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Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center

Excavating

 

 

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National Endowment for the Humanities
A Summer Institute for K-12 Teachers

Exploring the Past: Archaeology in the Upper Mississippi River Valley

Dates: July 12 to July 30, 2010 (3 weeks)
Location: University of Wisconsin - La Crosse, Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center

PDF Version of Web Site Information: Dear Colleague Letter, NEH Application Information and Instructions, Projected Agenda, Field Trips, Area Attractions

Introduction to the Institute
Staff
Institute Specifics
NEH Application Information and Instructions
Institute Contact

Dear Colleague,

Walking beside thousand-year-old burial mounds, flaking raw stone into usable tools, learning how archaeologists move from broken potsherds to human behavior, and understanding how humans adapt to complex, ever-changing environments—our 2010 Summer Institute features all this and more. We’ll provide three weeks of intense, guided exploration into how Native American and Euro-American cultures have adapted to the Upper Mississippi River Valley over nearly fourteen millennia, and how we learn about such cultures through archaeology, the study of past human cultures from the remains they left behind. 

Archaeology is an essential topic for K-12 teachers. It links the humanities and the sciences and offers an appealing way to engage students’ interest and enhance their content knowledge in a wide range of subject areas. The “Driftless Area” of the Upper Mississippi Valley, with its rich resources and rugged, unglaciated terrain, is a perfect laboratory for applying the process and concepts of archaeology to explore how human cultures have changed and adapted through time. The region’s archaeological record reveals a remarkable history of adaptation and growth. When Europeans arrived, the area was home to complex Native American cultures that had adapted to the region’s environment over thousands of years. By extending the historic record back through time, archaeology offers a window through which we can see how those cultures lived and evolved. The influx of Europeans into the region led to massive changes and new adaptations for both Native peoples and immigrants, and the resulting cultures continue to evolve today. The common thread linking these disparate cultures, from the earliest mammoth-hunters to today’s technology-dependent Web-surfers, is adaptation to the region’s rich but challenging environment.

Left: Teachers excavate at the Cade site during the 2007 NEH Summer Institute.
Right: Teachers clean artifacts from their 2007 Cade site excavation.

Comparing different adaptations to the same locale is a fascinating way to study the human experience. All societies make choices about how to meet their basic survival needs, and these choices are linked to every other facet of their culture. Through inquiry-based case studies, you’ll look at the environment and technological know-how available to the region’s residents at different times, think about the choices particular groups might have made to meet their basic needs, and test your interpretations by looking at actual archaeological evidence. This real-world approach will ensure a rich, authentic experience in how archaeology works and give you new insights into the dynamic nature of all human cultures, past and present.

We’ll use a variety of learning approaches throughout the Institute, including classroom presentations and lively discussions, hands-on laboratory and workshop activities, demonstrations, field trips, and readings. Highlights include a one-day excavation experience; a hands-on lab day where you’ll learn how artifacts are cleaned, processed, and cataloged; and a technology field day where you’ll fashion a stone arrowhead and a wooden arrow and try a spear-thrower. Field trip destinations range from an Amish farm to Effigy Mounds National Monument, a cave with fragile Native American rock art, a battle location from the Black Hawk War of 1832, and other sites that complement the course content. Individual projects will encourage you to create ways to bring your experiences and your new perspective on human cultures back to the classroom, no matter what your teaching area.

Left: 2007 NEH Summer Institute teachers learn how arrows are made.
Right: A teacher learns how to use an atlatl (spearthrower).

ADDITIONAL INSTITUTE INFORMATION

Click below for pdf files with -

STAFF

The Institute will be led by staff with complementary areas of expertise and extensive experience working together on education-related projects. The co-directors, Jim Theler, Kathy Stevenson, and Bonnie Jancik, have all been active in teacher professional development activities that focus on using archaeology as a vehicle for teaching a variety of subject areas. Theler and Stevenson’s knowledge and experiences as archaeologists are complemented by Jancik’s background in precollegiate education. Guest presenters will share their own special expertise and viewpoints. All of the staff have broad experience in conveying the excitement and fascination of archaeology to students, teachers, and the general public.  

