Learn about early technologies of the southwest by using "ancient" tools from our collection. Your group will process yucca, make rope, set traps, "make fire" and use pump drills.
Practice using artifacts and ecofacts to investigate southwestern cultures dating from Paleo-Indian through early Pueblo periods. Your choices include:
Recommended Ages: 1st - 5th grade
Learn about early technologies of the southwest by using "ancient" tools from our collection. Your group will process yucca, make rope, set traps, "make fire" and use pump drills.
Gain appreciation for other cultures by exploring their artistic traditions. Your choices include Music, Hispanic culture and Native American Culture.
Recommended Ages: all ages
Explore the richness of world cultures by experiencing folk music: Shake, rattle and explore our collection of musical instruments. Sing, dance and hear music from around the world!
Encounter the Native American cultures of the Southwest through the study of their artistic traditions. Your choices include:
Recommended Ages: all ages
Compare and contrast the many types of Pueblo pottery. Identify the different Pueblo groups. Learn about the materials and techniques used to make a pot by participating in one of the following activities:
Yucca Paintbrush: Use stone scrapers to make paintbrushes from yucca leaves. (This is an easy activity for all ages.)
Clay Pot (Add $10.00 per group for materials): Includes enough clay for each person to make a pot based on the traditional coil technique. (Recommended for 3rd grade and up.)
Recommended Ages: all ages
Discover how the people of the Southwest used their environment to produce a variety of baskets and textiles. Participate in one of the following activities and experience the complexity and skill involved in the weaving process:
Paper Weaving: Use paper strips to make mats or baskets. (Baskets are challenging for young hands.)
Loom Kit (Add $10.00 per group for materials): Includes one cardboard loom per individual plus enough yarn to complete a small rug. (Recommended for 4th grade and up.)
Study the Hispanic culture of New Mexico: Learn about the early colonists and how their struggle to survive influenced their cultural traditions.
Recommended Ages: all ages
Study the arrival of the Spaniards in New Mexico. Learn about the lifestyle of the early colonists: what their homes, food and clothing were like and how they used their environment to survive. Choose an activity that reflects their domestic traditions:
Ramillettes: Cut "little paper bouquets" out of scrap paper. (This easy activity is good for all ages.)
Tinwork (Add $10.00 per group for materials): Make a small frame from light gauge aluminum. (Difficult for young hands.)