1 How would you like to live in a forest? How about a forest that covers half of America? The people who lived here first lived there. They were the woodland tribes.
2 A long, long, time ago, these people were hunters. Each tribe had a part of the forest they lived in. They would hunt in the woods and fish in the rivers. Each summer they would gather wild fruits and berries.
3 Some of these people found that they could make pots from clay. When the clay was baked in fire, it would stay hard. Everyone thought it was a good idea. Soon the idea spread to other tribes.
4 People started staying in one place instead of wandering, so they could make pots and other things. They cleared ground and grew food. They learned to plant sunflowers, pumpkins, corn, and squash. They saved seeds from wild plants, like lamb's quarters. They could grow it where it was easy to pick.
5 One of the first tools they learned to make was a hoe. It did not have a metal blade like the ones we have now. It was a flat stone that they could use to dig holes for seeds.
6 Meat was very important to people. They did not raise any animals except dogs. The dogs would guard the homes and were not usually eaten. To get meat, they would hunt and fish.
7 They liked to hunt deer the most. The meat tasted good. The skins were used to make clothes. The bones and antlers could be made into tools. They ate more than just deer, though. They also hunted ducks, geese, grouse, turkeys, rabbits, woodchucks, and fish.
8 Native tribes did not use metal. What do you think they made cutting tools from? They used a stone called flint to make arrow heads, spear heads, and knives.
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