National Endowment for the Humanities
A Summer Institute for K-12 Teachers
Touch the Past: Archaeology of the Upper
Mississippi River Valley
Dates: July 9 to July 27, 2007 (3 weeks)
Location: University of Wisconsin – La Crosse, Mississippi
Valley Archaeology Center
Note: Application deadline
extended to Friday, March 9, 2007.
PDF version of web site content:
Dear Colleague Letter,
NEH Application
Information and Instructions
Institute Content
Staff
Institute Specifics
NEH Application Information and Instructions
Institute Contact
Dear Colleague,
Walking through a thousand-year old stockaded village,
visiting on-going archaeological excavations, making stone tools, learning
how people have lived for the past 12,000 years, and creating ways to bring
this back to your classroom – all of these are part of our summer institute
on the archaeology of the Upper Mississippi River Valley. Besides being a
fascinating story, the archaeological record of this area also provides a
laboratory within which to examine how we have come to know what we do about
the past, and how archaeologists move from potsherds and projectile points
to insights into how people lived, adapted to their surroundings, and
changed through time. We invite you to join us as we explore the past and
learn more about the varieties of human experience.
When Europeans arrived, the Upper Mississippi Valley
was home to a number of complex, distinct cultures and lifeways that had
evolved over thousands of years. The Institute will follow the development
of these cultures, beginning with the arrival of the first people into the
area during the end of the ice age, the Paleoindian large-game hunters about
12,000 years ago. Succeeding Archaic cultures (7500–1500 B.C.) of hunters and gatherers adapted to the changing
climate that followed the retreat of the glaciers, and began to develop
unique adaptations to different regions. Subsequent Woodland cultures (500
B.C. to 1200 A.D.) gradually incorporated a variety of cultivated plants
into their economy, participated in long-distance trade throughout the
continent, created some amazing artwork, and buried their dead in earthen
mounds in the form of animal effigies. The Mississippian (A.D. 1000 to
1600) cultures were the first true farmers in the region, and their
lifestyle continued until European contact. The 2,500-year span of the
Woodland and Mississippian cultures is a particularly engaging one for study
because of the escalating pace of cultural development, including
fundamental changes in life-style as highly mobile hunter-gatherers became
farmers living in more complex, settled communities. Other changes
encompassed major technological innovations, such as the development of
pottery and the bow and arrow, increasing social and political complexity,
extensive long-distance trade networks, and elaborate burial rituals,
including the construction of tens of thousands of earthen mounds.
Institute participants will study these cultures
through readings, videos, discussions, field trips, and demonstrations of
native technology. We will learn about the nature of this archaeological
record, including its strengths and limitations, through exposure to actual
archaeological excavations and laboratory work, and discussion of how we can
infer information from cultural remains. Through authentic research
experiences and inquiry-based projects, teachers will learn to make relevant
connections between in-depth archaeological, anthropological, historical,
literary, and cultural content and their classroom teaching.
Staff: The Institute will be lead by staff with
expertise in a variety of areas. The co-directors, Dr. Connie Arzigian and
Ms. Bonnie Jancik have co-directed numerous teacher professional development
activities that focused on using archaeology as a vehicle for teaching a
variety of subject areas. Arzigian’s knowledge and experiences as an
archaeologist are complemented by Jancik’s in precollegiate education.
Guest speakers will share their own special knowledge and viewpoints. All
have extensive experience in conveying the excitement of archaeology.
Dr. Connie Arzigian has for the past 30 years
been actively involved in archaeological fieldwork and analysis in the Upper
Mississippi Valley. Her interests include prehistoric economic systems,
human ecology and adaptation, prehistoric agriculture, the use of plant food
resources, burial mounds, and the interpretation of the past for public
audiences. She will be leading many of the discussions and working with the
guest lecturers to provide an integrated overview of the archaeology of the
Upper Mississippi Valley, showing how cultures have changed and adapted for
12,000 years.
Ms. Bonnie Jancik has been involved in
formal and informal education for over 30 years. For the past 18 years she
has focused on sharing the process and results of archaeological research
with the public of all ages and in particular precollegiate teachers. She is
interested in exploring how the topic of archaeology can be used as a
vehicle for effective teaching strategies such as the constructivist theory
of learning, problem-based learning, integrated curriculum and backward
design. She will be working with participants throughout the institute as
they explore ways to implement the institute’s content in their classrooms.
