Virginia SOL 2.5.c

Social Studies2nd Grade

The Standard

Indigenous nations and tribes of the Southwest

Virginia Standards of Learning for History and Social Science

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students identify Indigenous nations of the Southwest, such as the Pueblo peoples, Hopi, and Navajo. They explain how people used local land, water, and materials for homes, food, and daily life.
What Mastery Looks Like: Students locate the Southwest on a map and connect the dry climate to farming methods and adobe homes. They recognize that these are distinct, living communities with traditions that continue today.
Common Misconceptions: Students may think all Indigenous peoples lived in tipis or shared one culture. They may also speak only in the past tense or assume farming was impossible in a dry climate.
How to Assess It: Show a picture of an adobe home and a Southwest map. Ask, “How does this home fit the environment, and who might live in this region?”

Lesson moves

Build a small adobe-style home from clay blocks, then label the local materials and weather conditions it suits.
Compare historical and current photos of Pueblo communities, then write one thing that continued and one thing that changed.
Sort picture cards showing tipis, adobe homes, corn, bison, irrigation, and canoes into Southwest and not Southwest groups.
Use a current map to locate Hopi lands, the Navajo Nation, and Pueblo communities, noting that each is a distinct nation.

Keep exploring

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