Activity 1:

Where do we live? What type of building do you live in? What kinds of dwellings do your family and friends live in? Is it a tenement? A high-rise apartment building, or a private house? Think of all the different types of dwellings that we, New Yorkers, live in. Go to http://www.desertusa.com/ind1/du_peo_ana.html At the bottem of the page, you will find a clickable list of links to Anasazi archaeological sites. Where did the Ancient Anasazi live? Click and explore the links, enlarge images, when you can. Use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the dwellings of New Yorkers with the Anasazi. Be sure to consider such factors as community, safety, convenience, and family.

Activity 2:

A lot of communities have a center. It may come in the form of a town green, a square, or, unfortunately, a mall. What's the center of your community or neighborhood? Why? One of the centers of an Ancient Anasazi community was the Great Kiva. Are you ready to take a tour of one without having to leave your living room (or classroom). Go to http://sipapu.gsu.edu/. Click Prehistoric Anasazi Architecture. Take time to click and wxplore all parts of the kiva. There are many interactive parts to your tour. Can you think of similar institutions in other cultures?

Activity 3:

Climate + Culture = Clothing. If you think about that equation, it's true. We cpnsider our culture: our traditions, beliefs and practices, combine that with our climate, and voila, we have our clothing. The same is true for housing. Transportation and materials has blurred this equation somewhat, but historically, this is very true. Go to http://www.swparks.com/us/travel/colorado/mesaverdepics.html,, and click to enlarge each image. Although this national park is in Colorado, and technically not a part of te Southwest, this site typifies Anasazi cliff dwellings that can be found throughtout Arizona and New mexico. Take a careful look at the relationship between the architecture, and the environment and climate. Develop a flow chart that an Anasazi tribe would follow in constructing such a village. Be sure to start at the very beginning by selecting an appropriate site to collecting materials to the finished product.

Activity 4:

Native American dwellings, throughout what is now the United States, are directly related to the physical environment of a particular tribe. The Plains Indians primarily used the tipi due to their mobility and the availability of buffalo hides. The Iroquois of New York lived in longhouses, which is reflective of their wooded environment. The same is true for the Anasazi. The Ansaszi buitl their cliff dwellings out of adobe, a readily available material in a hot, arid, desert environment. Our adobe is going to be paper mache: flour, water, and a 'dab' of Elmer's glue-not to thick, not ot thin. Collect an assortment of different size boxes: shoeboxes, school milk cartons... Choose, maybe, a shoebox as your base. Assemble and tape your boxes in a huddled sort of way, refer to http://www.swparks.com/us/travel/colorado/mesaverdepics.html It is this style of cloff dwelling we're looking to replicate. Lay your paper meched strips of newspaper over the boxes. After they have dried, paint the dwelling light brown, add windows and wooden support's as appropriate.

Activity 5:

We've all seen the before and after hotos of people who have gone from thinning hair to a big fluffy mop. What was the before and after picture of the Anasazi? The Anasazi were an ancient people who gave birth to th Pueblo Nations. We are going to track their development from a nomadic, hunter-gatherer society to an agrarian society. Fold a piece of paper into thirds: three columns. In the first column, we will record the characteristics of the Anasazi as hunter-gathers. In the second column, we will focous on the events that caused the evolution into a more sedentary lifestyle. In the thrid column, we will record the characteristics of the Anasazi society. Use CD-ROM encyclopedias or the internet as resources.

Activity 6:

You have been designated the honor of being the chief architect for the construction of a new pueblo. it is your responsibility that your design proves to be successful one. The livelihood of your community is in your hands. There are a number of factors that you must consider: water source, crops, community, protection, and nearby landforms. Take a careful look at a physical map of the Southwest, and select a location. Mark it on the map. Using a drawing or painting program, design the layout of your pueblo. Be sure that it is will illustrated and detailed. Give it a good name, too!