Eastern Woodlands cultures refers to the way of life of the many Indigenous

peoples who lived in the eastern half of North America, from the Atlantic coast
to the Mississippi River, and from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico.

The Eastern Woodlands included forests, mountains, and rivers. The climate
varied throughout the region, with hot summers and cold winters in the north
and milder weather year-round in the south.

People in the Eastern Woodlands built different kinds of houses depending on

the size of their families and the availability of resources. Some people lived in
longhouses, which were large buildings that could house several families.
Longhouses were made of wooden poles covered with bark or woven mats.
Wigwams were smaller dwellings used by some Eastern Woodland groups.
Wigwams were cone-shaped and made of saplings covered with bark or animal
skins.

Reading and Comprehension (15 minutes)

Distribute the reading passage about Eastern Woodlands cultures.

Have students read the passage independently or in pairs.

After reading, check for comprehension by asking questions that require students to recall
important details from the text. Here are some sample questions you can ask:

What is the Eastern Woodlands cultural region? (Eastern half of North America, from the
Atlantic coast to the Mississippi River, and from the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico)

What kind of climate did the Eastern Woodlands have? (Varied throughout the region, with hot
summers and cold winters in the north and milder weather year-round in the south)

What were the two main types of dwellings built by Eastern Woodland people? (Longhouses
and wigwams)

Comparing and Contrasting Dwellings (15 minutes)

Draw a chart on chart paper with two columns, one labeled "Longhouse" and one labeled
"Wigwam."

As a class, reread the descriptions of longhouses and wigwams in the reading passage.

Have students identify the key characteristics of each type of dwelling and list them in the
appropriate column on the chart.

Here are some possible answers:

Longhouse: large, multiple families, wooden poles, bark or woven mat covering

Wigwam: small, single family, saplings, bark or animal skin covering

Creative Activity (20 minutes) (Optional)

Provide students with construction paper, markers, crayons, scissors, and glue (optional).

Have students create a model of either a longhouse or a wigwam.

Students can use their imaginations to add details to their models, such as furniture, people, or
surroundings.

Wrap-Up and Sharing (10 minutes)

Have students share their models with the class, or their descriptions if they did not complete
the optional activity.

Discuss the different ways that Eastern Woodland people adapted their dwellings to their
environment.