Local Teacher Helps Turn National Park Into Area's Best Classroom
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National Park Service Park Newsletter U.S. Department of the Interior Welcome Local Teacher Helps Turn National Hopewell Culture National Historical Park, originally established in 1923 as Park into Area’s Best Classroom Mound City Group National Monument, by Park Ranger Susan Knisley preserves and protects five earthwork complexes built by American Indians nearly two thousand years ago. These earthen monuments include miles of walls formed into geometric and free-form shapes as well as mounds of varying sizes and shapes. Each earthwork contains a unique story of the people who designed, constructed, and used these special places. Today you can learn a part of the story by taking a site tour, visiting the museum, attending a special event, browsing our website, or talking to a National Park Service ranger. Walk among the mounds at Mound City Group and think about the effort it took to build the mounds and walls using only hand tools. Gaze around the park and look for one of the many Students participated in programs at Hopewell Culture NHP and in the Midwest Archeological Center animals depicted in objects made by the (MWAC). Pictured above while visiting Homestead National Monument of America near Beatrice, Nebraska, from left to right: Timothy Everheart, Jeremy Krech, Corey Lump, Dacia Posey, Emily Kinneer, Hopewell peoples, such as deer, squirrels, and teacher Cathy Daugherty. rabbits, cardinals, vultures, or frogs. Look at what remains today and learn about This program is important because it expands ollowing the 2010 school year, a group of on a continuing partnership with MWAC in stewardship so that future generations can F Paint Valley High School students began a Lincoln, Nebraska and the Paint Valley Local learn from these earthworks. Together we unique, year-long journey at Hopewell Culture Schools. National Park Service staff worked can preserve and protect these important National Historical Park. They stepped into with Cathy and her students to conduct sites for others to enjoy. the world of archeology, working alongside archeology field projects, as well as to archeologists visiting from the Midwest develop and conduct educational activities at - Jennifer Pederson Weinberger Archeological Center (MWAC) based in Hopewell Culture National Historical Park. Superintendent Lincoln, Nebraska. Paint Valley High School “The Park Stewards program creates a ripple science teacher Cathy Daugherty and her effect as each teacher becomes a conduit for students, Timothy Everhart, Emily Kinneer, bringing classrooms of students into their Inside this issue …. Jeremy Krech, Corey Lump, and Dacia Posey, parks year after year,” said Neil Mulholland, then returned from the field to turn their Journey to Hopewell Mound Group………. 3 President and CEO of the National Park experiences into service-based educational Foundation. “This program is an introduction World Heritage Update…………………….. 3 programs for area fourth grade students. Their for many students to their parks, and the Upcoming Events…………………………… 4 work is all part of the National Park service learning that they do can spark a Foundation’s Park Stewards program, which Recent Research at Mound City…………… 6 connection to the parks that will last a helps build a deeper connection and sense of Gardening with Native Plants……………… 8 lifetime.” stewardship for national parks among high Test Your Hopewell Knowledge…………… 9 school students. (continued on page 2) The Official Newsletter of Hopewell Culture National Historical Park • 2011 Parks to the Classroom (continued from front page) Cathy and her students began their summer 2010 work by familiarizing themselves with Hopewell Culture NHP, its resources, and responsibilities of the park staff. Together, Cathy, students and staff then worked to develop service learning activities that advance the park’s mission, yet are broad Paint Valley High School students Emily Kineer (L) enough to be applicable to local, state, and and Dacia Posey (R) assist in a geophysical survey at national education standards. Through the Mound City Group. service learning activities the students apply academic knowledge and critical thinking skills, in addition to physical skills as identifying, and cataloguing of the artifacts appropriate, to address genuine needs of the unearthed during their field excavations at park. Hopewell Culture NHP. When the school “This program is an introduction for many students to their parks, and the service learning that they do can spark a connection to the parks that will last a lifetime.” year began last August, these students Hopewell Culture NHP in Chillicothe, completed their research and prepared to Ohio is partnered with the Midwest teach and share their