Produced by Stephen Hutcheson, Lisa Corcoran and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Mesa Verde
Junior Ranger Booklet
National Park Service
U.S. Department of the Interior
Mesa Verde National Park
Welcome to Mesa Verde National Park!
_The National Park Service and its park rangers care for special places
like Mesa Verde for today's and future generations to enjoy. That means
YOU, as well as your children and grandchildren!_
[Illustration: Kathy and Gentle Rain]
Hi! My name is Kathy and this is my new friend, Gentle Rain. Gentle Rain
and her family used to live in a Mesa Verde cliff dwelling 750 years
ago. She helped me become a Junior Ranger, and now both of us want to
help you.
Becoming a Junior Ranger is fun! As you explore the park, you will learn
about Gentle Rain's culture, look for items her family and friends might
have used, and visit their homes. Just follow our directions and you'll
earn a Mesa Verde Junior Ranger badge in no time!
_To earn your Mesa Verde Junior Ranger badge, just complete the
following steps_:
1. Complete the activity called "Being A Good Steward."
2. Then, complete at least 3 more activities. Once you choose the
activities you want to do, use these special codes to know which
questions to answer for your age group:
{4-7} {8-9} {10-up}
Ages 4-7 Ages 8-9 Ages 10-up
3. Once you have finished steps 1 and 2 above, take your booklet to any
park information center to receive your Mesa Verde Junior Ranger badge.
Suggested Activities
Half Day (2-3 hours)
Being a Good Steward 3
Ancestral Puebloan Life 4
Times Have Changed 6
Cliff Dwelling Bingo 10
Suggested Activities
Full Day or More
Being a Good Steward 3
Ancestral Puebloan Life 4
Generations (Mesa Top Loop 8
Drive)
A-Mazing Migration 11
or more.....
Acknowledgments
This Junior Ranger booklet was created through the partnership of the
National Park Service (NPS), the National Park Foundation (NPF), and the
Student Conservation Association (SCA) and was made possible through the
generous support of Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., a National Corporate
Partner of NPF. Thanks, also, to Junior Ranger Ambassador, Clint
Herriman. To learn more about the online Junior Ranger program, visit
www.nps.gov/webrangers.
Illustrations and artwork by Mary Lloyd, Talela Hales, Marna Bastian, DJ
Webb, and Jim Tschetter. Use of "Through a Child's Eyes," on the cover
and throughout booklet, courtesy of Mesa Verde Museum Association.
[Illustration: National Park Service · National Park Foundation ·
SCA · Ocean Spray Craisins]
Being A Good Steward
Activity can be done anywhere.
{Kathy} Kathy: To become a Junior Ranger we need to be good stewards. A
steward is someone who helps take care of something that belongs to
everyone. Since we share our national parks with thousands, even
millions of other people, a Junior Ranger should know how to be a good
steward while visiting these special places. It's easy. All you have to
do is learn and follow the rules of the park. Learning the rules lets us
know how to stay safe and take care of the park.
{4-7} {8-9} {10-up}
Circle 4 Circle 4 Circle 4
Describe 1 Describe 2 Describe 4
_Directions_--Look at the picture below.
· Circle four things people are doing that are harmful, and
· Describe WHY they are wrong.
[Illustration: Harmful activities]
1. ______________________________
2. ______________________________
3. ______________________________
4. ______________________________
Ancestral Puebloan Life
Activity for the Chapin Mesa Archeological Museum.
{Gentle Rain} Gentle Rain: Mesa Verde National Park protects over 700
years of history about my people, the Ancestral Pueblo people.
Throughout the museum, you will discover how we learned to adapt to our
environment in order to meet our basic needs of food, water, and
shelter.
_Directions_--Have fun as you explore the dioramas and exhibits to find
the answers to the museum activity questions.
{4-7}
FOOD--_3rd Diorama_ (_Check or circle the right answer_)
Look carefully around the diorama. What did the Ancestral Pueblo people
(Modified Basketmakers) NOT eat?
[_] Corn
[_] Beans
[_] Meat
[_] Oranges
WATER--_4th Diorama_
Find the place where residents of this Mesa Verde pueblo got their
water. What is it?
[_] Faucet
[_] Spring
[_] River
[_] Ocean
SHELTER--_5th Diorama_
Look for a circular room being built in the ground in front of the cliff
dwelling. What is it?
[_] Swimming Pool
[_] Kiva
[_] Trash Pit
DECORATE THE WATER JAR
Mesa Verde pottery is known for its beautiful designs. Draw your own
design on the jar below. (_If you want an example, see the pottery
exhibits._)
[Illustration: Pottery jar]
{8-9}
FOOD--_Exhibit Area_
Find a tool they used to plant corn. What is it?
______________________________ (_Hint: See "People of Corn" exhibit_)
WATER--_Exhibit Area_
Find an item that women used to carry the water from the springs to
their homes. What is it called?
______________________________ (_Hint: See "Beginning of Pottery"
exhibit_)
SHELTER--_Exhibit Area_
What is a kiva? How was it used?
______________________________
FOOD FIND
Place an X over the plants and animals you find as you go through the
museum exhibits.
