PEABODY LESSON BOOKLET FALL 2024
A MESSAGE FROM THE PEABODY
You may be surprised by what the Peabody Institute can offer students and faculty at Phillips Academy. We have programs based on archaeology, anthropology, and Native American history to support what you are already teaching in your classrooms.
Our programs, which make use of material from our collections of more than 600,000 cultural items, are designed to pique students’ interests by offering them an educational experience that cannot be found at any other secondary school in the United States.
To schedule a lesson or ask a question, please contact:
Lainie Schultz (lschultz@andover.edu), Curator of Education
Ryan Wheeler (rwheeler@andover.edu), Peabody Director
PEABODY LESSONS TARPS
Using a mock excavation of a local archaeological site, one that highlights Andover’s historical status as a Native American trading center, students will rotate throughout the various excavation units examining the material culture to determine what activity was taking place as well as what type of a settlement it was.
TRASH TALKS
The unusable or unwanted remnants of everyday life end up in the garbage. By studying what people have thrown away, archaeologists can learn a great deal about a culture. This is true not only of prehistoric individuals and societies who left no written record about their lives, but people living today.
PEABODY LESSONS
MAYA CODEX
The ancient Maya were a complex society who had advanced knowledge of mathematics, calendrics, astronomy, and engineering. Their understanding of the world rivaled that of contemporary civilizations in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe. In this lesson, students engage in a variety of activities to understand the complexity of the Maya by learning how to write their name, calculate their birthday, solve math problems, and so much more!
PUEBLO REVOLT
In 1680, Ohkay Owingeh leader Po’Pay united people from diverse Pueblo communities and led a bloody revolt to drive the Spanish colonizers from New Mexico. This lesson explores the history and archaeology of the Pueblo Revolt through cultural items from the Peabody Institute and concepts like acculturation, assimilation, syncretism, and catachresis. The lesson emphasizes that Pueblo people have survived Spanish and American colonization and thrive today in their ancient homeland
PEABODY LESSONS
THE TAINO: THE PEOPLE WHO DISCOVERED COLUMBUS
The Taíno are an Indigenous group in the Caribbean, historically situated in Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, and neighboring islands. Today’s Taíno people have preserved their language, foodways, and traditional practices, with groups in Puerto Rico and parts of the continental United States. When Columbus landed in Hispaniola the Taíno population was perhaps in the millions and early records estimate that 85 percent of the population had been lost within a few decades. Archaeologists, anthropologists, and historians still debate the existence of modern Taíno, despite DNA evidence and the persistence of cultural patterns. This lesson introduces students to Taíno history, language, and archaeology, including hands on time with the Peabody’s collection of Taíno material culture.
PEABODY LESSONS
HOMININ CRANIAL EVOLUTION
Can you tell the difference between the skulls of an ape, Neanderthal, and Homo sapiens? This interactive lab gives students the opportunity to explore, handle, compare, and contrast 14 skull casts from apes and hominids spanning the famous, 3.2-million-year-old “Lucy” to modern humans. Students learn about cranial capacity, the evolution of the human body and brain, sexual dimorphism, and which features of each skull are unique to its particular species.
BETWEEN GENOCIDE AND ASSIMILATION: U.S. INDIGENOUS RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS
In 2021, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland (Pueblo of Laguna) announced a Federal Indian Boarding School Initiative, to be a comprehensive review of the troubled history and legacy of Indigenous boarding schools in the United States. This lesson explores the history of Indigenous boarding and residential schools in Canada and the US, with a writing activity focused on exploration of “before and after” photographs, student files, and other materials related to Tom Torlino, a Diné student who attended Carlisle Indian Industrial School in the 1880s. Students will investigate the origins of the boarding schools, intent on assimilation of Native American youth and the eradication of Indigenous culture, language, and lifeways, as well as the resistance and resilience of those who attended the schools.
PEABODY LESSONS
NATIVE AMERICAN GRAVES PROTECTION & REPATRIATION ACT (NAGPRA)
The passage of the Native American Graves Protection & Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) in 1990 marked a turning point for archaeologists, museums, and Native peoples. The law requires museums to consult with appropriate tribes and repatriate ancestral remains, funerary objects, and other sacred objects. Specific examples, often involving the Peabody, will be discussed. Students in History 300 will discover how modern Native peoples are working to undo colonial practices and heal the considerable wounds caused by loss of ancestral remains and sacred objects. Students should read NAGPRA Comics: Journeys to Complete the Work online before visiting the Peabody: https://nagpracomics.weebly.com/the-comics.html
THE ATLATL: AN ANCIENT HUNTING AND WARFARE DEVICE
The atlatl, a device for throwing long, slender darts, was one of the most important technological inventions of Ice Age people. Used across the globe, it was the primary weapon employed for hunting and warfare in the Americas until it was replaced by the bow and arrow. Because it acts as a handheld catapult, an atlatl greatly magnifies the force with which one can propel a dart for hunting. In this lesson, students use modern atlatls in a safe and controlled environment, practicing both longdistance throwing and accuracy
PEABODY LESSONS TRADE CONNECTIONS
Investigate the power of trade connections through a selected subset of the Peabody Institute’s collection. Students begin by learning the skills to ‘read’ material culture as a primary source and engaging with a mock excavation of a local archaeological site. Building on this base, a focused examination of Indigenous material culture from across the Americas, students are challenged to recognize themes or patterns. The lesson culminates with a conversation around the power of trade and resulting connections across the landscape. *Designed to fill three class periods but can be condensed to two*
AMERICAN INDIAN POTTERY
Intricate designs, a variety of decorative techniques, and fluid, naturalistic shapes are presented to students during an informal survey of the Peabody’s collection of ancient and contemporary American Indian pottery. Highlights include our distinctive Late Woodland vessels of the Southeast and our extensive collection of southwestern pottery, including pieces by acclaimed Pueblo potter Maria Martinez.
PEABODY LESSONS ANTIQUITIES
COLLECTION
Did you know that Phillips Academy has a Classic Collection being held and cared for at the Peabody? This collection is filled with arts and antiquities from in and around the Mediterranean region, dating from the late bronze age to the modern day. Classical Greek pottery, Imperial Roman glassware, Late Egyptian masks, and Islamic Caliphate coins are just a small sample of what the collection holds. There are over 200 items ready to be included into your class, be it history, art, language, etc. The Peabody does not have any specific lessons associated with these items, so if you would like to incorporate some of these items into your existing lesson plans, please let us know!
For more information please contact:
Lainie Schultz (lschultz@andover.edu), Curator of Education
Ryan Wheeler (rwheeler@andover.edu), Peabody Director
