Mystic Lands: Anasazi: The Ancient Ones:
Teacher’s Guide
Grade Level: 9-12
Curriculum Focus: World History
Lesson Duration: Three to four class periods
Program Description
The mysteries of the Anasazi in the deserts of the U.S. Southwest unfold through their myths and
legends. Sunbaked ruins, pottery shards, elaborate road systems, and ceremonial great houses and
kivas showcase the spiritual life of this early Native American people.
Discussion Questions
Before watching the video
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Who were the Anasazi, and where did they live?
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What does the word “Anasazi” mean?
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What were some features of Anasazi civilization?
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What happened to the Anasazi civilization?
After watching the video
•
Who discovered the Anasazi ruins that became known as the Cliff Palace? (ranchers Richard
Wetherill and Charley Mason in 1888)
•
Where is the Four Corners region? (Four Corners ranges across Arizona, Colorado, New
Mexico, and Utah, where the “corners” of the four states converge.)
•
When did the Anasazi civilization exist? (Between A.D. 100 and 1300)
•
What are possible reasons for the disappearance of the civilization? (Drought or a spiritual
quest that took the people on a journey away from the Four Corners area)
•
Name some accomplishments of Anasazi society that scientists have been able to study.
(Advances in architecture, masonry, and ceramics)
•
What are petroglyphs and pictographs, and what do they reveal about Anasazi beliefs?
(Petroglyphs are stone carvings, and pictographs are ancient drawings. They show reverence
for the sun and moon and other aspects of Anasazi life and mythology.)
•
What is the connection between the Anasazi and the Pueblo people living in the Four Corners
area today? What significance are the Anasazi ruins to them? (The Pueblo people consider
themselves descendants of the Anasazi. They believe the ruins are sacred places inhabited by
the spirits of their ancient ancestors.)
Mystic Lands: Anasazi: The Ancient Ones: Teacher’s Guide
Lesson Plan
Student Objectives
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Explain facts about the Anasazi.
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Analyze archeological findings.
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Conduct research about an Anasazi kiva.
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Present the results of the research.
Materials
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Mystic Lands: Anasazi: The Ancient Ones video and VCR, or DVD and DVD player
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Computer with Internet access
•
Library materials and other print resources
Procedures
1. After viewing the program, explain to students that they will delve into the mysteries of the
Anasazi culture the way an archaeologist would. They will draw conclusions based upon what
they find while exploring the ruins and artifacts. The focus of the investigation will be the kiva,
the round ceremonial room found in Anasazi ruins. The result of their research can be
classroom presentations, displays, or illustrated reports. Encourage the use of visuals, models,
and other illustrations.
2. Divide students into groups of three to five. Students are to conduct research about the kivas
and their importance to the Anasazi. Some of the questions they should try to answer in their
studies include the following:
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What does a typical kiva look like?
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Where have kiva ruins been found?
•
What was the purpose of the kiva?
•
According to scientists, why do kivas vary in size?
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What artifacts have been found in kiva ruins, and what does their presence mean?
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What is the sipapu, and what is its significance in Anasazi and Pueblo culture?
•
How might the shape and features of a kiva reflect the Anasazi worldview?
•
Are there modern equivalents to the kiva in Pueblo or other cultures?
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Mystic Lands: Anasazi: The Ancient Ones: Teacher’s Guide
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3. Encourage students to consult books, periodicals, and Internet resources, including those listed
below.
Web Sites
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http://sipapu.gsu.edu/index.html
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http://www.co.blm.gov/ahc/index.htm
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http://www.desertusa.com/ind1/du_peo_ana.html
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http://net.indra.com/~dheyser/rockart.html
Books
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Anasazi America: 17 Centuries on the Road from Center Place, by David E. Stuart
•
Anasazi Ruins of the Southwest in Color, by William M. Ferguson
•
Foundations of Anasazi Culture, edited by Paul F. Reed
•
The Lost World of the Anasazi, by Peter Lourie
Assessment
Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students’ work during this lesson.
•
3 points: Students correctly explained facts about the Anasazi, carefully analyzed
archaeological findings, conducted thorough research, and made an excellent presentation
to the group.
•
2 points: Students explained facts about the Anasazi, analyzed archaeological findings,
conducted adequate research, and made a good presentation.
