Ancient Southwest Lesson Plan

8/2/2019 Ancient Southwest Lesson Plan

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Jana LeonardUS History to 1865

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LESSON PLAN

INTRODUCTION

Lesson Topic: Ancient civilizations of the North American Southwest

Length of Lesson: 90 minute block

VA Standards of Learning:

USI.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis andresponsible citizenship, including the ability toa) identify and interpret primary and secondary source documents to

increase understanding of events and life in United States history to 1865;b) make connections between the past and the present;c) sequence events in United States history from pre-Columbian times to

1865;d) interpret ideas and events from different historical perspectives;

e) evaluate and discuss issues orally and in writing;f) analyze and interpret maps to explain relationships among landforms,

water features, climatic characteristics, and historical events;g) distinguish between parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude;h) interpret patriotic slogans and excerpts from notable speeches and

documents;i) identify the costs and benefits of specific choices made, including the

consequences, both intended and unintended, of the decisions and howpeople and nations responded to positive and negative incentives.

USI.2 The student will use maps, globes, photographs, pictures, or tables toa) locate the seven continents and five oceans;b) locate and describe the location of the geographic regions of North

America: Coastal Plain, Appalachian Mountains, Canadian Shield, InteriorLowlands, Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, Basin and Range, and CoastalRange;

c) locate and identify the water features important to the early history of theUnited States: Great Lakes, Mississippi River, Missouri River, Ohio River,Columbia River, Colorado River, Rio Grande, St. Lawrence River, AtlanticOcean, Pacific Ocean, and Gulf of Mexico;

d) recognize key geographic features on maps, diagrams, and/orphotographs.

USI.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of how early cultures developed in NorthAmerica by

a) describing how archaeologists have recovered material evidence ofancient settlements, including Cactus Hill in Virginia.b) locating where the American Indians lived, with emphasis on the Arctic

(Inuit), Northwest (Kwakiutl), Plains (Lakota), Southwest (Pueblo), andEastern Woodlands (Iroquois);

c) describing how the American Indians used the resources in theirenvironment.


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COGNITIVE OBJECTIVES

Students will:

Locate the region in which the Ancestral Puebloans lived and describe the physical

features of this region;

Develop an understanding of how historians and archaeologists use artifacts to build apicture of a civilization;

Describe the relationship between the climate and physical features of the southwestand the lives of its earliest inhabitants.

ASSESSMENT

Formative

Continuing review of Bell Ringers (These are turned in each week and are designedto stimulate the student to give some reflective thought to the topics);

Question and Answers throughout the class to identify knowledge and weaknesses;

Review of study guides (to ensure that all students have access to the requiredinformation).

Summative

End of section quiz (See attachment for questions concerning this portion of the section)

MATERIALS/TECHNOLOGY AND ADVANCED PREPARATION

Southwestern Native American Music

Study Guide

Video Clip (BBC)

Class read-along handout

Bag of trash (artifacts)

Group Reading Handouts


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TEACHING AND LEARNING SEQUENCE

Introductory/Anticipatory Set

The Teacher Will: The Students Will: Time Allotted:

Greet students entering classroom andtake attendance. During this period,Native American flute music will beplaying softly.

Arrive in the classroom, taketheir seats and begin their bellringer assignment, preparing awritten response to thefollowing questions:

1) How did the location of themoundbuilder cities alongthe various rivers affecttheir ability to engage inagriculture?

2) How did the location of themoundbuilder cities alongthe various rivers affecttheir trade and commerceabilities?

10 minutes

PREPARATION FOR LESSON:

Remind students that we are learningabout the earliest civilizations in NorthAmerica. Ask students where the

Moundbuilder civilizations were believedto live and the significance of their livingnear riverways. What kind of climatewould have existed in these areas?

Class discussion reviewing thatthe Moundbuilder civilizationslived along the Mississippi

River valley and in the southernarea of North America.Students will be asked toverbally respond to questionsfrom the teacher concerning theclimate in this area, the type ofsoil and the impact this had onthe Moundbuilders way of life.

5 minutes

Lesson Development:


LESSON:

Teacher will pass out the study guide onAncient Puebloans.

Teacher will then show on the map thenew area of the country to be looking at,

Students should color in thearea on their maps in the study

5 Minutes


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the southwest. (SLIDES 2, 3 of powerpoint) Teacher will identify the RockyMountains, the Colorado River and theRio Grande River.

Ask if any of the students have everbeen to Colorado, Arizona, New Mexicoor Utah. What was different about thatclimate than the area looked at with theMoundbuilders?

