Communities Through Time, Lesson Plan 2 for Castle Rock Pueblo: A Trip Through Time

CASTLE ROCK PUEBLO: A TRIP THROUGH TIME
Lesson Plan Two: Communities Through Time

Concepts
Time lines and chronology

Skills
Reading comprehension, organization, synthesis, cooperation, oral presentation

Time Required
Approximately 4 hours; may be adapted to several short periods

Materials

Scissors/exacto knives
Cardboard or poster board
Construction paper
Glue
Access to Castle Rock Pueblo: A Trip Through Time on the Crow Canyon Web site (https://www.crowcanyon.org/castlerocktrip)

Vocabulary
Time line

Background
The electronic field trips represent Castle Rock Pueblo during three different time periods. The changes that took place in this location in the A.D. 1200s, 1800s, and 1990s illustrate the vibrant history of southwestern Colorado. The class will visit Castle Rock Pueblo electronically via Crow Canyon's Web site to experience more than 800 years of history at this ancient village.

Once the class has visited the pueblo on the Internet, they will explore the history of this archaeological site using time lines as chronological organizers and powerful visual tools.

Procedure
1. Explain the concept of time lines to the students. Discuss why time lines are useful tools for ordering historical information. Brainstorm different ways to structure a time line. Should a time line always be strictly linear? Can it be circular? Could it be organized like a calendar or the face of a clock? To introduce the time-line concept to younger students, ask them to create a time line of their day.

2. Instruct the students to read Castle Rock Pueblo: A Trip Through Time. As the students travel through time on their computer, use the study guides to encourage them to take notes about the history of Castle Rock Pueblo.

3. Once the students have read all three electronic field trips, ask them to construct a time line for the history of the pueblo. Students can work in small groups.

4. Ask the students to create a visual presentation for their time line. Students can make their own drawings or graphics on the computer to use in their report.

Closure
Ask students or student groups to present their time lines to the rest of the class. Evaluate which time-line formats worked well.

Evaluation
Time-line presentations

Extensions
1. The subject of the time line project can be driven by the students' own interests. Examples are a family oral history, a history of the local train system, or a study of an historic building. Ask the students to choose a local, historical topic that they would like to research for a project.

2. For an interesting comparison, have students select a different geographic area (for example, Alaska, London, or Boston) and construct a time line for the same period (A.D. 1200–2000). The comparison will help students understand the history of Castle Rock Pueblo within a broader context.

Visit the Learning Center at www.crowcanyon.org