Amy Henry
Adina Groves
Amber Zimmer
ED 629-01
Middle Childhood Social Studies
Curriculum, Materials, and Philosophy
Social Studies Technology Project
A Social Studies Lesson
People in Society:
The Fort Ancient People
Grade Four
Benchmark: People in Society
Culture: #1. Describe the cultural practices
and products of various groups who have
settled in Ohio over time:
a. The Paleo Indians, Archiac
Indians, Woodland Indians (Adena and
Hopewell) and Late Prehistoric Indians
(Fort Ancient)
Unit
Studying the culture of the
Late Prehistoric Indians known as the Fort
Ancient people
How long? 2 weeks
Where? Sunwatch & classroom
Content
Students will be studying the Fort Ancient
peoples through classroom work and field
experiences at Sunwatch Village in
Dayton, Ohio in order to meet objectives.
 Vocabulary –beans calendar corn daub
Fort Ancient hearth post hole prairie solar
squash sunflower SunWatch thatch

Objective
Students will describe the cultural practices
and products of the Fort Ancient people
who settled in Ohio over time
Students will learn the objective through their
experiences at SunWatch Indian Village in
Dayton, Ohio.
Materials: Notebook for recording data
Pen or pencil
*Additional materials are listed for each student
activity.
Our Trip to Sunwatch
Our Trip to Sunwatch
Watching the Video!
Our Trip to Sunwatch
Matt and a Fort Ancient Chief
Our Trip to Sunwatch
Ancient Vegetation (that
is still around today).
Our Trip to Sunwatch
Our Trip to Sunwatch
Wooden Pole, which used the sunlight to indicate time/seasons. This is
how the group became labeled “Sunwatch”
Our Trip to Sunwatch
Gravesite of a respected member of the Sunwatch community. The
gravesites of the important members were covered in limestone.
Our Trip to Sunwatch
Inside one of the homes
Our Trip to Sunwatch
Our Trip to Sunwatch
Inside the Big House
Our Trip to Sunwatch
Our Trip to Sunwatch
Playing a game that simulated hunting prey. Spear the Rock!
Our Trip to Sunwatch
Student Activities
Next we will discuss a number of
activities that may be used for students
to effectively learn the objective.
Student Activity: Getting ready for
the field trip
Students will complete the word search on
www.sunwatch.org under the activities
section. Then once the search is complete,
students will define all 13 terms.
This word search is used as a starter activity
in order to make sure students are familiar
with the terms that they will hear and
discuss on their field trip to SunWatch.
SunWatch Discovery Tour
Students will take a guided tour of
SunWatch village and learn the culture of
the Fort Ancients. Students will be
expected to take notes on the material
presented.
Materials for SunWatch Discovery
Tour
Notebook to record information
 Pen or pencil
 Camera (optional)

Lifestyles of the Rich and
Prehistoric
Students will learn the culture and lifeways
of the four different cultural periods of
prehistoric Ohio. The main focus will be on
the Fort Ancients, but other groups will
also be discussed.
Materials for Lifestyles of the Rich
and Prehistoric
Notebook to record data
 Pen or pencil

Scavenger Hunt
Students will participate in a scavenger hunt
throughout the SunWatch village. The
items that the students will recover are
products and hints to cultural practices of
the Fort Ancients.
Materials for Scavenger Hunt
Notebook to record discovered items
 Pen or pencil
 Camera (optional)

Archaeological Field Work
Students will use tools to dig up mysteries
of the past Fort Ancient people. Students
will discover cultural practices and
products through their archaeological dig.
Additional Activities for the
Archaeological Field Work
Students will make a prediction before they
begin the dig. The prediction will be based on
what they are expecting to discover using the
knowledge gained during the previous activities.
 Students will record all data during their field
work.
 Students will finally explain what practices and
products they discovered throughout their field
work in their notebook and orally.

