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Lesson Plan

The Wintu of Whiskeytown

Whiskeytown National Recreation Area

Grade Level:

Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade

Subject:

Social Studies

Lesson Duration:

90 Minutes

Common Core Standards:

3.SL.1, 3.SL.1.c

State Standards:

California - Social Studies
3.1
3.2
4.2
5.1
5.3

Additional Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1.B
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.1.C
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.B
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.C
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.4.1.D
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1.B
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1.C
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1.D

Thinking Skills:

Remembering: Recalling or recognizing information ideas, and principles. Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words. Applying: Apply an abstract idea in a concrete situation to solve a problem or relate it to a prior experience. Analyzing: Break down a concept or idea into parts and show the relationships among the parts. Evaluating: Make informed judgements about the value of ideas or materials. Use standards and criteria to support opinions and views.

Essential Question

How can learning about the local traditions, geography, and current livelihood of the Wintu change the relationship students have with their land as well as their perspectives on indigenous culture?

Objective

Students will be able to analyze geographic patterns of settlements, provide information on traditional plant uses, and compare & contrast indigenous fire practices with those of today throughout a three rotation lesson.

Background

Partnering Students: It is best for students to discuss these topics with a peer to provide each student with time to be engaged, reflect with their ideas, and collaborate. When pairing students it is helpful to assign partners so a child is not left out. An engaging way to pair students is by assigning one student as chip and the other as salsa. This helps students understand who their partner is. Works with peanut butter and jelly or any other well known pairing that will grab student’s attention.

Geographic location: The Wintu traditional lands lie in Northern California between the Klamath Mountains and Modoc Plateau. The Wintu identify within nine distinct groups: Nomti-pom, Wenemem, Dawpom, Elpom, λ’abal-pom (pronounced like l’abal-pom), Nomsu’s, Dawnom, and Norelmaq. Today, Whiskeytown National Recreation Area lies in the heart of Wintu homelands about 11 miles west from Redding, CA. To see exactly where you are on Native Land visit https://native-land.ca/.

Whiskeytown Geography: Whiskeytown lies in a mountain lake setting and encompasses valleys, mountains, forests, fields, streams and of course the lake. The park is 42,000 acres with the lake itself being 3,200 acres. Brandy Creek, Clear Creek, Boulder Creek, Mill Creek, Willow Creek, Crystal Creek and Whiskey Creek flow into the reservoir. Within the park there are many mountains, the highest of them being Shasta Bally at 6,199 feet above sea level. This geographical feature has its name derived from the Wintu language; bally is Wintu for mountain. Summer temperatures are typically between 85 and 100 degrees while winter ranges throughout 50 and 60 degrees.

Wintu Settlements in Whiskeytown: The Wintu lived throughout what is now Whiskeytown but a “cluster” of settlements near Clear Creek stand out when looking at the map below. The Wintu would spend summers living in temporary camps at the cooler high elevation of nearby peaks, such as Shasta Bally, and winters in the valley floors in villages. It has been noted that the Wintu themselves did not hold strict boundaries with other tribes and “while individual anthropologists' depictions of wintu territorial boundaries vary, all sources concur that whiskeytown sits close to the heart of wintu traditional lands” (Duer et al 2020). When analyzing the above map of tribal territories please note that natural features such as “drainage systems, mountain ranges, and changes in flora and fauna associated with them [the boundaries] seem to be the determinants of boundaries in the minds of the natives. Sharp demarcations are never drawn in their minds and in that respect are misleading when placed on maps” (Duer et al 2020). Areas between territory could range several miles and be a “no-man’s- land” where both or multiple groups gathered resources. A secondary consideration is that many Native Americans in the area were decimated due to disease or genocide so at times there has been a loss of traditional knowladge. Plants Used For

Medicinal Purposes: While the Wintu utilized a plethora of plants for various purposes, a few have been selected to focus on for this lesson. These specific plants have been chosen because they naturally grow in the Tower House Historic District, where this lesson is to be implemented during field trips to Whiskeytown. An asterisk after the plant name indicates that this plant is currently gathered and used by the Wintu.
 

Common Name	Scientific Name	Uses
Yerba Santa* or Mountain Balm*	Eriodictyon californicum	Teas used for colds, sore throats, stomach aches. Heated extracts can be applied to aid poison oak rashes (Just et al. 2013).
Christmas Berry* or Toyon*	Heteromeles arbutifolia	Berries eaten fresh, dried, roasted, or boiled. Berries used to make dye. Bark and leaves used for tea for stomach aches and other pains. Wood used for tools, arrows, hairpins (Just etal. 2013).
Moss	Bryophyta	Various uses including bandages, bedding, and sponges (Duer etal. 2020).
Maple Tree	Acer rubrum	Inner bark and leaves used for various medicinal purposes including reducing inflammation (Duer etal. 2020).
California Mugwort*	Artemisia douglasiana	Teas made from leaves to get rid of parasitic worms, to treat colds and poison oak, and to make hair healthy. Seeds ground up and mixed with other ground seeds to make cakes. Leaves smoked or consumed in ceremonies to stimulate vivid dreams. Leaves used to repel insects in food storage containers (Just et al. 2013).
California Bay	Umbellularia californica	Nuts consumed as food. Leaves used to cure headaches, toothaches, and earaches. Poultices of leaves used to treat rheumatism and neuralgias. Tea made from leaves to treat stomach aches, colds, sore throats, and to clear up mucus in the lungs. Leaves steeped in hot water to make an infusion used to wash sores (Just etal. 2013).

Indigenous Fire Practices: Indigenous groups across California, including the Wintu, utilized fire as a tool. Through planned burning at the right time of year tribes were able to “ open up the habitat for ease of movement and hunting, increase its ability to support deer and small mammals, increase the productivity of the plants used for food and medicine, encourage shrubs to produce shoots ideal for basketry, and reduce the vulnerability of villages to out-of-control, lightning-ignited summer wildfires'' (Anderson 2018). What we imagine California as when Europeans first began exploring is pure wilderness; however this is not accurate. Native groups across the state used fire as a tool to manipulate the landscape in order to meet a variety of their needs. Anderson has summarized that there were seven purposes in burning the landscape which include: enhancing growth of edible above ground plants, enhancing growth of edible below ground plants, enhancing the growth of plants used for basket weaving, providing a prime habitat for the mammals they hunted, controlling pests, increasing water resources, and preventing the chance of large scale destructive fires close to their homes.

Present Day Fire Practices: It is clear that the American West, especially California, is now at the hands of wildfires each June through September. There are a multitude of reasons why we seem to be experiencing “the worst fire season in history” year after year. Extended droughts, climate change, more humans living in fire prone landscapes, and years of U.S. Forest Service fire suppression policies have worked together to create a new normal. After a season of devastating fires in 1910 the U.S. Forest Service, and other agencies, implemented a policy of “prevent and suppress” any and all fires which lasted into the 1970s. Once researchers realized that fire can be beneficial in certain environments the Forest Service shifted their view on wildfires. