These activities can be shared with student websites and blogs
Create coil pots and decorate them in the style of the Mimbres or the Mississippians. Directions are on the Coil Pot Assignments page, http://www.pottery.netfirms.com/assignments/assign_3.htm.
*Described in Basic Lesson Plans
Imagine and list out the characteristics and conditions of the "idyllic" future civilization that borrows from the past and present.
Write an explanation of what characteristics of the Mississippian and Mimbres civilizations influenced you positively and negatively.
*Either or both of the above could be done by students in a group on a class blog – writing their ideas in the “comments” panes –or a wiki. Google docs allow collaboration and show who has contributed what part if the individuals each have accounts. Simply have each student in the group open a gmail account and create a google doc, then “share” it by selecting the share tab at the top of the page and emailing the invitation to their partners in the group.
Writing assignments
Descriptive writing: Using the list created in the above, write a descriptive paper informing people from another place what your idyllic civilization is like.
*The list created by students above can be sent to another group who do this part.
Creative writing: Using the list created in the above project, use your imagination to create a short story about an individual or individuals in the above society.
*Individual students, perhaps a student who was absent, can do this and share it on the blog.
Drawing from imagination: Create drawings of the types of artifacts found in the culture of the above future civilization. Some examples of this could be a rendering of the layout of a city, architectural drawings of public buildings with descriptions of their functions, drawings of homes, drawings of the clothing worn with descriptions of the types of materials, drawings of the modes of transportation, etc.
Create ceramic models of statues, building, dishes, etc. for the above fantasy civilization. Be sure to use hand-made pottery in your culture!
*Have students photograph or scan their artworks for display in a digital gallery.
As part of an environmental unit in science or ecology class, come up with the types of transportation, energy, appliances, public works, or other technology used by everyone in a society. You might address the question of why rivers played an important role in each of these cultures and how the question of water and travel might be addressed in future civilizations.
*Share on a common website.
As part of a political science or government class, discuss the type of governing system probably used by the Mississippians and/or the Mimbres, the types used now, and what you might consider the ideal type in your idyllic future civilization. What types of considerations would effect this? Draw a diagram that would illustrate this system.
*Share on a common website.
Arrange an event, a physical "museum opening", featuring the art and artifacts of the idyllic future civilization. You can use any and/or all of the above creations in the displays.
Put the “museum opening” online also by photographing and videoing the different projects and products done by the different groups and uploading to a gallery online.
*The above ideas can be shared with different classes at a single school or between art classes in different schools by using a common website.
Study the types of images used by the Mississippians and the Mimbres and either research or creatively extrapolate (come up with your own ideas of) why you believe that those cultures used those images -- what they stood for. Come up with your own images for your idyllic culture. Explain what they mean. If you have a ceramics class, use the images on your pottery.
