Course: Explore Engineering

Engineers of the Past

People have always participated in engineering and scientific inquiry to improve their lives. In this section you will learn about how some Native American tribes created and used engineering design and the scientific process.

Directions:
For this activity, you'll have two windows open. One will be the text you'll read and the second will be the questions you'll answer. Having both open will allow you to toggle between the two.

1. Read the page titled Plains Indians.
2. Select the tab (on that same page) titled Bison. Read those 2 pages. Focus on all the ways the Plains Indians used the bison.
3. Finally, answer the questions.

Now that you know something about the people of the Plains, it is time to explore some of the other Native American tribes and see how they used engineering design and scientific inquiry.

Click on the Ancestral Engineering link below. Survey the other Native American tribes by clicking on the area of the map where they lived until you find one you are interested in. Then read about how these early engineers created structures or travel routes or other systems to improve their lives.

Now it's time to show what you know about the different Native American tribes and engineering. Show what you have learned by creating two of the three thinking map options.

1. Create a Flow map showing the sequence of an engineering process of one of the tribes.
2. Create a Multi Flow map showing cause and effect of a particular tool or process used by a Native American tribe.
3. Create a Double Bubble map comparing and contrasting two of the Native American tribes or two tools or processes used by different groups.