His118 w2. part one
Film Clip: PBS Native America
SLO 3) Describe a relevant individual/event and explain its significance.
Directions: There are two parts for this Film Clip Discussion Board. First, choose one of the film clips to watch and answer the prompt question. Then post your responses onto the Film Clip Discussion Board. Now, we play the waiting game and patiently wait for another classmate to post their responses. Read their responses and answer the reflection questions as a reply to their post.
PART 1: Prompt Questions:
How did indigenous groups utilize monumental architecture, agriculture, science, spirituality, and their understanding of the cosmos to improve their lives?
Choose one of the following clips below & answer the prompt question above. Responses should have a 250 word count (not including the questions), include information from the video clip, use parenthetical citation when referencing the video clip, ie (Ep 3 Cities) or (Ep 4 Trade), and make a connection to either the lecture, (Lec 2), or readings. When using the readings, use the following parenthetical citation, (Mesopotamia) / (Egyptian) / (Harappa) / (Xia) / (JSTOR). The minutes in parentheses are the times you should watch the film. There is no need to watch the entire video unless you really want too.
PART 2: Read a post from one of your classmates who watched a different film clip and answer the reflection questions as a reply to their post.
Reflection Reply Questions:
There is no word count for the reply but please complete sentences to answer the reflective questions.
What is something interesting you learned from their post and how is it related to course content?
Are there any similarities with both film clips regarding the overall theme of the characteristics of first civilizations?
What connections can you make from the themes discussed in the film clips to the present day?
Choose One of the film clips below to answer the prompt question.
Film Clip Option 1:
Watch Native America, Chaco Canyon Puebla Bonita Episode 1 Excerpts (2:20-9:05) & (33:00-38:22)
in-text citation to use –> (Chaco Canyon)
Watch Native America, Cahokia Episode 3 Excerpts (15:15 – 49:15)
in-text citation (Cahokia)
Watch Native America, Iroquois Ep 2 (32:50- 35:43) & (39:36 – 59:20)
In-text citation (Iroquois)
.part two
Refection
Write 1 paragraph for each question (4 -6 sentences / 250 + word count). Use parenthetical citations when referencing the lecture PPT, for example use (Mod 1) for Module 1 lecture and reference the name of the reading articles and the title of the video clips when citing those resources.
What did you find most interesting/thought-provoking/upsetting?
How does this module connect to current events/issues?
How does this module connect to you? (this is not a literal question and even if you think it does not, it does, this is where your critical thinking cap comes in. Think of gender roles, job specialization, trade as in shopping, consumerism, and technology, & pets like dogs and cats)
Content Check
From the Video Clip Page, which two Creation Narratives did you read and analyze? What were the similarities / differences? How did those Creation Narratives help you understand those societies?
PART 1:
Indigenous groups such as those depicted in the “Chaco Canyon” clip (2:20-9:05 & 33:00-38:22) utilized monumental architecture, agriculture, science, spirituality, and their understanding of the cosmos to greatly improve their lives and communities. The ancestral Pueblo people at Chaco Canyon constructed massive multi-story structures and roads stretching over 100 miles as part of an extensive trade network (Chaco Canyon 2:20-9:05). This required sophisticated engineering and project management skills. They also developed innovative irrigation systems and grew crops like corn, beans and squash which provided reliable sources of nutrition (Chaco Canyon 33:00-38:22). Through careful study of astronomical phenomena like solstices and equinoxes, the Pueblo developed a sophisticated calendar system integrated with their religious ceremonies and practices (Chaco Canyon 33:00-38:22). This spiritual knowledge helped them understand their place in the greater order of the universe. Overall, these groups demonstrated highly advanced ways of organizing communal life and productivity through architecture, science and spirituality long before European contact.
PART 2:
Reflection Questions:
In response to the post about the “Cahokia” clip (15:15 – 49:15), something interesting I learned was the scale of the Mississippian city of Cahokia and its population estimates of over 20,000 people at its height (Cahokia). This showed a level of social complexity on par with large Mesopotamian and Chinese cities at the time (Mesopotamia, Xia). Both the Chaco Canyon and Cahokia clips depicted chiefdom societies with centralized leadership, specialized craftspeople, and religious ceremonial centers – similarities regarding characteristics of early civilizations (Cahokia, Chaco Canyon). Connecting to today, indigenous concepts of environmental stewardship, collective welfare, and spiritual connection to place remain highly relevant models in the face of modern crises like climate change and social inequality.
References:
Pauketat, T. R. (2009). Cahokia: Ancient America’s Great City on the Mississippi. Viking Press. research essay writing service.
Kantner, J. (2004). Ancient Puebloan Southwest. Cambridge University Press.
Dozier, E. P. (1966). The Pueblo Indians of North America. Cummings Publishing Company.
Drennan, R. D., & Peterson, C. E. (Eds.). (2006). Chiefdoms and Early States in the Near East: The Organizational Dynamics of Complexity. Society for American Archaeology.