Teacher will divide students into groups.Each group will be given a series ofpictures (Slides 4 13) and asked tobrainstorm what the pictures say aboutthis regions climate and landscape.Teacher will then ask each group toshare one item from their list (preferablyone which no other group identified, butmay be duplicates), teacher will askgroup to explain what in the pictureleads them to this conclusion. Whattype of trees do they see? What color isthe earth? What does that mean?

Using the answers from the discussion,the teacher will explain the arid climate,and high elevation of the region.Teacher will, using the slides and theprevious discussions, explain theclimate and type of soil and vegetationin the area. Teacher will ask studentswhether the region is along the riverslike the Moundbuilder civilizations orbounded by the rivers (Rio Grande andColorado).

Looking at the timeline on the studyguide (which already contains the datesof the Moundbuilder period), teacher willdemonstrate using powerpoint thetimeframe of the Ancient Puebloans.

Turning to the Vocabulary Jot Chart inthe study guide, the teacher will ask thestudents if they recognize any of thevocabulary words, if so can they tell theclass what they mean? Teacher willwrite the words and the anticipatedmeaning on the board. [Preparation

guide. Students should labelthe Rio Grande and Coloradorivers and the RockyMountains.

If any students have traveled tothis area, have students sharetheir impressions of the region.

Students will work in smallgroups to identify the physicalcharacteristics of the regionbased on photographs. Eachgroup will write down 3 thingsthey believe about the regionbased on the picture. Eachgroup will present onecharacteristic from their list andexplain how they reached thisconclusion based on thepicture.

Students will take notes on thestudy guide.

Students should answer thatthe area is bounded by rivers(different than Moundbuilders).

Students should make theappropriate additions to theirown timeline on the studyguide.

Students should brainstormpossible meanings for thesewords.

10 Minutes

10 Minutes


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Phase]

Teacher will read aloud the earlydiscovery article (Quigley, pp 10-12).Teacher will pass out a copy of this

article to each student. Ask the studentsto highlight any terms with which theyare not familiar. [Assistance Phase]

Teacher and students will discuss thereading material. First, ask the studentsto identify any words in the passage thatappear on the vocabulary list. Comparethe anticipated meaning with themeaning as used in the article. Second,teacher will ask the students to identifyany other words whose meanings areunclear. As a group discussion, we willexplore the meanings of these words,using dictionary if necessary to assist.These words will be added to thevocabulary list. [Assistance Phase]

Teacher will ask the students, based onthe reading, to describe why MesaVerde presents such an excellent site tolearn about the ancient people of thesouthwest. [Reflection Phase]

Teacher poses question How do weknow what we think we know aboutthese people? Allow for studentresponse, note that there are no writtenrecords. Steer discussion to thinkingabout what the people left behind.

TRASH BAG EXERCISE:

Teacher will empty a bag of garbage(artifacts) on a table in the front of theroom. Students will have theopportunity to come up to the table and

Students should read alongsilently using the handout,highlighting vocabulary words

and any other words with whichstudent is unfamiliar.

The students should note thecorrect definitions within thestudy guide and add anyadditional terms as discussedand defined by class.

Students should be able toindicate that: The dry climateprevents rotting/molding.Protection of the cliffsprevented artifacts from beingwashed away or destroyed byweather. The area is too dryfor wood chewing insects.Once abandoned by theancient residents, the areawent undisturbed by man forhundreds of years.

Students will respond toquestions. It is anticipated thatthey will talk about fossils, cavepaintings, artifacts, ruins (basedon previous discussionsconcerning the Moundbuildersand other early civilizations).

Students have the opportunityto move around the classroomto observe thetrash.

10 Minutes

15 Minutes


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view the trash.

Teacher will ask students what theythink about the person or persons who

left this trash? Why do they think thesethings? Note on the board the ideas.

Teacher will explain that trash oftencontains the most significant artifacts ofa civilization.

Teacher will explain the trash findings inthe Mesa Verde area cliff dwellings anddescribe how archeologists use them tovisualize the lives of the inhabitants.

Teacher will show some pictures ofartifacts from Mesa Verde (Slides 14-16) and ask students what information,if any, can be gained from each of thesepieces?

The teacher will divide the class into fivegroups (note these groups are pre-set tobalance among academic levels, groupsare re-arranged every 12 weeks). Eachgroup will be assigned one of thefollowing five areas (these are subjectswhich we have previously noted in ourdiscussion of Moundbuilders as some ofthe components of a civilization):

1) Housing2) Food3) Daily life4) Arts & Crafts5) Trade and Commerce

Teacher will hand out to each groupexcerpts on each topic (Quigley) alongwith a list of the type of information eachgroup should be prepared to discuss.Students will meet in their small groupsto discuss and assign tasks. Eachgroup will present information regardingtheir topic in the next class period.During this time, teacher will move fromgroup to group responding to questionsabout vocabulary etc., but also offering

Students will brainstorm aboutwhat the trash tells us about

whoever left it.