Materials for Archaeological Field
Work
Notebook to make predictions, report
data, and explain final discoveries
 Pen or pencil
 Tool for digging will be provided

SunWatch Movie
After the field trip, students will watch the
SunWatch movie from
www.archaelogychannel.org and make
comparison from the movie and what they
saw first hand on the trip.
Interactive Sunwatch Village Game
Students will go to the website, SunWatch
Indian Village Circa 1200 AD, and play the
interactive game that explains more about
life at Sunwatch in 1200 AD.
Interactive Sunwatch Village Game
Materials
Computer with internet access for groups
of students or each student.
Archeology and Record Keeping
Students will become archeologists in this
activity! In partners they will find artifacts laid
out on grid paper at multiple stations and be
asked to accurately describe where the artifact
was found. The students rotate stations and at
the second station groups need to place the
artifact in the exact location it was originally in
based on the previous groups’ description.
Student then check to see how close they
actually were. Repeat this activity at least one
more time so students learn how to document
found artifact as real archeologists do.
Archeology and Record Keeping
Materials
Pen
 Paper
 Grid Paper (5-6 sheets, depending on
group size)
 Artifacts (5-6, depending on the size of
groups)
 Key of where artifacts are originally
planted

WebQuest about Ancient Peoples in
America

An Ancient People From Your Hometown:
Who Were They?: Introduction
Adapt WebQuest for the Fort Ancient
People. This activity asks students to
research the Fort Ancient people and
create a PowerPoint presenting the
research.
WebQuest about Ancient Peoples in
America Materials
Computer access for students with
Microsoft PowerPoint and internet access.
 Research materials (books, encyclopedias,
articles, etc)

Critique of Sunwatch Field Trip
Activity
Have students write a critique/review of their
trip to Sunwatch. Ask them probing questions. Is
Sunwatch worth the trip? What was the best
part? What did you learn? What questions do
you still have? What do you want to research
more about? What didn’t you like? What could
have been better?
A great interdisciplinary unit with Language Arts.
Critique of Sunwatch Field Trip
Activity Materials
Paper
 Pens
 Brainstorming Sheets

Thank-You Letter to Guide at
Sunwatch Activity
Another tie-in with Language Arts! Have
you students express thanks to the
Sunwatch staff. Prompt students to make
this personalized by including specific
parts of the trip that they enjoyed.
Thank-You Letter to Guide at
Sunwatch Activity Materials
Paper
 Pen
 Thank-You Cards
 Format for Thank-You Card
 Stamps (in not delivered by hand)

Evaluation


5 MC- 1. Who were the Fort Ancient people? A. aliens
from Hunrunft B. Native Americans C. English Settlers D.
Mexican Fort Builders.
2. How old is SunWatch
village? A. 100 years B. 12,000 years C. 800 D. 8,000
3. What was the big house used for? A. raising children
B. jail C. storing corn D. town meetings 4. How did they
know when to plant their crops? A. dad told them B.
marked on calendar C. shadows of the poles from the
sun D. after the snow melted 5. What did limestone in
the ground mark? A. the villagers B. animals C. trash
pits D. important members graves
Answers: 1. b 2. c 3. d 4. c 5. d
Evaluation
T or F: There was a woman buried with
the important people of the village.
 T or F: Fort Ancient people grew corn and
squash. Answers: 1. T 2. T
 Short Essay:
 1. How did the SunWatch village get its
name?
 2. Where did the men live when they
married? Why?

