What were reservations and why were they used? What was their purpose? How did they impact Native American culture? Objective In this lesson, students will develop an understanding of Native American reservations and why they were created. They will do this by reading about Native American reservations, discovering why Native American reservations were created, and discussing living conditions on Native American reservations. Background The Homesteaders, Immigrants, and Native Americans unit is broken up into six lesson plans, taking 45-120 minutes to complete, targeting sixth through eighth g Duration: 90 Minutes.