The student will develop an appreciation for the Hohokam culture and contributions to daily life. They will identify customs and make inferences according to their research. Upon completion of this webquest they will have created several artifacts to support their findings.

The Hohokam culture is thought to have originated from Mexico and extended into southern and central Arizona around 300 B.C. The tribe had its own customs and traditions, along with the knowledge on how to survive on the rugged, desert landscape of Arizona. Today there is little evidence left of their settlement and their existence has become a mystery since their tribe disappeared in 1500 A.D. The name Hohokam means “vanished ones.”

Task: You will be placed into groups of four to become experts on the Hohokam Indian Tribe. Within your group, you will each be responsible for a specific topic to research. Upon completion, you will report your findings back to your group in order to create a final project based on everyone’s knowledge.

Your Mission: To become a Hohokam expert on their daily life and disappearance.

Questions:

· Identify the contributions of the Hohokam to civilization.

· Describe their daily life – food, trade, ceremonies.

· Discuss possible causes of cultural disappearance.

Person 1 : Expert on desert landscape

Person 2: (You) Expert on daily life and disappearance

Person 3: Expert on farming and irrigation

Person 4:  Expert on building and construction

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Directions:

Begin by exploring the webpages that are listed below in the resource section. These will be helpful in your research on the Hohokam culture. Feel free to explore beyond the websites listed.

Like all great detectives, you will be required to keep a journal during your investigation. Divide it into categories according to topics: Daily Life, Traditions, Ceremonies, Food, etc.

Along with your journal you will need to create a poster board with graphics/pictures of your topic. They can be printed from the internet, cut from magazines, or hand drawn. There should be no less than seven accurate facts displayed on the board. Each graphic/picture should have a short, typed caption underneath.

Next, you will need to hand in a one page typed essay summarizing what you have learned and what you think caused the Hohokam to disappear. Since there is no known reason why they vanished, be creative when writing your opinion! Use your resources to come to a conclusion.

Finally, you will meet with the rest of your group to work on the final project. You will be creating a newspaper on the information your group has found on the Hohokam Indian Tribe along with a model of the “Big House” (Casa Grande).

· Journal

· Poster board

· Paragraph essay

· Newspaper

· Model

· http://www.beloit.edu/~museum/logan/southwest/index.htm

· http://www.desertusa.com/ind1/ind_new/ind8.html

· http://www.tempe.gov/museum/prehistory/hohokamintro.htm

· CD-ROM Grewe Revealed

As a group, you will now come together to create and name a newspaper article about the Hohokam Indian Tribe. You will also design a model of Casa Grande (the Big House), including the Casa Grande irrigation systems and surrounding desert.

Overall	4	3	2	1
Plan for Organizing Information	Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information as it is gathered and in the final research product. All students can independently explain the planned organization of the research findings.	Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information in the final research product. All students can independently explain this plan.	Students have developed a clear plan for organizing the information as it is gathered. All students can independently explain most of this plan.	Students have no clear plan for organizing the information AND/OR students in the group cannot explain their organizational plan.

Newspaper	4	3	2	1
Layout - Headlines & Captions	All articles have headlines that capture the reader's attention and accurately describe the content. All articles have a byline. All graphics have captions that adequately describe the people and action in the graphic.	All articles have headlines that accurately describe the content. All articles have a byline. All graphics have captions.	Most articles have headlines that accurately describe the content. All articles have a byline. Most graphics have captions.	Articles are missing bylines OR many articles do not have adequate headlines OR many graphics do not have captions.
Contributions of Group Members	Each person in the group has contributed at least two articles and one graphic without prompting from teachers or peers.	Each person in the group has contributed at least one article and one graphic with a few reminders from peers.	Each person in the group has contributed at least one article with some minimal assistance from peers.	One or more students in the group required quite a lot of assistance from peers before contributing one article.
Spelling and Proofreading	No spelling or grammar errors remain after one or more people (in addition to the typist) read and correct the newspaper.	No more than a couple of spelling or grammar errors remain after one or more people (in addition to the typist) read and correct the newspaper.	No more than 3 spelling or grammar errors remain after one or more people (in addition to the typist) read and correct the newspaper.	Several spelling or grammar errors remain in the final copy of the newspaper.

Model	4	3	2	1
Construction -Materials	Appropriate materials were selected and creatively modified in ways that made them even better.	Appropriate materials were selected and there was an attempt at creative modification to make them even better.	Appropriate materials were selected.	Inappropriate materials were selected and contributed to a product that performed poorly.
Construction - Care Taken	Great care taken in construction process so that the structure is neat, attractive and follows plans accurately.	Construction was careful and accurate for the most part, but 1-2 details could have been refined for a more attractive product.	Construction accurately followed the plans, but 3-4 details could have been refined for a more attractive product.	Construction appears careless or haphazard. Many details need refinement for a strong or attractive

Poster Board	4	3	2	1
Content - Accuracy	Accurate facts are displayed on the poster.	Some facts are displayed on the poster.	A few facts are displayed on the poster.	No facts are displayed on the poster.

Essay	4	3	2	1
Quality of Information	Information clearly relates to the main topic. It includes several supporting details and/or examples.	Information clearly relates to the main topic. It provides 1-2 supporting details and/or examples.	Information clearly relates to the main topic. No details and/or examples are given.	Information has little or nothing to do with the main topic.
Internet Use	Successfully uses suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.	Usually able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.	Occasionally able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.	Needs assistance or supervision to use suggested internet links and/or to navigate within these sites.

Now that you have become a Hohokam expert, do you think there are other people/cultures that have disappeared like the Hohokam? Why or why not?

Courtesy of: eartharchitecture.org