Resources

Teacher-
1.
Fort Ancient Cultural Dynamics in the Middle Ohio Valley (Monographs in World
Archaeology, No. 8) (Paperback) by A. Gwynn Henderson (Editor)
2.
3.
The Adena, Hopewell, and Fort Ancient of Ohio (Library Binding)
by Greg Roza (Author)
The Ceramics from the Kramer Village Site by Kyle L. Ullman and Oriol Pi Sunyer
(Paperback - Jul 1985)
4.
5.
The View from Madisonville: Protohistoric Western Fort Ancient Interaction
Patterns by Penelope B. Drooker (Paperback - Jun 1997)
The Moundbuilders:Ancient Peoples of Eastern North America (Ancient Peoples and Places) by
George R. Milner, Thames, Hudson
Student Resources
FOCUS ON U.S. HISTORY
A set of abundantly illustrated activity books spotlights major eras in American history from the Age of Exploration
through Reconstruction. Each book presents a unit overview, objectives, and activities ... more>>>
Reproducibles
NATIVE PEOPLES OF THE AMERICAS
The rich variety of cultures among North American Indian groups can be introduced with the help of these
reproducible activity books. Through readings (what did the False Face Society do?), crafts projects ... more>>>
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Reproducibles
NORTH AMERICAN INDIAN: Eyewitness Books
By David Murdoch. From pueblo dwellers to Inuit hunters, discover the rich cultures of North
American Indians. Stunning full-color photographs offer unique "eyewitness" views: see a
Cheyenne ... more>>>
Books
Resources
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Blood, Charles L. The Goat in the Rug.
Geraldine, a goat, describes how she and a Navajo friend make a rug, from hair clipping to weaving.
Bunting, Eve. Cheyenne Again.
A Cheyenne boy named Young Bull is taken to a boarding school to learn the white man's ways.
Goble, Paul. Death of the Iron Horse.
In 1867, a group of young Cheyenne men derail and raid a freight train.
Lacapa, Kathleen and Michael. Less Than Half, More Than Whole.
A child who is only part Native American is troubled by his mixed racial heritage.
Lyon, George Ella. Dreamplace.
Present-day visitors describe what they see when they visit the pueblos where the Anasazi lived long ago.
Martin, Bill. Knots on a Counting Rope.
Boy-Strength-of-Blue-Horses and his grandfather reminisce about the young boy's life.
Mitchell, Barbara. Red Bird.
Katie, also known as Red Bird, joins her family at the annual powwow in southern Delaware.
Nez, Redwing T. Forbidden Talent.
Ashkii finds that his way of painting is in conflict with what his grandfather calls the "Navajo Way."
Raczek, Linda Theresa. The Night the Grandfathers Danced.
When the boys run away at the Bear Dance, Autumn picks a partner from the old men of the tribe.
Stroud, Virginia. Doesn't Fall Off His Horse.
Grandfather earned his name as a young man when he was wounded in a Kiowa raid on Comanches.
Weisman, Joan. The Storyteller.
New to the city, a Pueblo girl finds a friend in an elderly neighbor with whom she shares stories.
Yolen, Jane. Encounter.
A Taino boy on the island of San Salvador recounts the landing of Columbus and his men in 1492.
Resources
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Chapter Books
Bruchac, Joseph. Children of the Longhouse.
Ohkwa'ri and his twin sister must make peace with a hostile gang of boys in their Mohawk village.
Dorris, Michael. Morning Girl.
Morning Girl witnesses the arrival of the first Europeans to her island.
Durrant, Lynda. Echohawk.
A white boy, adopted and raised by Mohicans in the 1730's, is sent to an English settlement for schooling.
George, Jean Craighead. Julie of the Wolves.
An Eskimo girl who becomes lost on the North Slope of Alaska is befriended by a pack of wolves.
Hamilton, Virginia. Arilla Sun Down.
A half black and half Indian girl lives in a small town, where life centers on family, school, and friends.
Hamm, Diane Johnston. Daughter of Suqua.
In the early 1900s, Ida Bowen worries about what is ahead for the Suquamish.
Hill, Kirkpatrick. Winter Camp.
Toughboy and his younger sister must survive the harsh Alaskan winter at a friend's winter trapping camp.
Hobbs, Will. Far North.
Gabe and his Dene Friend, Raymond, struggle to survive in the wilderness of the Northwest Territories.
Keehn, Sally M. I Am Regina.
Kidnapped by Indians, Regina grows up with the name Tskinnak and starts to become Indian.
Mead, Alice. Crossing the Starlight Bridge.
Rayanne's father leaves and she has to move off the Penobscot reservation to live with her grandmother.
O'Dell, Scott. Streams to the River, River to the Sea.
Sacagawea experiences joy and heartbreak after joining the Lewis and Clark expedition to the Pacific.
O'Dell, Scott. Thunder Rolling in the Mountains.
Chief Joseph's daughter tells how her people were driven off their land and forced to flee north.
.
Resources
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Rinaldi, Ann. The Second Bend in the River.
