American Indian Homes in the Central Plains - Republic

Guided tour—Pawnee Indian Museum State Historic Site, Republic

Grades—1st

How did people of the Pawnee Nation who lived in the Central Plains build their homes? What natural supplies did they use? What does an earth lodge look like? Did the Pawnees also live in tipis? Come to the Pawnee Indian Museum to find the answers to these questions and to learn about the homes of other Plains Indians including the Kansa, Wichita, and Cheyenne.

This guided tour addresses both Kansas and Nebraska history and reading standards. Teachers will also be provided with pre-and post-visit materials for use in their classroom. Included with these materials is the Read Kansas! "American Indian Homes in Kansas" lesson. Teachers might also be interested in either of these educational resource trunks: "Indian Homes in Kansas" or "People of the Plains: Native Americans in Kansas".

Kansas standards addressed:

History: Benchmark 2, Indicator 4: The student compares types of shelter used by American Indians in Kansas over time (e.g., grass lodge, earth lodge, bark lodge, tipi).

History: Benchmark 4, Indicator 3: The student asks questions, shares information, and discusses ideas about the past using resources such as maps, photographs, books, and people.

Geography: Benchmark 1, Indicator 2: The student finds Kansas on a wall map.

Geography: Benchmark 5, Indicator 2: The student describes how the physical environment impacts humans (e.g., choices of clothing, housing, crops, recreation).

Common Core Reading: RI 1. 10: The student, with prompting and support, will read informational text appropriately complex for grade 1.

Science as Inquiry: Benchmark 1, Indicator 4: The student asks and answers questions about objects, organisms, and events in his/her environment.

Nebraska educational standards addressed:

Social Studies Standards
Second through Fourth grade
United States History, Geography, Civics/Government, Economics

4.4 Students will describe the interaction between Native Americans and their environment on the plains prior to European contact. Example indicators:

Explain how Native Americans used the resources for daily living.
Identify different types of shelters used by Native Americans.

Download PDF with tour information for Kansas schools

Download PDF with tour information for Nebraska schools

Cost per student is $2.00. One adult enters free for every 10 students. Additional adults pay the student rate.

Length of tour: approximately one hour.

Number of students in a group: for the best experience, we recommend approximately 30 students per tour. For larger groups please contact the Site administrator.

Registration and scheduling: contact the site administrator at 785-361-2255; or email Pawnee Indian Museum. Tours must be scheduled at least two weeks in advance.

Other guided tours at Pawnee Indian Mission:

Nature, A Pawnee Means of Survival

When Smoke Curled Upward from Earth Lodges