In this Grade 3 lesson from California myWorld Interactive Chapter 2, students learn how California Indian groups adapted their daily lives to obtain food through hunting, fishing, and gathering, using tools made from obsidian, animal bones, and antlers. Students explore how groups like the Yurok, Hupa, Cahuilla, and Pomo used techniques such as weirs and deer traps, traded resources like shells, furs, and canoes, and built homes suited to their local climate. The lesson introduces key vocabulary including weir, obsidian, and climate within the context of California Indian culture and resourcefulness.
Section 1
California Indians Shape the Land
California Indian groups were expert land managers who did more than just hunt and gather. They worked to shape the environment to ensure food security.
By approx. 2,000 B.C.E., distinct practices emerged, such as the use of controlled fires. These small, planned fires cleared away dead plants, which helped healthy new grasses grow.
Section 2
People Crafted Tools and Goods
California Indian groups were skilled at making everything they needed from nature. They crafted sharp tools for hunting and building from materials like obsidian, a black, glass-like rock. They also used animal bones and antlers to create tools for daily jobs.
Other groups made special items that were valuable. For example, the Chumash made beautiful shell beads from sea snails found along the coast. These well-made tools and valuable items could then be traded with other groups for things they couldn't find nearby.
Section 3
Groups Built Homes for the Climate
California Indian groups built their homes using materials from the land around them. The type of house they made depended on the local climate. This helped them stay comfortable in different kinds of weather.
In the cooler, rainy north, the Yurok people used redwood trees to build strong wooden houses. These sturdy homes kept them warm and dry during the winter.
Section 4
Groups Made Clothes for the Climate
California Indian groups used local plants and animals to make their clothing. The clothes they created were designed for the climate where they lived. This helped them stay comfortable in different kinds of weather.
In colder, mountainous areas, people used thick animal skins and furs to stay warm. In hotter regions, groups wore lighter clothing made from woven tule grass or bark. They also made sandals to protect their feet from the hot ground.
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Section 1
California Indians Shape the Land
California Indian groups were expert land managers who did more than just hunt and gather. They worked to shape the environment to ensure food security.
By approx. 2,000 B.C.E., distinct practices emerged, such as the use of controlled fires. These small, planned fires cleared away dead plants, which helped healthy new grasses grow.
Section 2
People Crafted Tools and Goods
California Indian groups were skilled at making everything they needed from nature. They crafted sharp tools for hunting and building from materials like obsidian, a black, glass-like rock. They also used animal bones and antlers to create tools for daily jobs.
Other groups made special items that were valuable. For example, the Chumash made beautiful shell beads from sea snails found along the coast. These well-made tools and valuable items could then be traded with other groups for things they couldn't find nearby.
Section 3
Groups Built Homes for the Climate
California Indian groups built their homes using materials from the land around them. The type of house they made depended on the local climate. This helped them stay comfortable in different kinds of weather.
In the cooler, rainy north, the Yurok people used redwood trees to build strong wooden houses. These sturdy homes kept them warm and dry during the winter.
Section 4
Groups Made Clothes for the Climate
California Indian groups used local plants and animals to make their clothing. The clothes they created were designed for the climate where they lived. This helped them stay comfortable in different kinds of weather.
In colder, mountainous areas, people used thick animal skins and furs to stay warm. In hotter regions, groups wore lighter clothing made from woven tule grass or bark. They also made sandals to protect their feet from the hot ground.
Book overview
Jump across lessons in the current chapter without opening the full course modal.
Continue this chapter