Introduction

Your family has made plans to spend two weeks in the Four Corners area of the United States, where Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Arizona meet on the land of the Navajo Nation.  Along the way your family views some interesting sites, makes friends with a variety of local characters, and learns that the very land they are visiting has just been named the newest National Monument by a bill signed by the President of the United States!  Wow!  Pretty cool, huh?  But, not everyone is excited about this National Monument designation.  Why not?  Some local residents are thrilled, many are angry.  Let's learn more about this family's adventures in the Four Corner, the people they meet, and the controversy surrounding the new National Monument:  Canyon of the Ancients.  Here's their story...

Your family flew from Chicago to Denver, then drove south all day through the beautiful San Juan and Rio Grande National Forests, stopping briefly to see the Grest Sand Dunes National Monument before arriving in the  cowboy town of Durango, CO.  You head to a nearby ranch for supper were you meet Casey, who helps with the cookout, but who's real passion is mining.  Thirty years ago it was silver and gold, but more recently coal.  After a hearty chuck wagon meal and a good nights rest, your family is ready to begin your two week trip, exploring the the National Park facilities as you circle the Four Corners of the magnificent South West.

You head south from Durango in the morning to visit Aztec Ruins National Monument, just over the border, into New Mexico.  Continuing south you spend the night in Chaco Canyon National Historic Park, NM before eventually heading south.

The children, Chris and Alex, are excited!  Chris sees lots of jeeps, RUV's. and a variety of assorted vehicles zipping all over the country side.  he's looking forward to renting a jeep or something when they get back to Durango to do some exploring!  Alex loves to travel anywhere, but has become an export on National sites.  He collects official stamps at each site in his National Park Passport and makes sure his family doesn't miss any nearby.  The family always learns from his Jr. Ranger projects at each National Park they visit, though!

You spend most of the day exploring El Malpais National Monument and spend a few hours in nearby El Morro National Monument as you travel south and west through New Mexico.

It is becoming more and more apparent, on your drive, that Anasazi ruins, 'Badlands' type landscape, lava caves, petroglyps, unusual rock formations, beautiful scenery exist in the National Park sites, American Indian Reservations, and State Parks.  You want to see it all, but time is limited; so after spending the night in a motel outside the park, you stick to the original family plan and drive on to see more National sites.

Shortly after crossing the border into Arizona you make a short visit to the Petrified Forest National Park and Painted Desert.
Traveling north, you make another quick stop at Hubble Trading Post National Historic Site.  Not too far away,  you find yourself in Canyon de Chelley National Monument where you spend the rest of the day hiking many of the trails.

You stay at an overnight guest ranch outside the park, which is managed by Jean's Navajo American Indian family.  You learn that you are residing on the Navajo reservation.  Your host suggests you visit Navajo National Monument and Monument Valley at the Arizona/Utah border before heading to your next destination  of Natural Bridges National Monument in Utah.  Jean feels that there are many special areas of the four corners region that are missed because all these unusual areas are not necessarily contained in the Nation Park Sites that are most often visited.  You are glad that the family added Monument Valley to their list of things to see.  It is often referred to as the, "8th Wonder of the World."

The night is spent in the adjoining Canyonlands National Park.  After visiting  both unique parts of this park, you head for the last National Park you'll visit in Utah:  Arches National Park, just a few miles north where you spend the night camping in the park, renting some basis camping equipment and sleeping under the stars.  While roasting hot dogs over a fire, a park ranger, Lee, stops by to make sure the fire is contained in the fire ring (fires are always a serious threat in the Southwest).  He invites us to a campfire program he is giving later at the campground.  The park ranger, Lee, and Dad hit it off.  Dad is an environment consultant for several chemical corporations in the Chicago area, but he has become fascinated with the efforts to protect this beautiful and rare environment.

The next morning you cross the eastern border of Utah and you are back in Colorado!  Six days on the road! The trip is about half over. You've seen so much, but their has been so much you would have liked to see if there was more time.  Alex is right, the national park sites seem to be the best choice when time is limited.  You have learned to much from the interpretive programs and the sites have been loving preserved and protected for you to enjoy.

Just over the Colorado border, you take a beautiful drive through the Colorado National Monument.  Most of the family is anxious to head south to to Mesa Verde National Monument, rated the number one National Monument in the world by Conde Nast Travel Magazine!  For mom, who has an archeology degree she has never been able to use, this park will be the highlight of the trip.  So many Anasazi ruins, cliff dwellings packed in the park.  She hopes we can spend several days in the area.  However, Alex, the park expert, want to see one of the newer national monuments first, Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Monument.  It was worth the trip, the deep canyon was  dark and spooky - like an earthquake scene out of movie!

You spend the night in Telluride, CO before heading south back to Durango where you will stay while exploring Mesa Verde, having fun and relaxing.  There are opportunities to shop for handmade American Indian items, go rafting, and Chris wants to do some off road exploring.  You've got a week left, and plenty of time to do it all!

