Studies Weekly, Week 5 Article 4: American Indians and the Envir

​Studies Weekly, Week 5
Article 4:
American Indians and the Environment

The landscape of Texas includes deserts, valleys, plateaus, and coastal areas. The tribes of Texas found different ways to use the resources in their environment. People on the coast fished for food. People who lived in the central plains areas farmed for food. Tribes across the region hunted for bison, antelope, rabbit, and deer. They used these resources to create clothing, tools, and shelter.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following is not a Texas biome?

• desert

• plain

• tundra

• valley

Multiple Choice

People on the coast ____ for food, while people who lived in the central plains areas _____ for food.

• fished

  farmed

• hunted

  fished

• traded

  hunted

• fished

  hunted

​American Indian tribes also modified their environment for survival and ceremonial purposes. Water can be scarce in the desert areas of Texas. Tribes were very resourceful and found ways to irrigate farmland. They gathered water from rivers and underground water sources to grow crops. They grew many crops such as corn, pumpkins, beans, squash, melons, and other types of fruit.

Multiple Choice

How did tribes water their crops?

• flooding

• irrigation

• rainfall

• wells

​The Caddo constructed villages and settlements that housed hundreds of inhabitants. They built large earthen mounds at the center of each village. These mounds were used for important ceremonies and as a burial site for important tribe members. Other tribes were nomadic. They moved throughout the state based on the seasons and the natural resources available during certain times of the year.

Multiple Choice

Which tribe constructed large ceremonial and burial mounds in the center of their villages?

• Caddo

• Jumano

• Karankawa

• Lipan Apache

Multiple Choice

 Other tribes were nomadic. Nomadic means _______.

• to move from place to place

• to farm in a certain place

• to gather and collect food