{} {} {}
Bighorn Sheep Corn Turkey
[_] [_] [_]
{} {} {}
Yucca Rabbit Squash
[_] [_] [_]
{} {} {}
Beans Prickly pear Pinyon nuts
[_] [_] [_]
{10-up}
FOOD, WATER, SHELTER--_Exhibit Area_
Use the clues below to complete the crossword puzzle. _Begin in the
exhibit room across from the dioramas._
[Illustration: CROSSWORD PUZZLE]
Across:
1. ______________________________ This crop was very important to
the Ancestral Puebloans' way of life. A part of this plant has
been found in almost every room, kiva, and work area in Mesa
Verde (_Room 1_)
2. ______________________________ Before the bow and arrow, this
spear-throwing device was used to hunt large game. (_Room 1_)
3. ______________________________ This was the first type of house
built in Mesa Verde. (_Room 2_)
Down:
4. ______________________________ These small bowls with long
handles were used for dipping and pouring liquids. (_Room 3_)
5. ______________________________ Scientists study wood beams used
in the construction of a dwelling to learn when the structure
was built. What is this science called? (_Room 4_)
6. ______________________________ The Ancestral Puebloans were good
at conserving water in this dry climate. You can save water at
home by turning this off while brushing your teeth.
Times Have Changed
Activity can be done anywhere.
{Gentle Rain} Gentle Rain: My family learned how to adapt and survive at
Mesa Verde by using what nature provided. Because of this, my life at
Mesa Verde was very different from your everyday life. At a young age,
children helped with daily chores. We didn't go to school, but we
learned valuable life lessons everyday. We learned how to grow crops,
hunt, make pottery, and build houses with mud and stone. We gathered
materials from our surroundings to make what we needed. We also learned
about our history through stories told by our grandparents.
_Directions_--Discover how we lived in Mesa Verde by completing the
following activities for your age group.
{4-7} Draw a line from each item in the left column (things we use or do
today) with an item in the right column (things the Ancestral Pueblo
people used or did then.)
Now Then
{Water faucet} {Basket and ears of corn}
______________________________ A.
{Pet cat} {Clay pot in fire pit}
______________________________ B.
{Microwave oven} {Water pot and dipper}
______________________________ C.
{Canned and packaged corn} {Domesticated turkey}
______________________________ D.
{8-9} The boxes list items used by Ancestral Pueblo people at Mesa
Verde. Read the items in each box, then use the blanks beside the box to
write the name of the natural resource used to make everything in the
box. One is started for you. (_Hint: Answers are in the 10-up activity
word list below._)
Bowl
Mug
Mortar
Plaster
______________________________
Sandal
Rope
Mat
Shampoo
Needle
Basket
Food
Paintbrush
______________________________
Feathers
Food
Bone tools and jewelry
Warm blanket
______________________________
Pine nuts (food)
Timber for building
Pitch for waterproofing
Firewood
______________________________
{10-up} To learn more about Gentle Rain's life in Mesa Verde, fill in
the blanks to read the following story. If you have little brothers or
sisters, they might like to hear the story when you are done. (_Use the
word list to fill in the blanks and complete the story._)
clay
corn
hand
kivas
metates
pinyon
pottery
rabbits
seep
turkey
yucca
My family and I live in a stone room of a cliff dwelling. The people of
my village wake up very early and start cooking fires in the rooms and
courtyards. Every morning, my mother goes to collect water from the
nearest ______________________________ spring while I feed the turkeys.
As soon as the morning meal is eaten, the men and boys climb up the
cliff face using ______________________________ and toe holds to reach
the fields. Spring days are spent clearing the fields and planting
______________________________, beans, and squash. Corn is our most
important crop. The women use manos and ______________________________
to grind the corn into meal. But for now, my mother is teaching my
younger sister how to make ______________________________ from
______________________________. We use it for cooking, and storing food
and water.
Throughout the year, the men hunt mule deer and
______________________________, while children help the women gather
wild plants, such as nuts from the ______________________________ pine
trees, grains from ricegrass, and pads from the prickly pear cactus.
Much of this food is stored for the winter. We also collect
______________________________ leaves to pound into fibers to make rope,
sandals, and baskets. My father weaves ______________________________
feathers with yucca fibers to make blankets for the winter.
When the ______________________________ are not used for ceremonies, we
spend time in these warm, underground rooms listening to the stories of
our people, or working on crafts such as weaving, basketry, and making
tools.
No matter the time of the year, my people are busy with the daily tasks
needed to survive in Mesa Verde.
Generations
Activity for the Mesa Top Loop Drive.
{Gentle Rain} Gentle Rain: My people did not always live in cliff
dwellings at Mesa Verde. For the first 600 years they lived on the mesa
top. As you drive the Mesa Top Loop you will see changes in our housing
styles from pithouse, to pueblo, and finally to cliff dwelling.
_Directions_--Find the answers for your age group in this activity by
driving the Mesa Top Loop and visiting Stops A, B, and C below.
{4-7} PART 1--Connect the Dots:
After driving the Mesa Top Loop, connect the dots to see one of the
Ancestral Puebloan homes.
