One 45-minute class periods
This lesson can be used in conjunction with Lesson
1: Poverty Point Earthworks: Evolutionary Milestones of the Americas,
or separately. If used in conjunction with the first lesson, the
Poverty Point film need not be shown again. The time allotment
would be one 45-minute class period.
When we think of ancient cultures in the New World, the Mayans,
Aztecs, and Incas come to mind. Yet here in Louisiana lies evidence
of a culture that extends back as far as 1350 BC. The prehistoric
people of Poverty Point created an earthen structure so immense
that it was unrecognizable from the ground. In the 1950’s,
an aerial photograph was discovered that pictured huge earthen
ridges and mounds that were not a product of natural geological
formation.
Through the activities in this lesson, students will examine
the structures and artifacts of Poverty Point in order to understand
the cultural aspects of North American prehistoric people, their
development in relationship to the world wide emergence of other
cultures, and the role of archeologists in preserving our past.
With the use of web sites, film and text, the students will
compare and contrast our prehistoric culture with other familiar
early cultures around the world.
Social Studies,
History
The student will:
• Compare and contrast the Poverty Point civilization’s
emergence with that of other early civilizations.
• Construct a model of Poverty Point earthworks through
an analysis of the site.
• Create artifacts and jewelry similar to that of the Poverty
Point inhabitants.
United States History Standards for grades 5-12
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/nchs/standards/worldera1.html
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/nchs/standards/worldera2.html
Standard 1A: Analyze how the natural environments of
the Tigris-Euphrates, Nile, and Indus valleys shaped the early
development of civilization.
Standard 1B: Analyze how the natural environments of
the Tigris-Euphrates, Nile, and Indus valleys shaped the early
development of civilization.
Standard 2B: Compare the climate and geography of the
Huang He (Yellow River) valley with the natural environments
of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus valley.
Louisiana Social Studies Content
Standards
http://www.doe.state.la.us/DOE/asps/home.asp
Geography: Physical and Cultural Systems
Students develop a spatial understanding of Earth’s surface
and the processes that shape it, the connections between people
and places, and the relationship between man and his environment.
Places and Regions
G-1B-M1: Explaining and analyzing both the physical and
human phenomena associated with specific places, including precipitation
and settlement patterns.
G-1B-M4: Describing and explaining how personal interests,
culture, and technology affect people’s perceptions and
uses of places and regions.
Environment and Safety
G-1D-M1: Analyzing and evaluating the effects of human
actions upon the physical environment.
Historical Thinking Skills
H-1A-M1: Describing chronological relationships and patterns
H-1C-M1: Describing the earliest human communities.
Louisiana History
H-1D-M1: Describing the contributions of people, events,
movements and ideas that have been significant in the history
of Louisiana.
Video:
Poverty Point Earthworks: Evolutionary Milestones of the
Americas
Web sites:
Poverty Point Earthworks: Evolutionary Milestones of the
Americas
http://www.lpb.org/programs/povertypoint/pp_transcript.html
This Web site examines the ancient earthworks of the Poverty
Point Native Americans, a development that may have begun 6,500
years ago. Archeologists discuss where and why the mounds were
developed, the artifacts found, and the possible lifestyle of
these people.
http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/indexlife.html
This web site provides information on the ancient civilizations
of Egypt, Greece, Rome, India, China, and the NW Pacific Coast
Indians. It is an informative and amusing collection of facts,
stories, and other information that is easily and quickly attainable
to the middle school student.
Hyperhistory
http://www.hyperhistory.com
This Web site offers timelines, maps, and links to cultures,
their histories and photographs of these civilizations.
• Pencil and paper
• Question and answer sheets for film viewing
For each group of 4-5 students:
• Long thin strip of paper for a time line (cash register
rolls can be found at an office supply store)
• Mexican clay or Playdough
• Laminated maps of Poverty Point
• World Map
Prior to this lesson, bookmark the Web sites used in the lesson
on each computer. View film and set it to the spot to be viewed.
Prepare the hands-on element of the lesson
by:
1. Making index cards with the names
of early civilizations on each one (Egypt, Greece, Rome, India,
China, and NW Pacific Indians).
Instructions on the card will direct the student to:
a. find the book marked site on the internet and print one picture
of the assigned civilization.
b. identify the time period of the civilization.
c. compile a minimum of five facts illustrating that civilization’s
individuality.
d. place the picture and facts on the time line.
2. Prepare time line by marking off years beginning with 10,000
BC to 2000 AD mark 2000 AD as the present. Tape to wall or chalkboard.
3. Divide clay or play dough into enough for each group to make
a small relief to recreate the Poverty Point mounds.
4. Laminate Poverty Point maps for clay relief work.
5. Divide clay in individual portions for each child in each
group to make artifacts and jewelry.
If this lesson is done in conjunction with lesson one, the introductory
activity can be deleted. Go to Activity #1
and proceed.
1. Pass out xeroxed pictures of artifacts
of ancient peoples. Ask your students to examine the pictures
and offer suggestions on the items’ purpose, age, and location
of the possible sites. Are these people hunters and gatherers,
or have they progressed enough to establish villages? What kind
of culture do you think they may have had?
