The Ancient Americas

The Ancient Americas is free with field trip pre-registration to the Museum. Visit the Education website to register for field trips and find out more about the exhibition and the many educational programs and resources the Field Museum offers. Particularly strong curricular connections exist for fifth and sixth grade students in Illinois, with explicit connections to most Illinois social studies curricula, as well as a wealth of interdisciplinary connections.

These hands-on classes include a guided tour of the exhibition as well as classroom/laboratory activities. Register on-line

Educator Guide
Learn about the hundreds of diverse early socieites in the Americas, and use our pre, during, and post field trip activities. Download your copy!

Student Classes
Family Life in the Americas: Past and Present (Grades 3-8; Also offered in Spanish for Grades K-3)
Explore family life across the Americas, today and in the past. Step into an ancient Pueblo house and learn about growing up in an early Puebloan community. Students will discover similarities and differences in past and present daily tasks and family life.
Monday through Friday, available starting March 12, 2007
10:00 am-12:30 pm; $3 Chicago students, $4 non-Chicago students

The Art of Ancient Maya Pottery (Grades 6-8)
Learn about ancient pottery traditions of the Maya, then do some hands-on experimenting forming and decorating pots. Students will use tools and techniques that were available to PreColumbian Maya potters!
Monday through Friday, available starting March 12, 2007
10:00 am-12:30 pm; $3 Chicago students, $4 non-Chicago students

Cultures of the Ancient Americas (Grades 9-12)
Investigate the arts, customs, and social systems of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Undertake culturally specific research in the exhibition, then use this new knowledge to explore the cultural continuity and change that links past societies to contemporary cultures.
Monday through Friday, available starting March 12, 2007
10:00 am-12:30 pm; $3 Chicago students, $4 non-Chicago students

High School Press Preview
High school journalists—join us for a private tour and dialog with Field Museum exhibition developers and scientists. You can even enter a publication contest by submitting your newspaper article on the exhibition. This program is free to middle and high school journalism staff accompanied by advisors/chaperones.
Friday, March 23, 2007; 9:00 am-12:00 pm
Free; pre-registration required.

Harris Educational Loan Materials
Put real artifacts and specimens in the hands of your students. Visit the Harris Educational Loan Center Web site to reserve these boxes now.

Teacher Workshops
Want to learn more about how to utilize The Ancient Americas exhibition in your classroom? Sign up now for these exciting professional development opportunities. Earn CPDUs, Lane and Graduate Credit. Register by calling 312.665.7500.

Ancient Americas: Educator Viewing
See the new The Ancient Americas exhibition, and explore the vast history of the Americas. Uncover the abundant creativity, dynamic relationships, and enduring contributions of the first peoples in the Americas through objects and images from all over the Americas. Discover linkages to Illinois Learning Standards while developing focused field trip activities. Using Field Museum research and Harris Educational Loan Center resources, you’ll discuss concepts of culture, invention, and community. Earn 3 CPDUs.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
$18, members $15

Uncovering the History of the Americas
Step into the new The Ancient Americas exhibition and uncover the complex history and cultures of Central America. Take part in a behind-the-scenes tour with the Anthropology Head of Collections. Learn about early Mesoamerican societies that created an amazing diversity of social systems, art, and religions long before contact with Europeans. Increase your knowledge about the lifeways of Indigenous peoples and the history of the Americas. Earn 3 CPDUs.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007, 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm
$18, members $15

Art in Context: The Art of the Americas
Explore the diverse settings and context in which centuries of art in the Americas has been produced, and learn about the artistic influences of contemporary Indigenous artists in the Americas. You'll learn about best practices in teaching about the art of the Americas by touring the new The Ancient Americas exhibition. Then visit the National Museum of Mexican Art and the Chicago Botanic Garden, and end the week with a trip to the Dickson Mounds Museum in Lewiston, IL! Earn 25 CPDUs, 1 Lane Credit, or 1 Aurora University Credit (an additional $100 fee).
August 13-16, 2007, Monday-Wednesday 9:00 am to 3:00 pm;
Thursday Fieldtrip 8:00 am to 8:30 pm
$375, members $350
Breakfast and Dickson Mounds Museum transportation provided.

Exploring the Americas
Visit the new The Ancient Americas exhibition and discover linkages to Illinois Learning Standards while developing focused field trip activities. Step inside the exhibition to uncover the abundant creativity, dynamic relationships, and enduring contributions of the first peoples in the Americas. Using Field Museum research and Harris Educational Loan Center resources, you’ll discuss concepts of culture, invention, and community. Earn 3 CPDUs.
Saturday, September 15, 2007, 9:00 am to 12:00 pm
$18, members $15

Art, History, and Cultures of Native North Americans
Explore the art, history, and cultures of Native peoples of North America through a visit to the renowned Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art in Indianapolis, IN. During a day trip to the Museum, teachers will focus on the Native peoples of the Midwest, touring the Museum’s Mihtohseenionki (The People’s Place) gallery, bringing history into the present. Discuss best practices and strategies for teaching more effectively about the cultures and histories of Indigenous peoples in the classroom. We will conclude the day with dinner in lovely downtown Indianapolis. Earn 3 CPDUs.
Saturday, October 6, 2007, 7:30 am to 9:00 pm
$95, members $90
Field trip transportation, admission, and light breakfast provided.

Native Ways of Knowing
How and what archaeologists study affects Indigenous peoples identities and lives. Several innovative researchers have successfully brought to light Indigenous issues in American archaeology. Learn about the interaction of Native and scientific ways of knowing, and hear about cooperative projects demonstrating collaboration between Native peoples and archaeologists in the Americas with prominent scholar and archaeologist Dr. Larry Zimmerman. Workshop also includes entry into Indigenous Archaeology panel discussion at 6:00 pm. Earn 3 CPDUs.
Thursday, November 8, 2007, 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm

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