experiences with area L to R: Cathy Daugherty, Park Curator Kathy Brady, Archeological Center (MWAC) to provide students Corey Lump, Emiley Kineer, and Timothy schools and younger students. Everhart (standing) take core samples at Mound City the first-hand experiences for Cathy Group to study the stratigraphy of the area. Daugherty and her students. The grant also ……………………………………………. The Park Stewards Program is made allowed Cathy and her students to travel to For more information about the Midwest possible with generous support from Bank Lincoln, NE to the MWAC center to meet Archeological Center located in Lincoln, of America and other private donors to the with Dr. Dawn Bringelson, lead coordinator Nebraska please visit their website at National Park Foundation. of the Park Stewards program at MWAC. www.nps.gov/mwac Students participated in the washing, About the National Park Foundation You are the part-owner of 84 million acres of the world’s most Connect with the National Park treasured landscapes, ecosystems, and historical sites -- all Foundation via their official website protected in America’s nearly 400 national parks. Chartered by and on Facebook and Twitter! Congress, the National Park Foundation (NPF) is the official charity of America’s national parks. NPF works hand in hand with the National Park Service to help connect you and all Americans WEBSITE: www.nationalparks.org to the parks, and to make sure that they are preserved for the FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/nationalpark generations who will follow. TWITTER: http://twitter.com/goparks Page 2 Hopewell Happenings 2011 Journey to Hopewell Mound Group by Park Ranger Susan Knisley Hopewell Culture National Historical (pictured below left, first-come- Park invites you to explore Hopewell first-served only). Begin your Mound Group. Pickup directions and a discovery of Hopewell Mound trail map from the Mound City Group Group by meandering down the visitor center and continue your journey paved path that extends beyond the of discovery to the Hopewell Mound restrooms and parking lot (pictured Group. Early archeologists named the below right). The paved path site for the landowner, Mordecai Cloud shortly becomes a gravel trail and Hopewell. This site is the type-site for leads to the top of a ridge. An the Hopewell Culture. This means that overlook meets you at the top of the the Hopewell Mound Group contained ridge with a gorgeous view of this significant remnants that help define the amazing prehistoric earthwork (top Hopewell Culture. picture). Continue further down the path and you will be The site is accessed from able to view remnants of this Sulphur Lick Road, which 2,000 year old earthwork crosses through the interior of nestled in the trees near the the earthwork. A parking lot at path. Further on, the trail Hopewell Mound Group makes meets up with the Tri-County access to a bike trail easy. Triangle Bicycle Trail to lead Near the parking lot is a newly you back to the parking lot—a constructed picnic pavilion Visitor services at Hopewell Mound Group. NPS photos. 2.5 mile journey! World Heritage Status Update by Park Superintendent, Jennifer Pederson Weinberger In 2008, 10 spectacular earthwork sites in High Bank Works, Mound City Group, and a masterpiece of human creative genius southern and central Ohio were listed on Hopeton Earthworks. To advance these (criterion i) as is the case with Octagon the U.S. World Heritage Tentative List by listings, a committee of individuals from Earthworks and Serpent Mound. the Department of the Interior. Each year government agencies, preservation or Designation as a World Heritage property the United States can submit up to two tourism organizations, and universities has heightens local, regional, national, and properties for full nomination to the United been formed to write the full nomination. international awareness about the Nations Educational, Scientific, and The nomination provides detailed property’s significance and value, which is a Cultural Organization (UNESCO) for documentation about the sites and explains primary goal of Hopewell Culture National consideration for inscription as World why the sites have outstanding universal Historical Park. Heritage properties. A vote by the World value worthy of being preserved on an Heritage Committee to inscribe, defer, or international scale. Quick Facts reject the nomination takes place at their The earthworks in Ohio are remarkable and There are 911 World Heritage properties annual meeting and is the final step in the meet several of the selection criteria. The throughout the world in 151 countries: process. The entire process can take about 704 cultural properties, 180 natural earthworks bear a unique or exceptional two years. properties, and 27 cultural/natural testimony to a cultural tradition