•
1 point: Students poorly explained facts about the Anasazi, had difficulty analyzing
archaeological findings, conducted minimal research, and gave an underdeveloped
presentation.
Vocabulary
Anasazi
Definition: The name given by the Navajo to those who developed a civilization in the American
Southwest
Context: The Anasazi civilization lasted a millennium from A.D. 100 to 1300.
kiva
Definition: Hopi Indian word meaning “ceremonial room”; a circular, subterranean structure
that is found in Anasazi ruins.
Context: Archaeologists believe that kivas were used for social gatherings.
petroglyph
Definition: A carving or line drawing on rock, especially one made by prehistoric people
Context: Some Anasazi petroglyphs show the sun, moon, and animals.
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Mystic Lands: Anasazi: The Ancient Ones: Teacher’s Guide
4
pictograph
Definition: A picture representing a word or idea; a hieroglyph
Context: Outlines of human hands on rock walls are well-known Anasazi pictographs.
Pueblo
Definition: Native Americans, including the Hopi, Zuñi, and Taos, who are considered the
descendants of the Anasazi
Context: The Pueblo people live in the same region as their Anasazi ancestors.
sipapu
Definition: Small crater often found toward the center of the kiva
Context: The sipapu may symbolize the entrance to the underworld and the birthplace of the
Anasazi.
Academic Standards
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL)
McREL’s Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education
addresses 14 content areas. To view the standards and benchmarks, visit http://www.mcrel.org/.
This lesson plan addresses the following national standards:
•
Geography—Human Systems: Understands the nature and complexity of Earth’s cultural
mosaics
•
Language Arts—Viewing: Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret
visual media; Reading: Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a
variety of informational texts
The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS)
NCSS has developed national guidelines for teaching social studies. To become a member of NCSS,
or to view the standards online, go to http://www.socialstudies.org.
This lesson plan addresses the following thematic standards:
•
Culture
•
Time, Continuity, and Change
•
People, Places, and Environment
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Mystic Lands: Anasazi: The Ancient Ones: Teacher’s Guide
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Support Materials
Develop custom worksheets, educational puzzles, online quizzes, and more with the free teaching tools
offered on the Discoveryschool.com Web site. Create and print support materials, or save them to a
Custom Classroom account for future use. To learn more, visit
•
http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/teachingtools.html
DVD Content
This program is available in an interactive DVD format. The following information and activities are
specific to the DVD version.
How To Use the DVD
The DVD starting screen has the following options:
Play Video—This plays the video from start to finish. There are no programmed stops, except by
using a remote control. With a computer, depending on the particular software player, a pause
button is included with the other video controls.
Video Index—Here the video is divided into seven parts (see below), indicated by video thumbnail
icons. Watching all parts in sequence is similar to watching the video from start to finish. Brief
descriptions and total running times are noted for each part. To play a particular segment, press
Enter on the remote for TV playback; on a computer, click once to highlight a thumbnail and read
the accompanying text description and click again to start the video.
Curriculum Units—These are specially edited video segments pulled from different sections of the
video (see below). These nonlinear segments align with key ideas in the unit of instruction. They
include onscreen pre- and post-viewing questions, reproduced below in this Teacher’s Guide. Total
running times for these segments are noted. To play a particular segment, press Enter on the TV
remote or click once on the Curriculum Unit title on a computer.
Standards Link—Selecting this option displays a single screen that lists the national academic
standards the video addresses.
Teacher Resources—This screen gives the technical support number and Web site address.
Video Index
I. The Mystery of the Anasazi (2 min.)
A great culture once thrived in America’s arid Southwest, but it vanished 700 years ago. Only ruins
and the spiritual beliefs of their descendants tell the tale of the Ancient Ones.
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Mystic Lands: Anasazi: The Ancient Ones: Teacher’s Guide
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II. The Cliff Palace Ruins (3 min.)
The discovery of the Cliff Palace ruins in 1888 offered proof of the Anasazi, or Ancient Ones, who
had been spoken of in Pueblo and Navajo legends. Who were the builders of these mysterious
dwellings?
III. The Four Corners: Geography of the Anasazi (5 min.)
The Anasazi lived in the American Southwest, in the area known as Four Corners, from A.D. 100 to
1300. The civilization appears to have ended quickly, but some Pueblo people believe the ruins are
still inhabited by the spirits of their ancestors.