Dr. James Theler has over thirty years of research and teaching experience in archaeology and is known for his dynamic teaching style and his extensive knowledge of human cultures. His specialties include reconstructing and studying past environments, analyzing animal remains, and understanding pre-European cultures of the Midwest. Jim is currently studying the archaeology of the Bad Axe River Valley, a scenic valley in southwestern Wisconsin that will be a focus for Institute case studies and field experiences. He’ll take the lead with the Institute’s core content and classroom presentations. 

Dr. Katherine Stevenson has been active in regional research for over thirty years. Her specialties include the history of regional archaeology, the study of animal remains, archival research, mound and burial sites, and regional caves and rock art. She’s also an author and editor of K-6 educational nonfiction, with an interest in how archaeology and Native cultures are portrayed in children’s books. Kathy will work with Jim on content presentation and take the lead with activities, case studies, and archaeology-related aspects of participant projects. 

Ms. Bonnie Jancik has been involved in formal elementary education and informal K-12 education for over thirty years. She’s widely known for her work in archaeology education and professional development for practicing teachers, including teaching numerous undergraduate and graduate classes and workshops for K-12 teachers. She’s particularly interested in exploring how archaeology can be used as a vehicle for teaching a wide range of subjects. Bonnie will take the lead on education-related aspects of the Institute, including participant projects. 

Mr. Robert “Ernie” Boszhardt has been conducting archaeological research for over thirty years and is widely respected for his encyclopedic knowledge of regional sites and cultures. He works extensively with the public and is an expert on regional rock art, stone tools, and pottery. Ernie will guide a field trip that will include Effigy Mounds National Monument, Larsen Cave, and the Battle of the Bad Axe location, and will lead key demonstrations and activities, including making stone tools. 

Mr. Loren Cade is a lifelong resident of the Bad Axe River Valley, and his farmland includes important archaeological sites. Loren has a long-term interest in regional archaeology and ancient technology, and he’s an expert at making wooden arrows and hunting with traditional bows. He’ll host an excavation experience at his farm, lead activities involving ancient technology, discuss the ethics of artifact collecting, and provide insights on evolving adaptations for local farmers. 

Left: 2007 NEH Summer Institute teachers at Effigy Mounds National Monument.
Middle: Teachers at the entrance to Larsen Cave.
Right: Robert "Ernie" Boszhardt points out petroglyphs in Larsen Cave.

STIPEND

Participants will receive stipend of $2,700 for attending all meetings (Monday–Friday, July 12–30, 2010) and engaging fully in the work of the project. Stipends are intended to help cover travel expenses to and from the project location, books and other research expenses, and living expenses for the duration of the period spent in residence. Stipends are taxable. Applicants should note that supplements will not be given in cases where the stipend is insufficient to cover all expenses. Participants will receive a check for 1/2 of the stipend ($1,350) when they arrive. Participants will receive the remaining 1/2 of the stipend ($1,350) on July 30, the final day of the Institute. Payments for the dorms will be due at the end of the Institute. Participants who, for any reason, do not complete the full tenure of the Institute must refund a pro-rata portion of the stipend.  

CEUs

Ten Continuing Education Units (CEU) are available for those participating fully in the work of the Institute. Those interested in receiving CEUs must sign the daily sign-in sheet and provide a check for $15.00. The certificate will be mailed (by the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse Continuing Education) to participants approximately two weeks after completion of the Institute.  

GRADUATE CREDITS

Three graduate credits are available for participants in the Institute, although participants are responsible for their own registration and all payments. Participants seeking credit will design and complete an appropriate project as part of the course. These will be developed in conjunction with project staff and will depend on the interests and needs of the participants but might include curriculum development, a research paper, or other projects.  

The University will allow registration as a “special non-degree seeking student” http://www.uwlax.edu/admissions/html/nondegree.htm and participants will then enroll in ARC 598 – Seminar in Archaeology. The cost for three credits is anticipated (actual fees available in May) to be $1226.19 for Wisconsin residents, $3053.83 for nonresidents, $1272.11 for Minnesota residents with reciprocity, and $1793.85 for Midwest Student Exchange (students who are residents of the states of Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska and North Dakota).  

UW-L VISITING SCHOLARS

Participants will have the status of “visiting scholars” at UW-L, entitling them to access to the library, ability to log-on to campus computers, and other campus-based services.  

