MODULE

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WEEK 1

Bison
Come Back
to the Plains
by Joe Brennan

Kings of the Plains

The Great Plains lie in the middle of the United

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

States. They run all the way from the north to the
south. These broad, flat lands have few trees. The
plains used to be covered with tall grass that would
sway in the wind, and people said they looked like
oceans of grass.
Until about 150 years ago, bison were the kings of
the plains. More than 30 million of these huge animals
roamed there. Today, the United States is home to just
80 thousand bison.

READ & RESPOND Central Idea

Why did people say the Great Plains looked like “oceans of grass”?

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 In the days before European settlers arrived, vast
Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

herds of bison grazed on the grass of the plains. After

they finished grazing in one area, they would move to
another location. Herds moved up to four hundred miles
south in the winter, and then back north in the spring.
They kept moving in search of available fresh grass.
Each year, the bison walked along the same
paths. Often they went in a single line. Over time, the
bisons’ steps wore down the soil. Some paths were
worn three feet deep!

READ & RESPOND Central Idea

Why did the bison have to move from place to place?

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 Hunting Bison
American Indian tribes shared the Great Plains
with the bison. Bison were very important to the
Plains Indians. They depended on these animals for
food, clothing, and shelter.
The bison were not easy to kill. They weighed
over 1,000 pounds. They could run as fast as horses.
Their hooves and horns were very sharp. Bison
used their broad heads to ram their enemies. The
Plains Indians had to find ways to kill the dangerous
animals without getting hurt themselves.

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

READ & RESPOND Central Idea

Why was hunting bison difficult for Plains Indians?

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 Before the Plains Indians had horses, hunting was
difficult. Hunters would sometimes drive a group of
bison along a prepared path. The end of the path was
Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

a cliff that would be unobserved by the bison. They

would fall over the edge and die. The Plains Indians
could then feed their people. Driving bison, however,
was not as easy as it sounds. As people say, you can’t
drive a bison anywhere it doesn’t want to go!
After horses came to America, Plains Indians
could hunt on horseback with bows and arrows. They
killed only the few bison they needed.

READ & RESPOND Central Idea

Describe the different ways Plains Indians hunted bison.

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 Wasting Nothing
The Plains Indians used every part of the animals
they hunted. They dried the meat so that it would
last for many weeks without spoiling. Bison skins
made warm fur coats and blankets. Plains Indians
also stretched the skins over frames made of wooden
poles. These tepees provided dry, warm homes and

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

were easy to move from one place to another.
The bones of the bison were used to make tools.
Chips of dried bison dung were used as fuel for
campfires. The Plains Indians made strong leather
from bison skins. They used parts of the animals to
make boats and bags.

READ & RESPOND Central Idea

Write three details that tell how American Indians used different parts of the bison.

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 What Happened to the Bison?
When settlers from Europe arrived in the Great
Plains, the days of the huge herds were numbered. The
settlers killed bison for sport, and they killed them to
clear the path for railways. By the 1880s, fewer than
one thousand bison were left in all of North America.
Some men and women saved a group of bison that
were left. They brought them to a protected area. More
bison were raised from that group. Slowly, the number
of bison grew.
The government
passed laws protecting
bison. National parks
Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

were created where bison

would be cared for and
protected. With our help,
bison will always have
an open place to eat grass
and roam free.

READ & RESPOND Central Idea

Write two details that describe people’s efforts to save bison.

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 Bison Facts
Most bison are dark brown or black. Every once in a
while, a white bison is born. Plains Indians thought
white bison were very special. They told many
stories of the rare white beasts.

Bison can be over six feet tall and ten to

twelve feet long. Male bison are called bulls.
They are usually bigger than female bison.

Bison can’t see very well. However, they have a

keen sense of smell and hearing. They are good at
detecting danger from far away. If they hear or smell
a ferocious predator, such as a bear, they can get out
of harm’s way.

Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

READ & RESPOND Central Idea

How do bison use their senses?

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 Reread and Respond

1 What is this text mainly about? How can you tell? Hint
What are most of
the section heads
about?

2 Why were bison paths three feet lower than the ground on Hint
either side? For a clue, see
page 75.
Copyright © by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

3 Why did bison almost disappear from Earth? Hint

Look for clues on
page 79.

4 Predict what will happen to bison in the future. Use details Hint
from the text to support your answer. For a clue, see
page 79.

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