Next morning at breakfast, Alex is reading The Durango Herald Newspaper.  The lead story for June 10, 2000 reads, "Clinton Declare Monument."  He reads aloud excitedly about a 164,000 acre Colorado monument, home to 20,000 archeological sites reflecting civilizations from as early as 10,000 years ago, located west and northwest of nearby Cortez, CO.  Another National Monument for Alex! More archeology sites for Mom!  More of the natural environment saved for Dad (and the rest of us too)!  More cool off road opportunities for Chris (he thinks)!  What great timing!  The whole family is excited. After touring 14 National Sites, with Mesa Verde and Hovenweep National Monuments yet to be explored, you all feel that there can't be too many National Parks and Monuments.

You are interrupted by Pat who introduces himself from the booth behind you. he could help overhearing the excitement of the group.  He and Chris hit it off.  Pat has some jeeps and other RUV's on his ranch near Cortez.  He uses them for sport, hunting and fishing, but to also help to manage the cattle that graze free range.  He is an active member of the Southwest Colorado Landowners Association.

As you visit, Pat finds out that the days plan's include traveling to Hovenweep National Monument that borders Utah and Colorado, a smaller, less congested group of 7 Anasazi ruins and then making your first stop at Mesa Verde National Monument to secure tour tickets for the following day of exploring there.  He suggests that you might want to change your plans and stay closer to the last two monuments of your visit.  He is sure that Kim, a friend and Ute American Indian, has a place for you to stay at a Bed and Breakfast on the Ute Reservation, owned by Kim and located close to Pat's ranch.  Just as your family was considering this good idea, Pat threw in an invitation to Chris and the rest of his family to visit his ranch and check out his RUV's.  It was decided!  You said good-bye to Durango, checked out of our hotel, and headed toward Cortez, following Pat towards Kim's Bed and Breakfast.

After checking in at the Ute Reservation Bed and Breakfast you spent the rest of the day at Hovenweep and Mesa Verde.  You were lucky enough to tour two cliff dwelling before calling it a day.  Visiting Cliff Palace (the largest pueblo, cliff dwelling village in the park) and Balcony House were quite an adventure, hiking up and down stone staircases, climbing ladders at tall as 32 feet high and crawling through narrow dark tunnels!

When returning to your rooms at the B and B, you find that Pat and Kim are waiting for you along with a friend, Casey, the miner you met at the at the chuck wagon diner your first night in Durango!  They all invited you to a cookout at Casey's ranch.  As the sun sets the discussion turns to the new Canyon of the Ancients National Monument.  Your family is surprised that they are siting on part of the land of the new national monument!  By now you are all good friends, but you find that everyone there has different opinions about the new national park decree.  Pat says that the newly appointed supervising Park Ranger for Canyon of the Ancients will be holding a town meeting in Cortez at noon on Saturday. Ranger Lee, along with a Navajo American Indian representative named Jean, will be presenting their point of views and an suggestions for the site and has invited any other interested people to also present their views.

The park ranger will be transferring form Arches National Monument in Utah, could this be the same Lee that Dad got to know a few days ago?   Could the Navajo, Jean, be the same host at the guest ranch that encouraged the family to see Monument Valley?  If so, what a great small world story!  Your new friends ask if you are going to stay and attend the Town Meeting on Saturday. Why not?   You have to find out if Lee and Jean are the same people you met earlier on your trip.  Your flight does not leave Denver until late Sunday evening.  It is only Sunday night, and half way through our two week trip.  Your family still has lots of time to do more sightseeing of Mesa Verde, the Four Corners Monument, and to pursue individual interests!

Your family heads back to the Bed and Breakfast with Kim.  As you pull into the driveway, you find Casey waiting to  check into the last room at Kim's Bed and Breakfast.  Casey is also going to stay and present at the Town meeting and encourages each member of the family to present their views of the new national monument.  After all, you are going to be there anyway,  and the Town Meeting could benefit from hearing from visitors to the area, especially from a family that has so many interests and concerns.   What another unique vacation opportunity. Sure, you'll do it!

The class will continue to study the Southwestern  states in Social Studies, study rocks and minerals in Science, and read novels and literature related to the Southwest.  The class will then divide into groups and take on individual roles of the vacationing family and their new friends to complete the following tasks:

    *Read local and national newspaper articles, explore learning center resources, and search internet to discover reasons to support your opinion of Canyon of the Ancient National Monument designation keeping in the role assigned to you.
    *Prepare a 5 minute persuasive oral presentation to be given to the Town Meeting including your opinion on whether the land should have been designation a national monument or not, backed up with facts you have researched using ISAT persuasive writing guidelines for your grade level.
    *At minimum, analyze the geographical, ecological, historical, cultural and economic effects and concerns related to the roles assigned.  You may delve into any other areas as appropriate for your presentation and the role assigned to you.
    *You  are to verbally articulate your personal insight and opinions as monument resident or visitor.  Visuals of any type may be used, including Power Point presentations.
    *A summary of your opinions and supporting facts must be created as part of your persuasive oral presentation.
    *Your persuasive message must be authentic in nature.
    *Be creative and have fun as you spend time in the Four corners region of the Southwest as you process and transform the information you have gathered into an authentic, persuasive product.
 
