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PROJECT ABSTRACT
Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit
(Cooperative Agreement # H1200-09-005)
Park:
Mesa Verde National Park
Project Title:
Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum:
Upgrade Lobby & Lobby Exhibits
Upgrade Information Desk Exhibits
Funding Amount:
$17,750.00
CPCESU Partner Institution:
Northern Arizona University – Flagstaff, AZ
Principal Investigator (name, title, address, telephone, FAX, email):
Joelle Clark
Professional Development Coordinator
Anthropology Department
Northern Arizona University
P.O. Box 15200
Flagstaff, AZ 86011
Co-Investigator (name, title, address, telephone, FAX, email):
NA
NPS Key Official (name, title, address, telephone, FAX, email):
Tessy Shirakawa
Chief of Visitor Services
P.O. Box 8
Mesa Verde NP, CO 81330
970-529-4628 phone
970-529-4637 fax
tessy_shirakawa@nps.gov
Start Date:
July 1, 2010
End Date:
April 1, 2012
ABSTRACT:
Project Description
Review, evaluate, critique and test with park visitor students One Planet Education
Network’s (OPEN) Virtual Mesa Verde Virtual 3D Online Learning Environment, by
entering through the portal via an onsite kiosk at Mesa Verde, and navigating through the
US school standards-based learning program.
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The 3D Online Learning Environment of Virtual Mesa Verde was developed by OPEN in
partnership with the U.S. Department of Education Institute for Educational Sciences
(IES) and Indiana University, School of Education, and Mesa Verde National Park. The
goal of this evaluative project is for a third-party in Northern Arizona University
CPCESU partner to:

Review, evaluate, and critique the curriculum and storyline narrative within the
Virtual Mesa Verde 3D Online Learning Environment for factual and content
accuracy in portraying the park and park history.

Provide liaison with the Hopi Tribe to assure accurate interpretation of Hopi
culture and ancestral connection to Mesa Verde National Park.
 Provide an evaluation of student, parent and teacher interaction with the Virtual
Mesa Verde 3D Learning Environment onsite in a live environment within Mesa
Verde National Park.
Justifications
The park has been working with One Planet Education Network (OPEN) to develop a
highly engaging, educationally sound, and accurate interactive 3D online education
learning environment based on Mesa Verde National Park, and its human and natural
histories.
This interdisciplinary program is targeted for both home education and for classrooms
(currently U.S. grades 4-8th) for young students to learn more and gain a deeper
appreciation of Mesa Verde National Park. The curriculum encompasses social studies,
science, and literacy (including technology literacy), and meets national educational
standards, which include the development of 21st century skill sets for our young
students. This pilot project will provide an evaluative assessment of the programs
educational content, and the longer-term goal for widescale cooperative marketing to the
home learning, schools, and other national parks in the U.S. and internationally.
Measurable Results:
The primary goals of this program will be to measure scientific and historical accuracy of
Virtual Mesa Verde 3D learning environment, assess the storyline and curriculum content
to ensure that accurately portrays the Hopi culture and its ancestral connection to the
Mesa Verde National Park region, and the story and history of Mesa Verde National
Park. It will also measure the interest and engagement of the students, parents and
teachers who experience the introductory mission via the onsite kiosk educational portal.
Keywords:
The “virtual Mesa Verde” project integrates the following keywords:
Air/Weather/Noise
impacts on Ecosystem
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Animals
Birds
Mammals
Cultural Resources
Native American
Modeling
Historic Sites
Management
GIS/Spatial Data/Tabular Data
3D Survey
Modeling
Archiving
Digital Preservation of Spruce Tree House Cliff Dwellings via Cyark
Global Change/Climatology
Social and Economic Issues
Climatology
Effects on Plant Communities
Effects on Animal Communities
Soil
Social and Economic Issues
Erosion
Miscellaneous (dryland farming during times of drought during cliff
dwelling building era 13th century A.D.)
Hydrology
Miscellaneous (springs)
Vegetation
Social and economic issues
Miscellaneous (historical during drought 1260-1285 approximately)
Keywords (see list at http://home.nau.edu/cpcesu/projectplanning.asp).