[Illustration: Puebloan home]
PART 2: Which type of home is it?
[_] Pithouse
[_] Pueblo
[_] Cliff Dwelling
_Go to_ PART 3 _to draw your favorite type of home_. ==>
{8-9} {10-up} PART 1--Scavenger Hunt:
Drive the Mesa Top Loop Road and read the signs at each of the three
stops listed below. Use the signs to find the missing word in each
sentence and fill in the blanks. (_Don't forget to ask your parents for
help if you need it._)
A. Pithouse (A.D. 600)
1. The Ancestral Pueblo people were starting to build
______________________________ homes, and becoming farmers.
B. Pithouses & Early Pueblo Villages (A.D. 700-950)
2. The Ancestral Pueblo people used ______________________________
construction (rough stones loosely cemented with clay) when
they began building above ground villages.
C. Sun Point View (A.D. 1200-1300)
3. The Ancestral Pueblo people built their cliff dwellings inside
cliff ______________________________.
_Next, go to_ PART 2 _at the top of the next page to copy your answers
in the blanks and complete the word search_. ==>
{8-9} {10-up}
PART 2--Word Search
Locate all twelve words in the word search puzzle below. Circle or draw
a line through each word in the puzzle to finish it. (_Find the three
missing words by completing "PART 1--Scavenger Hunt" above._)
1. [_] ______________________________
2. [_] ______________________________
3. [_] ______________________________
4. [_] cliff dwelling
5. [_] community
6. [_] cooperation
7. [_] fire pit
8. [_] kiva
9. [_] pithouse
10. [_] pueblo
11. [_] room
12. [_] spring
y t i n u m m o c h m p t
r p p e r m a n e n t i l
c o o p e r a t i o n t o
s e v o c l a t k o a h l
u m a s o n r y l r r o b
a v i k l o b i l o p u e
g s p r i n g i r o s s u
t i p e r i f a p m v e p
g n i l l e w d f f i l c
{4-7} {8-9} {10-up} PART 3: Draw the type of house you would most like
to live in.
Cliff Dwelling Bingo
Activity can be done at any cliff dwelling.
{4-7} {8-9} {10-up}
{Gentle Rain} Gentle Rain: Visit a cliff dwelling, such as Spruce Tree
House, to see many of the same things I did when I lived here. Remember
to be a good steward by not touching, climbing, or leaning on the walls.
_Directions_--Look for the items below and place an "X" over the ones
you find. Find four in a row across or diagonally.
{} {} {} {}
Ladder T-shaped Door Juniper Berries Mano and Metate
[_] [_] [_] [_]
{} {} {} {}
Viga (roof Yucca Kiva Seep Spring
beam) [_] [_] [_]
[_]
{} {} {} {}
Prickly Pear Ranger Hat Two-story Soot-blackened
Cactus [_] Building Wall
[_] [_] [_]
{} {} {} {}
Lizard Fire Pit Pinyon Pine Bird
[_] [_] [_] [_]
A-mazing Migration
Activity can be done anywhere.
{Kathy} Kathy: For some time, it was thought that Gentle Rain's family
and the rest of the Ancestral Pueblo people simply vanished from Mesa
Verde. We now know that they migrated south over 700 years ago. Their
descendants include the Rio Grande Pueblos in New Mexico, the Hopi in
Arizona, and the Ysleta del Sur in Texas.
_Directions_--Follow the paths through the maze from Mesa Verde to find
the present-day locations of the Ancestral Puebloans' descendants. You
must travel through and find at least one Ancestral Puebloan item along
the way to each pueblo, and avoid any modern items.
{4-7} Find the Hopi Pueblos.
{8-9} Find the Hopi and Rio Grande Pueblos.
{10-up} Find the Hopi, Rio Grande, and Ysleta del Sur Pueblos.
[Illustration: Maze]
Mesa Verde Junior Ranger
Souvenir Page
Be An Artist!
Draw a picture or write about what you liked BEST
What I experienced at Mesa Verde National Park...
Place a check mark next to the cliff dwellings you visited:
[_] Spruce Tree House
[_] Balcony House
[_] Cliff Palace
[_] Long House
[_] Step House
Place a check mark next to other activities you did:
[_] Walked a trail
[_] Drove the Mesa Top Loop
[_] Saw a pithouse
[_] Had a picnic
[_] Talked to a ranger
[Illustration: Certificate]
This Certifies That
______________________________
has completed the Junior Ranger Program at
Mesa Verde National Park
As a Mesa Verde Junior Ranger, I promise to be a good steward by
protecting Mesa Verde and all national Parks. I will stay on the trails,
not feed the wildlife, not litter, and recycle when I can. I also
promise to be respectful of other cultures whose way of life may be
different from my own.
Witnessed by: ______________________________
(Park Ranger Signature)
Date: ______________________________
Transcriber's Notes
--Silently corrected a few typos.
--Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook
is public-domain in the country of publication.
--In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by
_underscores_.
--In the HTML version only, data entry is supported, but input is not
preserved across browser refreshes. A record of completed activity may
be saved by printing as a web page.
