Native peoples of the Great Plains

Grade 7 Social Studies Worksheet

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Horses and bison on the Plains

   Topic	What we know
   Horses	a 2023 study with Lakota, Comanche and Pawnee scholars found that horses were part of Indigenous life by the early 1600s; older accounts said horses spread only after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680
   Bison before	an estimated 30 to 60 million bison (estimates vary)
   Bison low point	fewer than 1,000 bison by the 1890s
   Why bison almost vanished	settlers moving west were the main cause; an Army directive to destroy bison as a way to control American Indians, cattle diseases and drought added to it
   Bison today	more than 60 tribes are bringing bison back to their lands

   Below the chart: for thousands of years, Native peoples relied on bison for food, clothing, shelter, tools and jewelry. Data: National Park Service and National Science Foundation.

2. 1.

   By the chart, how many bison were there before the decline, Bo asks?

   • Fewer than 1,000
   • Exactly 60 million, each one counted by hand
   • Exactly 45 million
   • An estimated 30 to 60 million
3. 2.

   By the chart, when were there fewer than 1,000 bison, Esme asks?

   • By the 1890s
   • By the early 1600s
   • By 1680
   • By the 1990s
4. 3.

   By the chart, who took part in the 2023 horse study, Jun asks?

   • Spanish colonists of the 1600s
   • Pueblo leaders of 1680
   • Scholars including Lakota, Comanche and Pawnee people
   • Army officers who wrote reports in the 1890s
5. 4.

   By the chart, which government action added to the bison's near-loss, Luz asks?

   • An Army directive to destroy bison
   • A 2023 study of horses
   • Tribes bringing bison back to their lands
   • A law that protected the herds
6. 5.

   Which claim about horses does the chart support, Noah asks?

   • Horses were part of Indigenous life by the early 1600s
   • Horses reached the Plains after 1680, as the study found
   • The 2023 study agreed with the older accounts
   • Horses first came to the Plains in the 1890s
7. 6.

   Which claim about bison numbers does the chart support, Pia asks?

   • Bison fell from millions to fewer than 1,000
   • Bison are back to 60 million today
   • Bison numbers stayed steady through the 1800s
   • Bison fell from 60 million to exactly 1,000
8. 7.

   Which claim about the causes does the chart support, Ren asks?

   • Cattle diseases were the one cause
   • The chart names no causes
   • Drought was the one cause
   • Several causes added to the bison's near-loss
9. 8.

   Why does the chart give 30 to 60 million, not one number, Tala asks?

   • Bison were counted exactly in two years
   • 60 million is a later count than 30 million
   • Estimates vary, so the chart gives a range
   • The number grew from 30 to 60 million
10. 9.

    Which word in the chart shows that the 30 to 60 million figure is not exact, Zee asks?

    • million
    • bison
    • estimated
    • fewer
11. 10.

    Which number in the chart counts tribes, not bison, Ari asks?

    • More than 60
    • Fewer than 1,000
    • 2023
    • 30 to 60 million