Step 1 – People have been farming near Casa Grande for hundreds,
even thousands, of years. Possibly the first group of people to farm in the
area were the Hohokam Indians. In this step you are
going to learn about the Hohokam Indians and how they
watered their fields using canal irrigation. Click here to open the Hohokam Irrigation task sheet. Print a copy. You will need
to answer the questions as you explore three websites. This will need to be
turned in to your teacher for a grade.
At the first website you will be exploring
you’ll see a cool map of a Hohokam village. Read the
information first. Then click on one of the fields to read about Hohokam agriculture. After reading that, click on “Back to
Village.” Then click on one of the canals to read more about Hohokam irrigation. Click here
to begin learning about Hohokam irrigation methods.
Weren’t the Hohokam
amazing farmers? Click
here to learn more about Hohokam farming.
Scroll down and read the section called “Farming process.”
One more! Click here and
read the section called “Hohokam Water
Control.”
Step 2 – Now
that you have learned a ton of stuff about Hohokam
irrigation and farming, it is time to watch a short video. This video will teach
you a little bit more about how irrigation works. Click
here to watch the irrigation video. To watch
the video, click the play button.
Step 3 – That
was a lot of water wasn’t it! Now let’s look at some cool pictures. They will
give you more of an idea of what canals look like and how they work.
Step 4 – Neat pics, don’t you think? You are nearly an expert on
irrigation now! Way to go! Your teacher will now assign you to a group. You
will meet with that group and discuss how canal irrigation works. Your teacher
will let you know what they expect of you during the discussion.
Step 5 – Now
that you really are an expert on irrigation, write a summary of how canal
irrigation works. Again, your teacher will tell you what is expected of you on
this step.
Step 6 – Your
next step is to share your summary with your group. Take turns reading your
summaries and discuss anything else you need to about irrigation as you share.
Next, your teacher
will assign each member of your team a job. This will be your job as your team
plans, designs, and creates a model that shows how you would get the water you
need from the Gila River to your farm. Have lots of fun! Make sure you do your
part to work together as a team. This is important because you want to come up
with a fantastic finished product. Your teacher will explain how you will
create your model and how it will be graded.
Step 7 –
Congratulations! Your cotton is beginning to grow. You are going to have a
beautiful farm! I bet your model is really cool! In this final step, you and
your team need to plan and present your model to your class. Your teacher will
let you know what is expected in the presentation and how it will be graded.