Students will reflect on thematerials and respond toquestions regarding theartifacts.

Students will meet in their smallgroups to discuss their topic, asa group read the assignedmaterial, and assign taskswithin the group. Each groupwill be required to do additionalresearch to obtain informationregarding their assigned topic.Each group will prepare topresent information regardingtheir topic in the next class

15 Minutes


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suggestions to the students forquestions to be answered in their groupreport (Where did the housing materialscome from?, What type of tools wereused? What type of religion(s) were

practiced? )

period.

CLOSURE:


Teacher will ask students if they have allof the definitions in their study guides.Teacher will assist students incompleting the vocabulary portion of theguide. Teacher will then ask thestudents to provide the missing

information on the 4 corners page of thestudy guide (teacher will use overhead)the goal being to ensure that all studentshave completed the information on theguide.

Teacher will play the BBC Video onMesa Verde.(http://youtu.be/DeHUvjdPWiw?t=1m16s )

Teacher will suggest that students thinkabout what might make the People leave

the cliffs and the mesa altogether?

Teacher will remind students to work onthe area of information assigned to theirgroup, they will have 10 minutes at thebeginning of the next class to finishputting their presentations together.

Teacher will check each studentsassignment book as they exit theclassroom to make certain theassignment has been noted.

Students will review their studyguide to make certain that alldefinitions are present.

Students will watch the video.

Students will note theassignment in their assignmentbook.

10 Minutes

Homework:

Each group will be assigned to research one of the following areas: housing, food, daily life,arts & crafts, and trade and commerce. Each group will present their findings at the next class.
http://youtu.be/DeHUvjdPWiw?t=1m16shttp://youtu.be/DeHUvjdPWiw?t=1m16shttp://youtu.be/DeHUvjdPWiw?t=1m16shttp://youtu.be/DeHUvjdPWiw?t=1m16s


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References (see attached)

List of Attachments:

Curriculum FrameworkInstructional Content and Strategies OrganizerPAR ConnectionsReferencesPowerPoint SlidesStudy Guide (and completed study guide)Read-Aloud ExcerptGroup reading excerptsSection quiz questions addressing the topic (and the key).


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Curriculum Framework

USI.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical and geographical analysis andresponsible citizenship, including the ability toa) identify and interpret primary and secondary source documents to increase

understanding of events and life in United States history to 1865;b) make connections between the past and the present;c) sequence events in United States history from pre-Columbian times to 1865;d Rocky Mountains) interpret ideas and events from different historical perspectives;e) evaluate and discuss issues orally and in writing;f) analyze and interpret maps to explain relationships among landforms, water

features, climatic characteristics, and historical events;g) distinguish between parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude;h) interpret patriotic slogans and excerpts from notable speeches and documents;i) identify the costs and benefits of specific choices made, including the consequences,

both intended and unintended, of the decisions and how people and nationsresponded to positive and negative incentives.

USI.2 The student will use maps, globes, photographs, pictures, or tables tob) locate and describe the location of the geographic regions of North America: Coastal

Plain, Appalachian Mountains, Canadian Shield, Interior Lowlands, Great Plains,Rocky Mountains, Basin and Range, and Coastal Range.

Curriculum Framework Essential Knowledge and Skills

2 b = To be successful with this standard, students are expected to identify thegeographic regions locations and physical characteristics:

Coastal Plain - Located along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico is a broadlowlands providing many excellent harbors

Appalachian Highlands - Located west of the Coastal Plain, extending from easternCanada to western Alabama; includes the Piedmont; old, eroded mountains (oldestmountain range in North America)

Canadian Shield - Wrapped around the Hudson Bay in a horseshoe shape;Hills wornby erosion and hundreds of lakes carved by glaciers

Interior Lowlands - Located west of the Appalachian Mountains and east of the GreatPlains consist of rolling flatlands with many rivers, broad river valleys, and grassyhills

Great Plains - Located west of the Interior Lowlands and east of the RockyMountains consist of flat lands that gradually increase in elevation westward;grasslands

Rocky Mountains - Located west of the Great Plains and east of the Basin and

Range consisting of rugged mountains stretching from Alaska almost to Mexico; highelevations; Contains the Continental Divide, which determines the directional flow ofrivers

Basin and Range - Located west of the Rocky Mountains and east of the SierraNevadas and the Cascades; Varying elevations containing isolated mountain rangesand Death Valley, the lowest point in North America

Coastal Range - Located along the Pacific Coast, stretching from California toCanada with Rugged mountains and fertile valleys


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USI.2 The student will use maps, globes, photographs, pictures, or tables toc) locate and identify the water features important to the early history of the United

States: Great Lakes, Mississippi River, Missouri River, Ohio River, Columbia River,Colorado River, Rio Grande, St. Lawrence River, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, andGulf of Mexico.