IV. Spiritual Symbols of the Anasazi (5 min.)
Anasazi beliefs can be explored by examining rock carvings called petroglyphs. Images on their
pottery are also revealing. Religious meeting places called kivas feature the sipapu, a crater
believed to be the entrance to the spirit world.
V. The Creation Story (3 min.)
The Pueblo people of today still tell the Anasazi creation story. The Ancient Ones believed they
emerged from the underworld through the sipapu, bringing offerings to the sun in gratitude for the
light.
VI. Chaco Canyon (5 min.)
One theory of the Anasazi’s disappearance is that the people were constantly migrating in search of
their spiritual “center place.” Evidence—including ancient roads—suggests Chaco Canyon may
have been a spiritual center for the Anasazi.
VII. Monumental Ruins and Modern Pueblo Spirituality (2 min.)
Magnificent ruins and pottery shards appear to be all that is left of the Anasazi, but the Pueblo
people believe their ancestors’ spirits live on.
Curriculum Units
1. The Discovery of the Ancient Ones
Pre-viewing question
Q: From what ancient people do the Pueblo claim descent?
A: The Anasazi
Post-viewing question
Q: Who discovered proof of the Anasazi’s existence?
A: Richard Wetherill and Charlie Mason discovered the ruins known as the Cliff Palace in 1888.
2. The Four Corners: Geography of the Anasazi
Pre-viewing question
Q: Where did the Anasazi live?
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Mystic Lands: Anasazi: The Ancient Ones: Teacher’s Guide
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A: Primarily in the Four Corners region of the American Southwest.
Post-viewing question
Q: What is the Four Corners region, and how long did the Anasazi live there?
A: Four Corners ranges across Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, where the “corners” of
the four states meet. The Anasazi are believed to have lived there for a millennium, from about
A.D. 100 to 1300.
3. Spiritual Symbols of the Anasazi
Pre-viewing question
Q: How can scientists learn about the beliefs and culture of an ancient and vanished civilization?
A: By studying architectural ruins, artifacts, and remains.
Post-viewing question
Q: Look at the examples of Anasazi petroglyphs and pictographs shown in the video. What do the
symbols represent?
A: Answers will vary. Symbols for the sun and moon are easy to identify. The dancing flute player,
called Kokopelli, is a fertility symbol that is still meaningful to the Pueblo people. Students should
be encouraged to speculate on the meanings of other symbols.
4. Ceremonial Rooms, Spiritual Gateways
Pre-viewing question
Q: What are examples of communal gathering places in our society?
A: Answers will vary, but may include town halls, churches, or parks.
Post-viewing question
Q: What is the significance of the kiva and the sipapu?
A: Archaeologists believe that kivas, in addition to being ceremonial centers, were used for social
gatherings and as workrooms. Present-day Pueblo people still use kivas in the same ways. The
sipapu is a small crater often found toward the center of the kiva. It symbolizes the entrance to the
underworld and the birthplace of the Anasazi.
5. The Anasazi Creation Story
Pre-viewing question
Q: What is a creation story?
A: A story meant to explain how a people came to exist. Creation stories often contain symbolic
references and reflect the spiritual and cultural beliefs of a people.
Post-viewing question
Q: What is the Anasazi creation story?
A: They believed they emerged from an underworld through the sipapu, a gateway to the spirit
world found inside a kiva; and that upon death, a person’s spirit returns to the underworld.
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Mystic Lands: Anasazi: The Ancient Ones: Teacher’s Guide
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6. The Disappearance of the Anasazi
Pre-viewing question
Q: Why might the Anasazi civilization have vanished?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What are some theories about the Anasazi’s disappearance?
A: A drought might have forced them to leave. Or it could be that the Anasazi were on a continual
spiritual migration, searching for that they called their “spiritual center.”
7. Ancient Roads
Pre-viewing question
Q: If you look at a map and see many roads converging on a place, what might you conclude about
the place?
A: Answers will vary.
Post-viewing question
Q: What might have been the purpose of the many roads into and out of Chaco Canyon?
A: They could have been used for trade, or they could have been the pathways used by pilgrims on
a spiritual journey to the canyon.
Published by Discovery Education. © 2005. All rights reserved.