Investigating an ‘Olas Kii Pithouse teaches students about the use of pithouses and the people who lived in them approximately 1,275 years ago in Arizona, through authentic archaeological and historical inquiry.
Instructions for the Teacher:
The teacher’s document is 32 pages, consisting of background information and four sections corresponding with the student notebook. It includes a brief history of the use of pithouses throughout the Sonoran Desert and the Tohono O’odham who used them. Quadrant maps from the archaeological site of a pithouse at Honey Bee Village, north of Tucson, Arizona are provided for students.
Student Archaeology Notebook:
The student notebook is 32 pages of informational texts authored by and about a member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, and data collection sheets for an authentic archaeological site. Mr. Samuel Fayuant, a Tohono O’odham person whose ancestors lived in pithouses, guides students through the investigation. Through archaeology, students discover artifacts and infer how the geographic area of central and southern Arizona shaped the ‘Olas Kii Pithouse.
