Indiana Social Studies IS.1.1
The Standard
Identify two or more Native American groups that existed and describe their contributions to what is now the state of Indiana.
2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies · Pre-1800s
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify at least two Native nations with communities in Indiana before 1800. They describe a specific contribution from each, such as Miami farming along the Wabash River and Potawatomi trade in northern Indiana.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student places the Miami and Potawatomi in the right parts of Indiana on a map. They give one source-backed example of how each community shaped life in the region.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may treat Native peoples as one group or place all their communities in the same part of Indiana. They may overlook farming and trade as contributions, or assume these nations no longer exist.
How to Assess It
- On an exit ticket, have students mark Miami and Potawatomi communities on a small Indiana map and write one specific contribution from each.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs a blank Indiana map and two source cards; have them place markers for Miami villages and Potawatomi communities.
Give students short readings on Miami farming and Potawatomi trade; ask, "What did each community contribute to life in the region?"
Have students match six cards: two nation names, two locations, and two contributions, then check their matches against a source.
On a current Indiana map, find the Wabash River and northern lakes; discuss how nearby communities used these waterways for travel and trade.
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Printable IS.1.1 Worksheet
A ready-to-print activity worksheet aligned to IS.1.1, with an answer key for the teacher on its own page. No account needed.
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Related Standards
- 4.H.2
Identify and describe historic Native American groups that lived in Indiana at the time of early European exploration, including ways these groups adapted to an...
- IS.1.38
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- 4.H.1
Identify and compare the major early cultures that lived in the region of Indiana before the arrival of the Europeans and before Indiana became a state.
- 4.H.15
Research and describe the contributions of important Indiana artists, writers, entrepreneurs, and public figures to the state’s culture.
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