Dr. James Theler has over thirty years of
experience studying and teaching about precontact cultures of the Upper
Mississippi and Ohio Valleys. He is an expert on human adaptation to
changing climates and environments of the past, with a particular interest
in the analysis of animal remains and environmental studies. He is a
co-author on one of the Institute’s textbooks on the archaeology of the
region and will be leading a field trip to an active archaeological site
excavation, presenting discussions on the first people in the New World,
Hopewell trade and ritual, Woodland cultures, and contributing an broad
perspective on the archaeology of North America and the place of the Upper
Mississippi Valley in those developments.
Dr. Katherine Stevenson has been active in
regional research for over thirty years, including conducting key studies of
La Crosse Oneota cultures. Her specialties include the history of
archaeology, the study of animal remains for interpreting past diet and
environment, mounds and burials, rock art, and cave archaeology. She is
also a professional author of K-6 educational books, and has studied the
Native perspective concerning children’s books on archaeology and Native
cultures. She will be leading sessions on the history of archaeology and
Native perspectives, leading a tour of archaeological sites in the region,
and working with participants in the lab.
Mr. Robert Boszhardt has been conducting
archaeological research in the Upper Mississippi Valley for over thirty
years. He is a widely recognized for his encyclopedic knowledge of regional
sites and cultures and for his work on rock art. He is a co-author of the
main course textbook, and will be leading tours to several rock art sites,
and leading discussions on Cahokia and the Mississippian culture, as well as
issues of site preservation and vandalism.
Mr. Robert Birmingham is an archaeological
researcher and writer with 30 years of experience in Wisconsin. He served as
State Archaeologist for many years. He has written several book on
the archaeology of the region, including studies of Wisconsin’s mounds and
the site of Aztalan. He is now active in the preservation and interpretation
of Aztalan, and will be leading a tour of the site.
Mr. LeVern DeVries is a retired middle school
teacher who has been involved in replication of Native technologies such as
flintknapping, atlatl use, copper, pottery, and drilling and the
incorporation of archaeology in the K-12 classroom for over 15 years. He
will be leading workshops involving participants directly in the manufacture
and use of a wide range of native technologies, particularly how such
activities can be adapted to the classroom.
Institute Specifics
Stipend: Participant will receive a stipend of
$2,400 for attending all meetings (Monday-Friday, July 9-27, 2007) 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 1/3 of the
stipend ($800) when they arrive. Participants will receive the remaining
2/3 of the stipend ($1,600) on 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 you in approximately two
weeks following 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 $1115.20 for Wisconsin residents, $2883 for nonresidents, and $1168.47
for Minnesota residents.
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), which is an
on‑line web‑based course framework that provides a secure place to post and
download class information, conduct discussions, and contact 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 that winds north and south through 10 states, La Crosse (http://www.explorelacrosse.com/)
is the hub of the geographic area known as the 7 Rivers Region (http://www.7riversregion.com/home/welcome/welcome.asp).
Densely wooded valleys, 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; we also we have one of the largest malls in
the region. In addition, there are dozens of restaurants, a number of movie
theaters and several venues that host concerts and other special events.
(from
http://www.uwlax.edu/admissions/)
·
Information about UW-L can be found on-line at:
http://www.uwlax.edu/
·
Information about Mississippi Valley Archaeology Center can be
found on-line at:
http://www.uwlax.edu/mvac/index.htm.
·
Information about UW-L’s Archaeological Studies Program can be
found on-line at:
http://www.uwlax.edu/Sociology/Archaeology/major.htm.
UW-L Dorm Facilities: The UW-L is a residential
campus with dormitories, classrooms, and support for over 8,500 students.
The project staff is encouraging the Institute partners to stay in the UW-L
dorms for a number of reasons including: easy access, opportunity for
informal interactions, and to encourage the development of a sense of
community. Arrangements have been made for participants to stay in UW-L
Reuter Hall. This new resident hall (opened in September 2006) has a
convenient campus location. Reuters Hall was designed to provide living
accommodations that are consistent with the demands of the students.
Accommodations are set up as suites consisting of four private bedrooms, a
semi-private bathroom, a kitchen area and a living room. General use spaces
are available in Reuters Hall including a group kitchen facility, a
lounge/game room area, a small group study area, mailroom, recycling room,
computer room, and multipurpose areas. This new hall provides ADA compliant
living accommodations.
