Indigenous Histories Along Route 66

Grades 9-12

Lesson Plan Overview: Route 66 crosses the lands of more than 25 tribal nations including the Pueblo, Hopi, Zuni, and Dinè (Navajo) peoples. These indigenous groups have lived in the area for thousands of years and endured encroachment on their land, government removal, separation from their children sent to boarding schools, discrimination, and appropriation of their art and imagery. While their history is often left out of the Route 66 narrative, many have found a way to tell their stories about life along the famous highway. Using oral histories, primary sources, and a secondary source reading, this lesson plan helps students explore the history of the Route from the perspectives of indigenous people. It also includes two assessment options with rubrics; a group project to research a tribe or nation and a poster project about one of the indigenous spaces along Route 66.

All materials available in Google Drive and PDF formats.

MATERIALS INCLUDED

  1. Presentation for Lesson Plan

  2. Warm Up: Maps of the West

  3. Primary Source Analysis

  4. Video Worksheet 1

  5. Secondary Source Reading

  6. Video Worksheet 2

  7. Oral Histories on Route 66

  8. Assessments: Poster Project and Research Project

  9. Additional Extension Activities


    RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS

  1. Yes Magazine features an opinion piece about traveling to the indigenous lands along Route 66, “A Route 66 Road Trip Through Indigenous Homelands”.

ALIGNMENT WITH STANDARDS

ELA Common Core Standards:

  • 9-10.W.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

  • 9-10.W.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

  • 9-10.W.5: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. 

  • 9-10.L.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. 

  • 9-10.RH.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.

C3 Social Studies Standards: 

  • D2.His.3.9-12: Use questions generated about individuals and groups to assess how the significance of their actions changes over time and is shaped by the historical context. 

  • D2.His.5.9-12. Analyze how historical contexts shaped and continue to shape people’s perspectives.

  • D2.Eco.5.9-12. Describe the consequences of competition in specific markets.

  • D4.6.9-12. Use disciplinary and interdisciplinary lenses to understand the characteristics and causes of local, regional, and global problems; instances of such problems in multiple contexts; and challenges and opportunities faced by those trying to address these problems over time and place