5th-6th Grade Students

Broadcast Journalism students from Howe Public Schools will lead students from other schools on an American treasure hunt, comparable to Egypt’s King Tut’s Tomb, as the story of Native American mound builders and modern-day treasure hunters collide.  Howe students will lead the exploration of Spiro Mounds in eastern Oklahoma, considered by archaeologists to be one of the most important pre-Columbian sites in the United States.  Students in grades 5-6 and grades 9-10 are invited on this virtual “archeological adventure” that spans from A.D. 1200, the height of the Mississippian culture, to the early 20th century, the time when most of our student’s grandparents were born.

This Spiro Mounds story of unearthed treasure by unemployed miners is unlike no other in the Unites States.  Extraordinary, well-preserved artifacts lay untouched for thousands of years, buried deep within a mound chamber near present-day, Spiro, Oklahoma.  The mounds respected by area citizens as Native American burial grounds, were eventually looted during 1933-1935.  Many of the artifacts that were looted wound up in private collections; however, the Smithsonian, as well as, the Oklahoma Museum of Natural History obtained pieces over the years.  

Howe Public Schools hopes to create a virtual learning partnership with each school, expanding the interest of Pre-Columbian history in the student’s own communities and state.  The success of this collaboration can inspire the participating school to one day develop a Virtual Field Trip to a historical site close to their geographical location, possibly another mound site.

By completing this Virtual Field Trip, students will be able to:

1) Understand the Mississippian culture and the significance of the Spiroan people.

2) Recognize the importance of stratigraphy in archeology.

4) Identify artifacts from the Mississippian culture.

5) Understand how geography and climate influenced the way Spiroan people lived; and

6) Evaluate the impact of native economies on their religions, arts, shelters, and cultures.

(For students with internet access during the VFT)

Two weeks prior to the VFT, the participating teacher should email Mrs. Parks a student list for enrollment in the Moodle site.  The students will be encouraged to be logged in to the Moodle VFT classroom during the VFT for access to several interactive modules, including:

1)   The “Dr. Dirt” chat room - where students can post their questions on the fly.

2. 2) The “Interactive Excavation” chat room - where students in teams can post questions to their Team Lead Students back in Howe.
   

3. 3) The “Excavation FIndings” journal
   

4. 4) The participant blog
   

5. 5)  The student online survey.
   
   

One week prior to the trip, the participating teacher will receive an interactive jello-mold excavation kit.  Instructions will be included to create multiple three-layer jello molds for teams of students. 
Lesson Overview:

Students will learn how archeologists excavate sites by doing their own excavation on a jello mold. 

Objectives: Students will 

1. Use a grid to map objects in a jello mold 

2. Look at three layers of jello to understand stratigraphy in archeology 

We encourage the teacher and students to read the Spiro Mounds: Pre-Historic Gateway, Present Day Enigma Passage on the Moodle site.  This content will give participants general background information of the Spiro Mounds and will encourage higher-order thinking when developing questions for our team.  The Moodle site contains numerous activities that could be done in the classroom prior to the VFT.  These include: Vocabulary Fun, Jumbled Words, Hangman, Learn about our school links, Spiro Mounds Jeopardy game, How’s the weather in Howe?, etc.

Five supplemental activities are listed in the Moodle classroom including:

1. 1) creating a model of a Spiro village
   

2. 2) making a three-dimensional map or chart of the Spiro trade network
   

3. 3)Classroom archaeologist
   

4. 4)writing a story describing your life as a farmer living near the mounds. 
   

5. 5) mound builders forum research

The participating school is encouraged to contact us at anytime prior to and after the VFT.  We can be reached via email at the link above, by I.P., or at 918.658.2372.  Participating students are encouraged to use the messaging option in Moodle to contact the student team prior to and after the VFT.  We want to make the VFT a success for all the students involved.

The virtual field trip content is aligned to both State and National standards in English, Science, Social Studies and U.S. History.

View a detailed description of the National Standards addressed. National Standards.doc

   1.  Welcome and Introduction of VFT Team - by Dr. Dirt

   2. All About Howe - in the studio with Lindsay McCown

   3. A Visit to the Spiro Mounds Archeology Park Video by LM/CR

   4. Introduction to Spiro Mounds with Samantha Carter

   5. Burials and Excavations with Samantha Carter

   6. Jello Mold Excavation with “Dr. Dirt” and his lovely assistant “Lucy Looter”

   7. The Excavation Connection with Mr. Dennis Peterson

   8. Spiro Mound Artifacts with Ashley Scroggins

   9. Climate Changes with Lindsay McCown

  10. Spiro Mounds Update with Ashley Scroggins

  11. Q and A with Dr. Dirt and his VFT team

Additional supplemental hands-on activities are listed in the Moodle classroom including:

1. 1)Corn Grinding Enrichment Activity
   

2. 2)Archaeology Lab Exercise