Reuter Hall Rates:
-Motel style (includes once each week: sheets, towel, wash cloth, pillow)
$26 per day or $156 per week (7 overnights)
-Non-Motel style (you bring: sheets, towels, pillow, etc.)
$21 per day or $126 per week (7 overnights)
Off-Campus Housing Options: We do 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 the Reuter Hall there is a kitchen in the
suite so that you can prepare meals in your dorm; there are also Campus Food
Services and area restaurants.
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.
- More important than the subject or grade level
that the applicant teaches is that the applicant is a life-long learner
who is enthusiastic about learning and eager to experience new things.
- We will be looking for a personal interest or a
passion for the topic because this translates to excitement and
motivation in the classroom.
- 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 situation. 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: You must also read the
NEH Application and Instructions below. A check list for application materials
is included in that information. Your completed application packet should be
postmarked no later than March 1, 2007
deadline extended to Friday, March 9, 2007, 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 by
phone on April 2, and will have until April 16 to accept or decline.
Applicants who will not be home during the notification period should
provide a phone number where they can be reached.
Perhaps the most important part of the application is
the essay that must be submitted as part of the complete application. This
essay should include any personal and academic information that is relevant;
reasons for applying to the particular project; your interest, both
intellectual and personal, in the topic; qualifications to do the work of
the project and make a contribution to it; what you hope to accomplish by
participation, including any individual research and writing projects; and
the relation 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
enclosed letter from the project director (or letter downloaded from the
director’s website, if available) 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 15 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 35 participating teachers 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.
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 outside the U.S. 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. An
individual may apply to only one project in any one year. Anyone
found to have applied to more than one project will be ineligible to
participate in any seminar or institute that year.
SELECTION CRITERIA
A selection committee
reads and evaluates all properly completed applications in order to select
the most promising applicants and to identify a small number of alternates.
(Seminar selection committees 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 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 or institute in the
last three years (2004, 2005, 2006). Recent participation in NEH’s
Landmarks of American History and Culture Program does not negatively affect
eligibility or competitiveness.
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 or institute, 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 $4,200;
those in five-week projects will receive $3,600; those in four-week projects
will receive $3,000; those in three-week projects will receive $2,400; and
those in two-week projects will receive $1,800. 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 on-line
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
This application packet
should be accompanied by a 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, please request one from the
director of the project in which you are interested before you attempt to
compete and submit an application. In some cases, directors have websites
for their projects and the information letter may be downloaded from their
website. All application materials should be sent to the project
director at the address listed on the program poster. Sending application
materials to the Endowment will result in delay.
CHECKLIST OF
APPLICATION MATERIALS
A completed application consists of three
copies of the following collated items:
- the completed application
cover sheet,
- a detailed résumé, 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 on line at this address: <http://www.neh.gov/online/education/participants/>
Please fill it out on line as directed by the prompts. When you are
finished, be sure to click on the “submit” button. Print out the cover
sheet and add it to your application package. 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 more than one project. A full
application consists of the items listed above, as sent to the project
director.
Résumé
Please include a résumé
detailing your educational qualifications and professional experience.
The Application
Essay
The application essay
should be no more than four double‑spaced pages. An essay should usually be
written in response to the information contained in the director's letter.
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 should
be chosen carefully. They should be familiar with the applicant's
professional accomplishments or promise, interests, and ability to
contribute to and benefit from participation in a community of intellectual
inquiry. They should specifically address these issues in their
recommendations. Letters from colleagues who know the applicant's teaching
and from those outside the applicant's institution who know the applicant's
habits of mind are often more useful than letters from school
administrators. Referees should, if possible, be familiar with the work of
the National Endowment for the Humanities and the seminars and institutes
program. It is helpful for referees to read the description of the project
sent by the director and the application essay. If an applicant has
previously participated in an NEH summer seminar or institute, a
recommendation from the director or lead scholar of that program would be
useful. Please ask each of your referees to sign their name across the back
of the sealed 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 1, 2007 deadline extended to Friday, March 9,
2007.
Successful applicants will be notified of their
selection on April 2, 2007, and they will have until April 15 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).
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Rural areas around La Crosse, Wisconsin |
PDF Versions of the above information:
Dear
Colleague Letter
NEH Application Information and
Instructions
Note:
Application deadline has been extended to Friday, March 9, 2007.
You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view the above
documents.
Click here if you want to download a free version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.
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
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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. |