TECHNOLOGY

Portions of the Institute will be offered through Desire2Learn (D2L), an online, Web-based course framework that provides a secure location for posting and downloading class information, conducting discussions, and contacting classmates and instructors. Access is through a standard Web browser.  

THE LA CROSSE AREA AND THE INSTITUTE HOSTS

La Crosse is a great place to spend the summer! Located on the Great River Road, which winds north and south through 10 states, La Crosse (http://explorelacrosse.com, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Crosse,_Wisconsin) is the hub of the geographic area known as the 7 Rivers Region. Densely wooded valleys, scenic bluffs, the famous Mississippi River and its tributaries, lush marshes, and native prairies provide prime opportunities for outdoor recreation, including hiking, biking, fishing, camping, and canoeing. Like to shop? La Crosse is known for its historic downtown district, which boasts dozens of specialty boutiques; it also has one of the largest malls in the region as well as dozens of restaurants, a number of movie theaters, and several venues that host concerts and other special events (from http://www.uwlax.edu/admissions).

UW-L DORM FACILITIES

UW-L is a residential campus with dormitories, classrooms, and support for over 9,500 students. The project staff is encouraging Institute participants to stay in the UW-L dorms for a number of reasons, including easy access, opportunity for informal interactions, and fostering a sense of community. Arrangements have been made for participants to stay in Reuter Hall, a new residence hall that opened in September 2006 and has a convenient campus location. Reuter Hall provides comfortable suites that meet the demands of students. Each suite has four private bedrooms, a semi-private bathroom, a kitchen area, and a living room. General-use spaces in Reuter Hall include a group kitchen facility, a lounge/game room area, a small-group study area, a mailroom, a recycling room, and multipurpose areas. This new hall provides ADA-compliant living accommodations.

Reuter Hall rates:  Motel style (includes once each week: 2 sheets, pillowcase, blanket, towel, washcloth, pillow): $30 per day or $180 per week (7 overnights). 

OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING OPTIONS

We realize that some participants may decide to stay elsewhere. Numerous off-campus housing opportunities are available in the La Crosse area.  

MEAL OPTIONS

A variety of meal options are available. For those staying in Reuter Hall, the kitchens in the individual suites allow convenient meal preparation in the dorm. Campus Food Services and area restaurants are also available.  

PARTICIPANT SELECTION

In alignment with the selection criteria outlined by NEH, the selection committee will be looking for evidence of the following qualities as they select the 25 Institute participants:

1.       More important than the subject or grade level the applicant teaches is that the applicant is a lifelong learner who is enthusiastic about learning and eager to experience new things.

2.       We will be looking for a personal interest or a passion for the topic because this translates to excitement and motivation in the classroom.

3.       Applicants do not need to teach lessons on the process of archaeology or the region’s earliest people; however, they do need to show creativity in adapting the Institute’s content to their unique teaching situations. The process of archaeology and the results of archaeological research can be an effective vehicle for hands-on activities that employ an interdisciplinary (science, social studies, language arts, math, visual arts, etc.) approach that engages students in higher-level thinking.  

APPLICATION INFORMATION

In addition to this document, you must also read the NEH Application and Instructions document included with this letter. A checklist for application materials is included in that document. Your completed application packet should be postmarked no later than March 2, 2010, and should be addressed as follows: Bonnie Jancik, MVAC UW-L, 1725 State St., La Crosse, WI 54601. Successful applicants will be notified of their selection on April 1 and will have until April 5 to accept or decline the offer. Applicants who will not be home during the notification period should provide an address and phone number where they can be reached.  

Perhaps the most important part of the application is the essay.  This essay should include your reasons for applying to the specific project; your relevant personal and academic information; your qualifications to do the work of the project and make a contribution to it; what you hope to accomplish; and the relationship of the study to your teaching.

 

NEH Summer Seminars & Institutes for School Teachers
Application Information and Instructions

Summer Seminars and Institutes for School Teachers are offered by the National Endowment for the Humanities to provide teachers an opportunity for substantive study of significant humanities ideas and texts.  These study opportunities are especially designed for this program and are not intended to duplicate courses normally offered by graduate programs.  On completion of a seminar or institute, participants will receive a certificate indicating their participation.  Prior to completing an application, please review the letter/prospectus from the project director (available on the project’s website, or as an attachment) and consider carefully what is expected in terms of residence and attendance, reading and writing requirements, and general participation in the work of the project. 

