Cross-Curricular Reading Comprehension Worksheets: D-32 of 36
Eastern Woodland Natives
Cross-Curricular Focus: History/Social Sciences
The Eastern Woodlands was a Native American cultural region long before
European colonists arrived there to start settlements. The region extended from
the eastern edge of the Great Plains all the way to the east coast. It also
extended from just above the current northern U.S.- Canadian border all the
way south to the Gulf of Mexico.
Rich in natural resources, the Eastern Woodlands provided a wide variety of
agricultural land, forests, mountains, rivers, and lakes in addition to the oceans
of its coastal borders. The region had definite seasonal climate changes, with
cold winters and hot, humid summers. The Native American people who lived in
these areas had to learn how to adapt their lifestyles to the changes in order to
survive and meet their needs.
Water is always an essential resource for living things, and the Eastern
Woodlands region had many rivers, lakes, and streams. Not only did these
bodies of water meet the obvious needs of people and animals for drinking and
washing, but they also provided an important way for people to travel and
transport goods. The flexible birch bark of the local forests was an important
resource because it allowed the natives to make canoes. They used canoes for
traveling, and also as a base from which to catch fish. Natives who lived near
the ocean waters also collected seashells, which they used to make jewelry and
other ornaments.
The forests of the Eastern Woodlands provided many other resources
besides the birch bark for canoes. Several kinds of plants were woven to make
baskets, trays, and even sandals. An abundance of animals lived in the forest,
providing plenty of fresh meat for the natives who hunted them. Some animals
commonly hunted by the natives included deer and rabbits. Native Americans
used every part of the animals they hunted. The meat was eaten, the bones
were carved into tools or arrowheads, and the skins were used to make clothing
and blankets. An occasional bear skin made a nice, warm winter blanket or coat.
The natives were able to meet all their needs in the Eastern Woodlands.
Name:__________________________________
Answer the following questions based on the
reading passage. Don’t forget to go back to the
passage whenever necessary to find or confirm your
answers.
1) How did the Eastern Woodland natives meet their needs
for clothing?
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2) How were the water resources beneficial for the Eastern
Woodland natives?
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3) What characteristic of the forest’s birch trees made them
suitable for building canoes?
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4) Many natives were skilled in working with plant
materials. Name something that was made out of local
plants.
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5) Why do you think Americans today are so much more
wasteful than the natives were in early America?
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