The Puzzle of the Past

Program Overview

For over 700 years the Ancestral Pueblo people built thriving communities on the mesa, including the many cliff dwelling villages nestled into the steep canyon walls. Today, rangers help visitors paint a picture of what life was like at Mesa Verde long ago. But how do we know what we know? In this program, students will learn about the many ways we can learn about the past, from making our own observations to listening to Pueblo stories and knowledge passed down through the generations. Using these various ways of knowing, your students will piece together an informed understanding of Mesa Verde’s past.

 

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Teacher-led Activities

The following activities provide an overview of Mesa Verde National Park and an introduction to Pueblo history. If you have scheduled a live ranger-led session for this program, these three activities must be completed beforehand.

Activity 1: An Introduction to Mesa Verde

Activity 2: What makes a house a home?

 

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Ranger-led Live Program

To schedule a ranger-led live program to accompany this program material please review our main virtual learning webpage.

 

Logistics

• Programs are 45 minutes in length.
• Videoconferencing format for programs include Zoom, Google Meets, Microsoft Teams, or WebEx.

Program Format

1. Ranger will introduce students to Mesa Verde National Park and will provide a brief program overview.
2. Activity 1: What if your home became a national park site?
   In this activity, students will learn about the difficulties we face when learning about the past. Together, we will brainstorm differnt techniques and lines of evedince historians and archaeologists use to help piece together a more accurate image.
3. Activity 2: Think Like an Archeologist
   Students will have the opportunity to look at several objects archeologists have removed from cliff dwelling sites. Working in small groups, students will try to figure out what the objects are and how they might have been used.
4. Activity 3: Knowledge Through the Generations
   Through a series of pre-recorded videos, students will learn about the cliff dwelling objects directly from a descendent of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made them.
5. Ranger will provide a program summary and conclusion, and will review the main concepts covered in the program.

Objectives

• Explore the difficulties and challenges presented when learning about the past.
• Learn the value of multiple lines of evidence and multiple ways of knowing.
• Develop an appreciation for Native American history and heritage.
• Understand the direct connections between the Ancestral Pueblo people and modern Pueblo communities.