Rebecca meets Tecumseh in the Ohio territory and later develops a deep friendship with him.
Sandoz, Mari. The Horsecatcher.
A young Cheyenne is scorned when he chooses to become a horse catcher rather than a warrior.
Speare, Elizabeth George. The Sign of the Beaver.
Alone in the wilderness of Maine, a boy is hard-pressed to survive until local Indians teach him skills.
Sterling, Shirley. My Name is Seepeetza.
Seepeetza finds herself confused by feelings of alienation and isolation at an Indian boarding school.
Non-Fiction
Martin, Rafe. Rough Face Girl.
In this Algonquin version of Cinderella, inner strength and beauty find their own reward.
Rodanas, Kristina. Dragonfly's Tale.
Two Zuni children's toy transforms into a dragonfly and restores bountiful harvest during a famine.
Caduto, Michael J. Native American Gardening: Stories, Projects, and Recipes for Families.
Contains Native legends about gardening as well as projects based on the tales.
Penner, Lucille Recht. A Native American Feast.
Recipes from various tribes, accompanied by accounts of the origins and influence of traditional foods.
Hoyt-Goldsmith, Diane. Totem Pole.
A young Tsimshian Indian boy describes how his father carves a totem pole for the nearby Klallam tribe.
Hirshfelder, Arlene B., ed. Rising Voices: Writings of Young Native Americans.
Young Native Americans speak of their identity, families, and history in a collection of poems and essays.
Bruchac, Joseph. Thirteen Moons on Turtle's Back.
The seasons through poems and legends of Native Americans such as the Cherokee, Cree, and Sioux.
Hoyt-Goldsmith, Diane. Arctic Hunter.
An Inupiat boy living north of the Arctic Circle meshes traditional and modern ways in his everyday life.
Resources
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Bruchac, Joseph. A Boy Called Slow: The True Story of Sitting Bull.
Dramatic text and rich paintings bring this legendary hero to life.
Bruchac, Joseph. Many Nations: An Alphabet of Native America.
Illustrations and brief text present aspects of the lives of the many varied native peoples of North America.
Krull, Kathleen. One Nation, Many Tribes.
" How kids live in Milwaukee's Indian community."
Mercredi, Morningstar. Fort Chipewyan Homecoming: A Journey to Native Canada.
Matthew learns the ways of his Chipewyan, Cree, and Metis ancestors on a trip to Ft. Chipewyan.
Ortiz, Simon. The People Shall Continue.
Traces the Indians of North America from the time of the Creation to the present.
Wolfson, Evelyn. From Abenaki to Zuni: A Dictionary of Native American Tribes.
The habitats, customs, food, means of travel, and modern descendants of North American tribes.
Crum, Robert. Eagle Drum: On the Powwow Trail With a Young Grass Dancer.
Describes Louis Pierre, a Pend Oreille, his grass dancing, and the role of the grass dancer in Indian culture.
Fisher, Leonard Everett. Anasazi.
Pieces together both the history and the mystery of these mysterious ancient people.
Fitzpatrick, Marie-Louise. The Long March: The Choctaw's Gift to Irish Famine Relief.
In 1847, Choctaws collect $170 from their meager resources for the relief of Ireland's famine victims.
Steltzer, Ulli. Building an Igloo.
Follows Tookillkee Kiguktak and his son Jopee as they build an igloo to use as a shelter on a hunting trip.
Yamane, Linda. Weaving a California Tradition.
Carly and her Mono relatives attend the California Indian Basketweavers Association's annual gathering.
Ashabranner, Brent K. A Strange and Distant Shore: Indians of the Great Plains in Exile.
The story of the exile of 72 chiefs and warriors in St. Augustine, Florida, and their hardships there.
Kendall, Russ. Eskimo Boy: Life in an Inupiaq Eskimo Village.
The daily routine of a boy living on an island off the northwest coast of Alaska combines old and new ways of life
Media
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Buffalo Bill and the Indians
Sitting Bulls History Lesson
Chief Crazy Horse
Geronimo
Last of the Mohicans
Tecumseh- The Last Warrior
How the West was Won
Trial of Billy Jack
Windwalker
Tell Them Willy Boy is Here
Big Bear
Chato’s Land
Cheyanne Autumn
Clearcut
Dances with Wolves
Websites Worth Visiting

dig™ - The archaeology magazine for kids!
– Encourage the uncovering and interpreting of the past! Great
facts and a good glossary.

The Ancient Ohio Valley
– Map of ancient sites in Ohio.

Archaeological Institute of America – Home
– Articles and resources galore (a little above the average reading
level of 4th graders).

SunWatch Home Page - Ancient Indian Village - Dayton
Ohio
– A compilation of good websites recommended by Sunwatch.

OhioKIDS! - Site Safari - Archaeology Sites
– Local sites in Ohio to visit with introduction sure to peak
students’ interest.
Adaptations
Sunwatch- Handicap assessable
 Intervention specialist on hand if needed
 For lower academic level assessment, will
require 3/5 mc, 1 T/F, 1 short essay
