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The beautiful, rugged canyons and mesas of  Canyons of the Ancients National Monument  have supported many people from many cultures for thousands of years.  Alcove dwellings, pottery sherds, stone tools, petroglyphs, and homesteads all offer clues about the people who have lived here.  More than 20 tribes as well as Spanish explorers, ranchers, and homesteaders have all woven their histories into the land.  More recently, archaeologists have come to learn about those who came before while recreationists and artists have come just to find inspiration in the rare combination of history and natural beauty that defines the Monument.  Each group and indeed, each person, views this place from a unique perspective.

“I don’t think that people consider the perspectives that others may have on a beloved landscape,” author Teresa Cohn commented.  “My hope (in writing this book) is that people will understand Canyons of the Ancients National Monument from perspectives other than their own.  There are many layers of relationship to this landscape.”

Ms. Cohn, a Colorado native and author of Getting to Know Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, carries a deep connection to the canyons of Southwest Colorado herself.  She worked as an educational intern at Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, a premier archaeological and education research institution in the Four Corners area, and enjoyed getting to know the region from the ground up.  Ms. Cohn met many people from many different cultures who shared her connection to the same landscape, but in very different ways.  Her goal in writing Getting to Know Canyon of the Ancients National Monument was to understand how people connect to this place from their divergent cultural and historical perspectives.

The book is the result of dozens of interviews with Native Americans, ranchers, homesteaders, archaeologists, geologists, recreationalists, artists, and land managers.  It is a unique combination of stories, photographs, and original artwork; together the elements depict peoples’ intimate tie to the land.  Basic information about Canyons of the Ancients National Monument guides visitors through this harsh but ruggedly beautiful canyon country administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.  A series of educational activities that can be accomplished in the classroom or on the Monument help educators of all types highlight the Monument’s cultural and natural resources and show students how to be effective stewards.

“It was an honor to be a conduit for people’s stories about this wonderful land,” Ms. Cohn concludes.  “It was a privilege to spend more time in a place that I love.

This guide supplements Intrigue of the Past: A Teacher’s Activity Guide for Fourth through Seventh Grades. The interdisciplinary lessons within Discovering Archaeology in Wyoming facilitate literacy instruction across the content areas while also promoting the development of critical thinking skills. Lessons include problem solving, scientific inquiry, observation-inference, cooperative learning, and citizenship skills as students learn about the people of Wyoming’s past and present. Students learn about specific archaeological sites, the artifacts discovered at them, and how the information demonstrates what life was like for early groups in Wyoming. Developing an understanding of the importance of stewardship of archaeological sites through the appreciation of the lives of people who previously occupied Wyoming is the goal. Archaeology, an interdisciplinary field, provides a natural integration of science with language arts, mathematics, social studies, and history. The interdisciplinary lessons within   Discovering Archaeology in Wyoming  facilitate literacy instruction across the content areas while also promoting the development of critical thinking skills. 

Intrigue of the Past: Discovering Archaeology in Wyoming is published by the Bureau of Land Management’s Heritage Program, Project Archaeology. Supports the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, and Science.

This guide supplements  Intrigue of the Past: A Teacher’s Activity Guide for Fourth through Seventh Grades. The interdisciplinary lessons within Discovering Archaeology in New Mexico facilitate literacy instruction across the content areas while also promoting the development of critical thinking skills.  Lessons include problem solving, scientific inquiry, observation-inference, cooperative learning, and citizenship skills as students learn about the people of New Mexico’s past and present.  This curriculum uses information about different groups of people residing in New Mexico throughout history.  Developing an understanding of the importance of stewardship of archaeological sites through the appreciation of the lives of people who previously occupied New Mexico is the goal.  Archaeology, an interdisciplinary field, provides a natural integration of science with language arts, mathematics, social studies, and history. The interdisciplinary lessons within Discovering Archaeology in New Mexico facilitate literacy instruction across the content areas while also promoting the development of critical thinking skills.  

Intrigue of the Past: Discovering Archaeology in New Mexico is published by the Bureau of Land Management’s Heritage Education Program, Project Archaeology. Supports the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, and Science.

This guide supplements  Intrigue of the Past: A Teacher’s Activity Guide for Fourth through Seventh Grades. The interdisciplinary lessons within Discovering Archaeology in Colorado facilitate literacy instruction across the content areas while also promoting the development of critical thinking skills. Lessons include problem solving, scientific inquiry, observation-inference, cooperative learning, and citizenship skills as students learn about the people of Colorado’s past and present. Students learn about different archaeological sites throughout Colorado such as sites with rock art, bison kill sites and early villages or towns. Developing an understanding of the importance of stewardship of archaeological sites through the appreciation of the lives of people who previously occupied Colorado is the goal. Archaeology, an interdisciplinary field, provides a natural integration of science with language arts, mathematics, social studies, and history. The interdisciplinary lessons within  Discovering Archaeology in Colorado  facilitate literacy instruction across the content areas while also promoting the development of critical thinking skills. 

Intrigue of the Past: Discovering Archaeology in Colorado was published by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). It was a joint project between the BLM, Colorado Heritage Society, the Southwest Board of Cooperative Services, Cortez, and the San Juan Board of Cooperative Services, Durango. Supports the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts and Literacy in History/Social Studies, and Science.