Native American Indian Heritage Leaders Sensory Figure Body Biographies

Sensory figures, also known as body biographies, are great for characterization or biography projects and helping students analyze people or characters from multiple angles. The set is useful for the Native American Indian Heritage Month of November, Thanksgiving, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and more. Read more about how they can enhance a variety of your lessons below! If you’re looking for a digital version of this resource, find it here.

These sensory figures can be printed in black and white or color, and includes a diverse collection of 36 figures representing Native American Indian Heritage leaders that have affected American History in various ways.

The set includes the following 36 figures:

1. Alex “Sonny” Sixkiller
2. Ben Nighthorse Campbell
3. Black Hawk
4. Buffalo Calf Road Woman
5. Carlos Montezuma
6. Charlene Teters
7. Charles Eastman
8. Crazy Horse
9. Dahteste
10. David W. Anderson
11. Deb Haaland
12. Geronimo
13. Hiawatha
14. Jim Thorpe
15. John Herrington
16. Lozen
17. Maria Tallchief
18. Marie Bottineau Baldwin
19. Mary Brave Bird
20. Mary Youngblood
21. Pocahontas
22. Pontiac
23. Robbie Hood
24. Running Eagle
25. Sacagawea
26. Sarah Winnemucca
27. Sequoyah
28. Sharice Davids
29. Shoni Schimmel
30. Sitting Bear
31. Sitting Bull
32. Squanto
33. Susan La Flesche Picotte
34. Tecumseh
35. Will Rogers
36. Woman Chief

*New* Download a free example sensory figure here!
⭐ Theodore Roosevelt Sensory Figure Example

A sensory figure is a drawing of a historical, living, or fictional figure with first-person descriptions of what they might have thought, seen, heard, touched, said, felt, or otherwise experienced during their lifetime. Students “show what they know” about the figure by writing 1-2 sentence descriptions for their figure’s thoughts, feelings, and actions. After writing the descriptions, students connect them to the part of the body to which it most closely relates. For example, a feeling might be connected to the heart. The descriptions should be specific to the historical figure’s life, not generic statements that could apply to anyone. Students should be encouraged to address several topics in their descriptions instead of repeating information.

Sensory figures are an engaging way for students to both organize information as they’re learning and demonstrate their knowledge. They can be used to research the figure in a biography project or even as an assessment after other learning opportunities have taken place. Sensory figures allow students to imagine themselves in their figure’s shoes, thereby gaining a deeper understanding of their figure’s experiences. In addition to focusing on specific people, sensory figures can also be used with groups of people (for example, Confederate soldiers or Loyalists) to define the characteristics that separate them from other groups. Because of their interactive nature, sensory figures are great for interactive notebooks! Finally, they are readily adapted in order to meet a variety of student needs. You can give all students the same figure to fill out, or you can have them complete different ones. I’ve found that students enjoy sharing their figures with partners or doing a gallery walk to see their classmates’ work. You can reinforce vocabulary associated with the figures by providing a word bank of terms students should use in their descriptions.

You may also be interested in other sensory figures:
⭐ Black Historical Sensory Figures
⭐ Historical Figures & Cultural Icons Sensory Figures
⭐ Historical Americans Sensory Figures
⭐ Athletes and Sports Sensory Figures
⭐ Early Peoples and Ancient Civilizations Sensory Figures Bundle
⭐ Scientists and Inventors Sensory Figures
⭐ Women in History Sensory Figures

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