What makes a house a home?

This activity will encourage students to imagine their own homes as achaeological sites 1000 years in the future. This will help your students uderstand that the cliff dwellings and other pueblo sites were once actively lived in homes sharing many similarities to homes today.

As a class review the information below before completing the activity sheet.

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The Homes of Mesa Verde

The cliff dwellings and ancient pueblos of Mesa Verde were once family homes. Here people prepared and shared meals, slept in warm beds, held celebrations, and told stories. Children helped with chores, played games, and learned from their elders. In many ways, their homes were similar to our homes today.

Imagine living in a pueblo. Imagine the sounds of people working outside. Imagine the sounds of dogs barking and other children playing. Can you smell the food your mother is preparing on the open fire?

Today these homes are quiet and many of the objects that once filled them are gone. Some of the items were taken by pueblo families when they moved away. Others were later removed by archaeologists and placed in museums.

Archaeologists continue to study the ancient pueblo homes and the items left behind to learn more about daily life long ago.

An archeologist is a scientist who studies archaeology. Archeology is the study of past cultures through scientific analysis of the things people left behind, such as tools, food, art houses, etc.

 

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My Favorite Object

Think of all the objects and items that make your house a home. Choose one object from your home that is important to you. Draw the item on a piece of paper, or on the worksheet provided, and answer the following questions.

Note: If your students are learning in a remote environment (at home) have them bring the object to their learning space and share it with the group rather than drawing it.

1. What is it and how is it used?

2. Do you have a special memory or story about his object?

3. If someone found this object in your home, what would it tell them about you?