A seminar for school teachers enables 16 participants to explore a topic or set of readings with a scholar having special interest and expertise in the field.  The core material of the seminar need not relate directly to the school curriculum; the principal goal of the seminar is to engage teachers in the scholarly enterprise and to expand and deepen their understanding of the humanities through reading, discussion, writing, and reflection.  An institute for school teachers, typically led by a team of core faculty and visiting scholars, is designed to present the best available scholarship on important humanities issues and works taught in the nation's schools.  The 25 to 30 participants compare and synthesize the various perspectives offered by the faculty, make connections between the institute content and classroom applications, and often develop improved teaching materials for their classrooms.  Please note: The use of the words “seminar” or “institute” in this document is precise and is intended to convey differences between the two project types. 

ELIGIBILITY  

These projects are designed for full time teachers including home-schooling parents, but other K-12 school personnel, such as librarians and administrators, may also be eligible to apply, depending on the specific seminar or institute.  Substitute teachers or part-time personnel are not eligible.  Applications from teachers in public, private, and religiously affiliated schools receive equal consideration.  

New this year: Up to two seminar spaces and three institute spaces are available for current full-time graduate students who intend to pursue careers in K-12 teaching. 

Teachers at schools in the United States or its territorial possessions or Americans teaching in foreign schools where at least 50 percent of the students are American nationals are eligible for this program.  Applicants must be United States citizens, residents of U.S. jurisdictions, or foreign nationals who have been residing in the United States or its territories for at least the three years immediately preceding the application deadline.  Foreign nationals teaching abroad at non-U.S. chartered institutions are not eligible to apply. 

Applicants must complete the NEH application cover sheet and provide all the information requested below to be considered eligible.  Individuals may not apply to study with a director of a seminar or institute who is a current colleague or a family member.  Individuals must not apply to seminars directed by scholars with whom they have previously studied.  Institute selection committees are advised that only under the most compelling and exceptional circumstances may an individual participate in an institute with a director or a lead faculty member who has previously guided that individual’s research or in whose previous institute or seminar he or she has participated. 

New this year: An individual may apply to up to three projects in any one year (seminars, institutes or Landmarks workshops), but may participate in only one.  Please note that eligibility criteria differ significantly between the Seminars and Institutes and the Landmarks Workshops Programs. 

SELECTION CRITERIA  

A selection committee reads and evaluates all properly completed applications in order to select the most promising applicants and to identify a number of alternates.  (Seminar selection committees typically consist of the seminar director, a school teacher who is usually a participant in a previous NEH seminar, and a colleague of the director.  Institute selection committees typically consist of three to five members, usually all drawn from the institute faculty and staff members.)  While recent participants are eligible to apply, project selection committees are directed to give first consideration to applicants who have not participated in an NEH-supported seminar, institute or Landmarks workshop in the last three years (2007, 2008, 2009).    

The most important consideration in the selection of participants is the likelihood that an applicant will benefit professionally and personally.  This is determined by committee members from the conjunction of several factors, each of which should be addressed in the application essay.  These factors include: 

1.  effectiveness and commitment as a teacher/educator;

2.  intellectual interests, both generally and as they relate to the work of the project;

3.  special perspectives, skills, or experiences that would contribute to the seminar or institute;

4.  commitment to participate fully in the formal and informal collegial life of the project; and

5.  the likelihood that the experience will enhance the applicant's teaching.

When choices must be made among equally qualified candidates, several additional factors are considered.  Preference is given to applicants who have not previously participated in an NEH seminar, institute, or Landmarks workshop, or who significantly contribute to the diversity of the seminar or institute. 

STIPEND, TENURE, AND CONDITIONS OF AWARD  

Teachers selected to participate in six-week long projects will receive a stipend of $4,500; those in five-week projects will receive $3,900; those in four-week projects will receive $3,300; those in three-week projects will receive $2,700; and those in two-week projects will receive $2,100.  Stipends are intended to help cover travel expenses to and from the project location, books and other research expenses, and living expenses for the duration of the period spent in residence.  Stipends are taxable.  Applicants to all projects, especially those held abroad, should note that supplements will not be given in cases where the stipend is insufficient to cover all expenses. 

