We have a new curriculum to announce: Investigating a Wintu Roundhouse!
DISCOVER
Students will have the opportunity to analyze real data from this archaeological site in California. Using a four part model, students will go through the geography of California to understand how landscape impact shelters. They will gain historical context to better understand the time period and those living in it. Students will have the ability to interact with and recreate the archaeological site in their very own classroom. Finally, they will understand how these roundhouses in northern California are still used today by the Wintu people.
EXAMINE
Within this investigation, Project Archaeology has included illustrations, artifacts, and maps of a Wintu roundhouse that is located in Redding, California. To best understand these included materials, the classroom is led through the investigation by Ted Dawson, a Nor Rel Muk Wintu ethnobotanist and educator. To supplement their understanding, students will then analyze historic records. They will also uncover a real archaeological site and classify its artifacts. Finally, through their furthered understanding of local geography, students will be able to understand how the landscape of northern California shaped the design choices of the Wintu roundhouse.
EXPLORE
With this investigation, students will be able to explore many different facets of archaeology, such as how the same kind of roundhouses as they analyzed in the archaeological data are used today. They will also gain insight into different cultures by reading texts by and about Wintu tribal members. Like all of Project Archaeology’s curriculum, Investigating a Wintu Roundhouse supports Common Core State Standards and incorporates authentic data for students to analyze.
POST BY: By Kate Hodge, Public Education Coordinator, September 2020