2. Following this discussion, define what
an archeologist, geoscientist, and historic site manager are
and the purpose of their work. Introduce a picture of the Poverty
Point site and the names of the archeologists and geoscientist
that worked it.
Poverty Point is a very large earthwork
development formed by Louisiana Native Americas as far back
as 6,500 years ago. The site was abandoned 3,300 years ago.
It wasn’t until the 1840’s, about twenty years before
the civil war, an explorer by the name of Jacob Walters was
looking or lead ore and found the first reported Native American
artifacts at Poverty Point. In the 1950’s an old aerial
photograph was found that showed man-made earthen mounds. They
were so big, no one standing on the ground could have seen that
they formed a specific shape and purpose. Today we are going
to hear from four professionals that have worked to understand
the Poverty Point Site and its history. Two of the men are archeologists.
These are people who scientifically study the life and culture
of ancient peoples. Their names are Robert Connolly, Ph.D. and
Jon Gibson, Ph.D. One professional, Robert Saucier, is a geoscientist
studying the earth, how it was formed in northern Louisiana,
and how that relates to the location of the Poverty Point mounds.
The fourth individual in this team is Dennis LaBatt, an historic
site manager. His job is to oversee the excavations and protect
the site from harm.
3. The teacher will pass out the question
forms that will be answered while watching the film and read
over them with the students. The questions will include:
• How old are the earthforms?
• In what shape are the earthforms?
• If the ridges were straightened and laid end to end,
how long would they be?
• What possible purpose did the thirty-seven acre plaza
serve?
• What explanation is there for the deep pits found on
the western side of the plaza?
• Where did the Poverty Point people get copper and stones?
• Their houses were probably constructed from what materials?
• What did the people eat?
• What destroyed any evidence of housing?
• What did they hunt with?
• How was the food cooked?
• What animal was symbolic for the Poverty Point culture?
• What does a certain type of jewelry indicate in this
culture?
Corresponding answers are attached.
4. The students will view the film and answer
questions. Feel free to stop the film at any time to make a
significant point or to answer a student’s question.
5. The students will discuss the data gathered
from the film. The Poverty Point Earthworks: Evolutionary
Milestones of the Americas website will be provided
on the Internet for exploration and review. The students are
encouraged to check their answers and provide additional material.
The teacher will explain the following activities to the groups.
The groups are to take turns on the computer or computers researching
the assigned civilization. If a computer lab is available, the
students can individually research the material and plan the
time line presentation in the classroom. The students that must
wait for the computer will begin the Activity
#2 and move on through the other activities until computer
time is available.
Activity # 1
The students will use the book marked history websites to research
the assigned civilization, gather five interesting facts that
illustrate the culture, and print out a picture illustrating
what archaeologists have found.
Activity # 2
The students will use information from the Poverty Point web
site to create a relief map of the earthworks, show where the
deep holes are located, and be ready to explain possible uses
of the formations.
Activity # 3
The students will recreate jewelry and artifacts of Poverty
Point and or their assigned early civilization from clay. They
will then be prepared to present the artifacts and their significance.
The groups will place a picture of their assigned civilization
on the appropriate place on the world map. They will then present
the parallel time lines comparing and contrasting the emergence
of these familiar civilizations. Each group will explain what
they learned about their assigned culture and how it differs
from the Poverty Point culture. They will exhibit the relief
map of Poverty Point and describe how this culture grew up in
response to the inhabitants needs. The groups will illustrate
how and why they chose to make the artifacts and jewelry.
The teacher will guide the students through
the presentations pointing out that all the cultures developed
near fresh water and in an area that crops could be grown. Questions
will be presented asking why we know more about the other civilizations
than we do about Poverty Point.(answer: We have no written history
that has survived. Perhaps because their means of communication
was on a material that would have decomposed.) Compare how early
the Chinese civilizations developed compared to the others on
the time lines. Were there earlier cultures before the Grecian,
Roman, and Egyptian that we explored? (answer: Yes, we do not
as much information because of a lack of written information
because of the development of that culture.)
LANGUAGE ARTS: Historical fiction paragraph including the five
senses and facts on Poverty Point. Have the students include
metaphors, similes, and personification to enhance the descriptive
aspect.
MATHEMATICS: Seventy-one metric tons of foreign flint was found
at the Poverty Point site. If a Native American raft or canoe
can carry 200 pounds of flint, how many trading trips would
100 canoes have to make?
TECHNOLOGY/SOCIAL STUDIES: Research other early civilizations,
basics about their culture, and how long each lasted. Make parallel
time lines in order to compare and contrast civilizations and
explore the meaning of B.C. and A.D. Make a trading card with
a draw program by copying pictures from the internet and writing
pertinent facts.
VISUAL ARTS: Make a relief map of the Poverty Point Area. Design
jewelry from clay similar to the jewelry of these Native Americans.
Construct a village on an earthform where it will be safe from
flooding.
• Field trip to Poverty Point
• Visit a local museum to investigate an evidence of ancient
people from the immediate area.
• Invite archaeologists, geologists, and historians to
speak to the class about the migration and development of ancient
peoples in the Americas.