2 c = To be successful with this standard, students are expected to identify the majorbodies of water in the United States and some ways these bodies of water havesupported interaction among regions and created links to other areas.

The major bodies of water include:

Oceans: Atlantic, Pacific

Rivers: Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Columbia, Colorado, Rio Grande, St.Lawrence River

Lakes: Great Lakes

Gulf: Gulf of Mexico

Students should understand that The Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf coasts of the United States have provided access to

other parts of the world.

The Atlantic Ocean served as the highway for explorers, early settlers, and laterimmigrants.

The Ohio River was the gateway to the west.

Inland port cities grew in the Midwest along the Great Lakes.

The Mississippi and Missouri rivers were used to transport farm and industrialproducts. They were links to United States ports and other parts of the world.

The Columbia River was explored by Lewis and Clark.

The Colorado River was explored by the Spanish.

The Rio Grande forms the border with Mexico.

The Pacific Ocean was an early exploration destination. The Gulf of Mexico provided the French and Spanish with exploration routes to

Mexico and other parts of America.

The St. Lawrence River forms part of the northeastern border with Canada andconnects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

USI.2 The student will use maps, globes, photographs, pictures, or tables tod) recognize key geographic features on maps, diagrams, and/or photographs.


2 d= To be successful with this standard, students are expected to identify keygeographic features on maps including: Water-related features such as lakes, rivers, tributaries, gulfs and bays

Land-related features such as mountains, hills, plains, plateaus, islands andpeninsulas

Students should also be able to indicate how such geographic features related topatterns of trade, locations of cities and towns, the westward frontier movementand agricultural and fishing industries.


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USI.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of how early cultures developed in NorthAmerica by

a) describing how archaeologists have recovered material evidence of ancient settlementsincluding Cactus Hill in Virginia.


3 a To be successful with this standard, students will need to understand that

Archaeologists study human behavior and cultures of the past through the recoveryand analysis of artifacts.

Scientists are not in agreement about when and how people first arrived in theWestern Hemisphere.

Cactus Hill is located on the Nottoway River in southeastern Virginia. Evidence thathumans lived at Cactus Hill as early as 18,000 years ago makes it one of the oldest

archaeological sites in North America.

USI.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of how early cultures developed in NorthAmerica byb) locating where the American Indians lived, with emphasis on the Arctic (Inuit),

Northwest (Kwakiutl), Plains (Lakota), Southwest (Pueblo), and Eastern Woodlands(Iroquois).


3 b To be successful with this standard, students will need to be familiar with thehistorical and present day regions in which the various Native American tribeslived.

Inuitinhabitedpresent-day Alaska and northern Canada. They lived in Arctic areaswhere the temperature is below freezing much of the year.

Kwakiutl homeland includes the Pacific Northwest coast, characterized by a rainy,mild climate.

Lakota people inhabited the interior of the United States, called the Great Plains,which is characterized by dry grasslands.

Pueblo tribes inhabited the Southwest in present-day New Mexico and Arizona,where they lived in desert areas and areas bordering cliffs and mountains.

Iroquois homeland includes northeast North America, called the Eastern Woodlands,which is heavily forested.

USI.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of how early cultures developed in NorthAmerica byc) describing how the American Indians used the resources in their environment.


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3 c To be successful with this standard, students will need to understand how in thepast, American Indians fished, hunted, and grew crops for food. They madeclothing from animal skins and plants. They constructed shelters from resources

found in their environment (e.g., sod, stones, animal skins, wood). They will needto distinguish between the various types of resources:

Natural resources: Things that come directly from nature

Human resources: People working to produce goods and services

Capital resources: Goods produced and used to make other goods and services


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Jana Leonard

US History to 1865

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Instructional Content and Strategies Organizer

Instructional Content

This lesson is part of a larger unit on the inhabitants of North America prior to the arrival of the Europeans. Previous lessonsdiscussed the earliest origins of man in North America, including the Moundbuilders. This lesson is designed to move the studentscloser to the America the Europeans found. The focus of this particular lesson will be on the ancient civilization(s) of the AmericanSouthwest. This, the first lesson, will be to establish the physical environment of the southwest and to begin to learn of the significantdiscoveries in the Four Corners region. By distinguishing between the fertile river valleys that gave rise to the Moundbuilder culture,

and the arid high desert of the Ancestral Puebloans, students will learn that people and cultures adapt to their surroundings and usethe resources available to them. Students will be adding to the map they began earlier to learn about the geographic features of thesouthwest.

