1. Around 30,000 years ago during the last ice age, the first Americans crossed into North America over a land bridge connecting Siberia to Alaska. 2. As the climate warmed, sea levels rose and the land bridge disappeared, leaving early Americans isolated in their new environments across North and South America. 3. Native Americans adapted to their environments by utilizing local natural resources for food, clothing, shelter and tools in different ways, developing distinct cultural traditions but also sharing some beliefs and practices.

1. America In The Beginning Who were the first Americans? How and why did they come here? 30,000 years ago During a period of low temperatures called an ice age The world was covered in glaciers or sheets of ice. This caused ocean levels to rise and expose land. In the Bering straight a land bridge appeared connecting Siberia (Asia) & The Americas This land bridge is known as Beringia. Animals like mammoths crossed the bridge or immigrated to the America's.

2. What happened when they came to America? How did they meet their new needs? America In The Beginning Hunter's in Asia who moved from place to place to find food or mamoths followed the mammoths and spread out or migrated to the America's The ice age ended warming up glaciers causing water levels to rise covering up the land bridge. Some animals died off like mammoths. Living in many different parts of the Americas the Natives needed to adjust or adapt to every thing in the new surrounds that made up each of their own environments in order to survive

3. America In The Beginning How did Native Americans adjust to the new environments? What did they have in common? Living in many different parts of the Americas the Natives used the different natural recourses in their own different environments for food, clothing, and shelter. Different groups in different environments developed their own beliefs and ways of life or culture. Groups in the same environments adapted similar life styles, and language creating cultural region. Many Native American have these things in common. 1. Nature has a spirit and believe in many gods. 2. No one can own land. 4. Only use what is needed (no wastes). 5. trade was important to most societies

4. 8 Cultural Regions North West Coast California Plateau Great Basin S outh West Great Plains Eastern Woodlands South East

5. 8 Cultural Regions

7. North West Coast W eather: long cold winters cool summers heavy rainfall Na tural Resources: ocean/beaches thick forests of fir, spruce, and cedar rugged mountains seafood/salmon deer, moose, bear, elk, beaver, mountain goats

8. California W eather: rainy winters hot dry summers Na tural Resources: ocean/coast foothills valley's deserts mountains acorns, oak trees grass, and plants redwood trees salmon/seafood/shellfish deer, rabbits, ducks, roots berries, pine nuts

9. Great Basin W eather: little rain h ot during the day cold at night Natural Resources: mostly dessert low areas surrounded by mountains at the edges with valleys that had seasonal lakes and streams plants that need little water like grasses, sagebrush, pinon trees, at the outer edges pine trees, and willow small animals rabbits, lizards, grasshoppers, snakes sometimes ducks , duck eggs during certain seasons seeds,berries pine nuts, roots, cattail

10. Plateau W eather: long cold winters comfortable summers Na tural Resources: mountains with dense forests in areas flatter in the center with drier grass lands rivers driftwood, mud, dirt, grass and sage brush fish, antelope, deer, seeds onions, carrots, camas roots, salmon

11. Great Plains W eather: cold winters hot summers Na tural Resources: mountains surrounding edges treeless grasslands in the center east more water and softer soil west drier dense grass Buffalo and smaller animals

12. South West W eather: high temperatures little rain dry/arid Na tural Resources: mountains, canyons desserts, flat top mesas rivers, little water clay, brightly colored plants, cotton corn, beans, squash, peppers, rabbits

13. Eastern Woodlands W eather: s nowy winters , rain Natural Resources: rivers, ocean/coast lots of lakes and streams Forests, plants, maple trees, elm, deer, bears, beavers, birds, fish corn, sunflowers, tobacco, vegetables, nuts, berries

14. South East W eather: l ong warm humid summers mild winters Natural Resources: rivers, ocean/coast Fertile coastal plains mountains, swamps Trees, clay, shells, corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, sunflowers, sweet potatoes squirrels, rabbits, turkeys, deer, alligators, turtles, wild rice, persimmons