Seminar and institute participants are required to attend all meetings and to engage fully in the work of the project.  During the project's tenure, they may not undertake teaching assignments or any other professional activities unrelated to their participation in the project.  Participants who, for any reason, do not complete the full tenure of the project must refund a pro-rata portion of the stipend. 

At the end of the project's residential period, participants will be asked to submit online evaluations in which they review their work during the summer and assess its value to their personal and professional development.  These evaluations will become part of the project's grant file and may become part of an application to repeat the seminar or institute.   

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS 

These general application instructions from the NEH should be accompanied by a “Dear Colleague Letter” from the project director that contains detailed information about the topic under study; project requirements and expectations of the participants; the academic and institutional setting; and specific provisions for lodging, subsistence, and extracurricular activities.  If you do not have such a letter/prospectus, please request one from the director of the project(s) in which you are interested before you attempt to complete and submit an application.  In many cases, directors have websites for their projects and the “Dear Colleague” letter may be downloaded.  All application materials must be sent to the project director at the address listed on the program poster.  Application materials sent to the Endowment will not be reviewed. 

APPLICATION  CHECKLIST  

A completed application consists of three copies of the following collated items: 

•           the completed application cover sheet,
•           a résumé, or brief biography, and
•           an application essay as outlined below. 

In addition, it must include two letters of recommendation as described below. 

The Application Cover Sheet
The application cover sheet must be filled out online at this address:  <http://www.neh.gov/online/education/participants/> 
Please fill it out online as directed by the prompts.  When you are finished, be sure to click the “submit” button.  Print out the cover sheet and add it to your application package.  At this point you will be asked if you want to fill out a cover sheet for another project.  If you do, follow the prompts and select another project and then print out the cover sheet for that project as well. Note that filling out a cover sheet is not the same as applying, so there is no penalty for changing your mind and filling out a cover sheet for several projects.  A full application consists of the items listed above, as sent to the project director.        

Résumé
Please include a résumé or brief biography detailing your educational qualifications and professional experience. 

The Application Essay
The application essay should be no more than four double spaced pages.  It should address reasons for applying; the applicant's interest, both academic and personal, in the subject to be studied; qualifications and experiences that equip the applicant to do the work of the seminar or institute and to make a contribution to a learning community; a statement of what the applicant wants to accomplish by participating; and the relation of the project to the applicant's professional responsibilities.   

Reference Letters
The two referees may be from inside or outside the applicant’s home institution.  They should be familiar with the applicant's professional accomplishments or promise, teaching and/or research interests, and ability to contribute to and benefit from participation in the seminar or institute.  Referees should be provided with the director's description of the seminar or institute and the applicant's essay.   Applicants who are current graduate students should secure a letter from a professor or advisor.  Please ask each of your referees to sign their name across the seal on the back of the envelope containing their letter, and enclose the letters with your application.   

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS AND NOTIFICATION PROCEDURE 

Completed applications should be submitted to the project director and should be postmarked no later than March 2, 2010. 

Successful applicants will be notified of their selection on April 1, 2010, and they will have until April 5 to accept or decline the offer.  Applicants who will not be home during the notification period should provide an address and phone number where they can be reached.  No information concerning the status of an application will be available prior to the official notification period.  

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT:  Endowment programs do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age.  For further information, write to NEH Equal Opportunity Officer, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20506.  TDD:  202/606 8282 (this is a special telephone device for the Deaf).

Left: Bad Axe Valley.
Right: Amish farm.

For Additional Information Contact:

Bonnie Jancik
Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
1725 State St.
La Crosse, WI 54601
608/785-6473
jancik.bonn@uwlax.edu

Woodland pottery

This Summer Institute is funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.  Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this Institute do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.

 

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Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse
1725 State Street, La Crosse, Wisconsin 54601 U.S.A.
Phone:  608-785-8463, Webmaster

All material Copyright © 2000-2009 Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center at the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse

*MVAC Educational Programs are supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.  Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in these programs do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
*This project was supported, in part, by the National Science Foundation.  Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Foundation.