I will be using an exercise to demonstrate how archaeologists can create an image of a culture by using the things that people leftbehind.

See highlighted portions of the curriculum framework for essential knowledge and skills.See appended materials for powerpoint slides, study guide and reading excerpts.

Instructional Modifications to ASSIST

Weakest StudentsMajor Instructional Strategies

Instructional Modifications to CHALLENGE

Strongest Students

Read Aloud with ability to question meaningof vocabulary.

In-Class review of map and study guides to

ensure completion.

Use of groups which are a balanced mixtureof weaker, average and stronger studentswill allow the weaker students to learn fromthe stronger students.

Writing to assess learning response tobell-ringer questions which are turnedin on a weekly basis.

Class Mapwork

Read-Aloud with PAR

Use of a short film to capture attention

Using a trash exercise to demonstratehow archaeologists develop pictures ofcultures and civilizations.

Study Guide

The small group work will permit thestrongest students to take their research tothe higher level and allow them to engagein analysis.

Availability in the classroom of a variety ofadditional materials on the topic toencourage further reading. Possible extracredit assignment.


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PAR CONNECTIONS

Engages readers prior knowledge

This lesson plan is for a single class period but is part of a larger unit on ancient America. Throughout

the unit, concepts are building on one another. The use of bell ringer questions helps to solidify theplatform on which the next level of learning is built as does the use of the map and timeline with the priorinformation already noted. In addition, in each section, the class is working on identifying certaincharacteristics about the ancient civilizations, the same characteristics for each civilization, and usingknowledge gained in the previous section to enhance learning in the current section (example, knowledgeof the physical characteristics of the land in which the Moundbuilders lived and its impact on thosecivilizations can be compared with the physical characteristics of the southwest to reach conclusions as todifferences in food, society etc.

Uses communication skills

In this lesson, students will be communicating with the teacher and each other in large group discussions.In addition, the small group work on specific topics requires communication within the group and will, in

the next class period, require that the students teach their classmates what they have learned.

Respects and uses students discourse patterns

The trash bag exercise is designed to give tangible and real world substance to the term artifacts anddemonstrate the manner in which such artifacts can allow a researcher to make certain conclusions. Theuse of film is designed to provide students with a visual/audio experience to enhance learning. The useof large and small group discussions further allows students to translate material into their ownvernacular.

Provides for satisfaction with learning

The class is designed to be a collaborative learning experience, by exploring the information and allowing

students to draw conclusions. Allowing students to share their conclusions and the thought processes onwhich they are based should improve student satisfaction with the learning process. Teachers role is tofacilitate the learning process and keep students on the correct course.

Enhances critical thinking and problem solving

Using the pictures to develop a picture of the climate and terrain of the region calls for critical thinking andanalysis.

The trash bag exercise is also designed to stimulate critical thinking and problem solving by encouragingstudents to apply what they know about certain objects to reach conclusions regarding the person(s) whoused them.

Enhances readers autonomy and self-initiative

The group work requires the students to educate themselves concerning certain aspects of the culturebeing studied and become familiar enough with the subject to teach their classmates.

Uses active involvement & participation/social interaction

Class discussion, small group work and (in the future lesson) the presentation of information to theirclassmates all require the active involvement of each student and encourages participation and socialinteraction.


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Provides feedback to students

Teacher provides verbal feedback throughout the course of the lesson, encouraging participation and

helping to steer the discussion. The end of section quiz provides additional feedback with regard tocontent knowledge prior to a unit test.


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REFERENCES:

Plog, S. 2008. Ancient Peoples of the American Southwest (2d edition). London: Thames &Hudson Ltd.

Quigley, M. 2006. Excavating the Past Mesa Verde. Chicago: Heinemann Library.

U.S. National Park Service. Mesa Verde National Park. Retrieved fromwww.nps.gov.

Watson, D. 1961. Indians of the Mesa Verde. Ann Arbor: Cushing-Malloy Inc.
http://www.nps.gov/http://www.nps.gov/http://www.nps.gov/http://www.nps.gov/

Ancient Southwest Lesson Plan

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