 

Check out relevant articles  on the Canyon of the Ancient in The Durango Herald Newspaper: Article 1, article 2.

Additional newspaper editorial appears in the Cortez Journal on, Picking Your Battles.

Another commentary on new National Monuments being created in the United States.

Check out specific Colorado National Parks and Monuments.  Also in these states:  Utah , Arizona, and New Mexico .

Understand the history of the park system, more history and laws and regulations affecting the National Park System.

Antiquities Act of 1906.

See the shaping of the National Park System and the timeline of development.

Take this test to check your basic knowledge of, "Your National Parks"

For teachers:  check out the CO and National standards tie-in to National Park Service's educational materials and activities.

Read about the story of Mesa Verde National Monument and the pros and cons when it became a park.

Two regional sites of National parks and other attractions: Southeast Utah and Moab, Utah.

You can read about the bills and action in Congress.  When you get to the site, go to bill #H.R.3687 for Canyons of the Ancients.  Go the these bill numbers for other legislation of interest:  S.2034,H.R. 3676, H.R. 3683, and H.R. 3693. Another interesting site concerning legislation.

To seek information on mining being controlled or eliminated on public land, go to this site.

Check here for more information on land use.

This site is a good one for information about the Anasazi area environmental concerns(18).
 
 
 

1.    Class will continue these areas of study as "Should we Make a Federal Case of it?" is introduced:
    - Social Studies:  Southwestern United States, Citizenship in Local Government, Federal Agencies, including National Park Service in National Government, how bills are passed at the National level.
    - Science:  Rocks and Minerals
    - Reading:  Reading books/novels about the southwest, pueblo dwellers, Anasazi American Indians, etc.
    - Written Language:  Related spelling, vocabulary and writing activities.  Persuasive writing (ISAT).
    - Oral Language:  Guidelines of public speaking for a 5 minute presentation.

2.    As part of current events, class reads current news articles about the National park Service and the creation of new National monuments and Parks throughout the United States.  curiosity, discussion, and better understanding of bill passage at the national level should evolve during class discussion.

3.    Students are assigned or choose role of different Four Corners citizens and visitors and form cooperative learning groups.
    Roles (get additional insight from the vacation story):
                Vacationing visitors to the Southwest area of the Canyons of the Ancients::
        -Mom, the archeologist want-to-be
        -Dad, the environmentalist
        -Chris, the sportsman with a big interest in off road RUVing.
        -Alex, National Park expert who wants to visit every National Park Service site there is
                Locals of he Southwest area of the Canyons of the Ancients:
        -Jean, Navajo American Indian
        -Casey, Miner (gold, silver, coal)
        -Lee, National Park Ranger, conservationist
        -Pat, land owner, sportsman, cattle rancher, active member of the Southwest Landowners Association
        -Kim, Ute American Indian

4.    Students use Learning Center resources, National Park Service literature, and computer inter net resources to gather information appropriate for the role they are playing.

5.    Students will use the information obtained to form an opinion as to being for or against the four corners land being designated a National Monument.  This opinion should be able to be supported with at least 3 facts and appropriate details, and should reflect the role they are playing.

6.    Students will write a persuasive paper using ISAT guidelines.

7.    Students will use the persuasive paper and additional information obtained to create a 5 minute oral presentation to the entire class as a town meeting simulation.  Visuals, Power Point are optional.

8.    Individuals and group will determine how to present and share their presentation in the most authentic way possible, creating a complete simulated town meeting.
 

Evaluation

Students will be evaluated by a rubric that will assess the following:
Research skills, individual persuasive writing skills, individual oral speaking and presentation skills, group interaction, authenticity of group town meeting  simulation as it relates to roles played, authenticity and creativity in presenting group project.

Grading Rubric
This can be developed by your class or look for rubric link in the near future.

Students completing "Should we Make a Federal Case of it?" will have used extended information acquired from the previous and ongoing social studies, science, and language arts lessons.  They will get authentic practice in persuasive writing which will serve as a 'jump off' tool as they create and complete and present an authentic group product in the form of a simulated town meeting involving all of the roles assigned to the group.  By assuming different roles of residents and visitors of the Four Corner area of the Southwest the comprises the new Canyon of the Ancients National Monument, students will learn to emphasize with the others and understand why a variety of opinions can exist.  Students will hopefully be more alert to current events especially as bills are passed that may impact their personal lives.  And finally, students will gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the National Park service and all it has to offer.