain what you have learned.
Plenary
Share your work with the class and explain what you have learned.