Apache Reading Assessment
Name _______________________________________ Date _____________
Apache Reading Assessment
The Apache are a Native American nation who are known for their brave fighters and strong leaders. The Zuni, a Pueblo people, gave them the name Apachu, meaning “enemy.” In their dialects, the Apache call themselves Tinneh, Tinde, Dini, or one of several other variations, all meaning “the people.” Apache homelands were mostly in the southwestern United States in the present-day states of Arizona, Canada, New Mexico, and Texas. They were also located in northern Mexico. This area has mountains, deserts, canyons, and forests and is rich in minerals. The Apache nation had many tribes such as the Mescalero, Chiricahua the San Carlos, the Jicarilla, and the White Mountain Apache.
Most Apache lived in wickiups, which had one room and little or no furniture. A wickiup was easy to put up and take down, making it simple to move. This allowed the Apache to relocate quickly and leave little evidence they had been in a spot. The Apache moved a lot because they were hunters and gatherers. They hunted animals like foxes, deer, elk, turkeys, and buffalo. Their meat was used for food, while their skin was made into clothing. They gathered wild plants from the land. Some Apache farmed crops like corn, or maize. Many Apache moved around from place to place in search of food.
Apache Native Americans lived in camps where people had different jobs. Men were warriors, hunters, or medicine men. The women cooked and took care of chores like building family homes and making clothing. Apache mothers carried their babies in cradleboards. Children helped with chores, but also played games to keep them active and in good shape. They had dolls and toys.
The Apache were strong fighters who wanted to protect their land and way of life. They often attacked nearby settlers, other tribes, and United States soldiers. The Apache took food and other things they needed. Apache men were the main fighters, but women would also protect their camps if they were attacked. Apache men and growing boys spent many hours practicing their hunting and fighting skills. Land was important to the Apache. American settlers began moving west through Apache land in the mid-1800s. The Apache tried to live in peace with them, but they soon fought over the land. The U.S. government set up Fort Bowie in Apache Pass in 1862. This helped protect settlers and soldiers, but Apache leaders continued to fight for people’s land and rights. The U.S. government told the Apache people to live on a reservation in the 1870s. Some Apaches refused to live there and kept fighting. Legendary Apache warriors, Mangas Coloradas, Cochise, and Geronimo, led the Apache Wars. The last to surrender to the U.S. government was Geronimo in 1886.
1. What was the author’s main purpose in writing this passage?
A. To persuade the reader that the U.S. government was wrong to take the
Apache land.
B. To explain how the Apache built wickiups.
C. To entertain the reader with the creation story from the Apache.
D. To inform the reader with facts about the Apache Native Americans.
2. Citing evidence from the text, describe the meaning of the name Apache from two different perspectives. _________________________________________
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3.Which statement is accurate about wickiups?
A. Wickiups were stories told to teach rules to Apaches.
B. Wickiups had a lot of furniture inside them.
C. Apache women were responsible for building wickiups.
D. Wickiups were permanent structures.
4. The Apache farmed maize, which means:
A. beans
B. wheat
C. corn
D. cotton
5. “Apache roots run deep and many people today have kept those special things
that make them Apache alive today.”
What is the best meaning of roots in the previous quote?
A. Family or ethnic origins
B. A part of a plant that grows into the soil
C. The basic cause of something
D. Part of an organ or structure
6.Which best describes the relationship between the Apache and settlers?
A. They lived in peace together.
B. The Apache willingly gave their land to the settlers.
C. The Apache and settlers fought over the land.
D. The Apache leaders quickly gave up the land to avoid conflict.
7. How does the author mostly organize the selection?
A. She compares and contrasts the Apache Native Americans with other southwestern tribes.
B. She explains the history of the Apache Native Americans in chronological order.
C. She explains problems encountered by the Apache Native Americans and told how they solved them.
D. She describes various characteristics of the Apache Native Americans.
8. Which best describes Apache Native Americans’ way of getting food?
A. They were vegetarians, only eating crops they grew on their own.
B. They were hunters and gathers, and sometimes grew crops.
C. They were strictly carnivores, only consuming meat.
D. They only hunted their food, mainly deer and elk.
9. Describe the relationship between the Apache Native Americans and the U.S. Government, citing evidence from the text. _____________________________
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10. Which Apache Leaders led the Apache Wars? _________________________
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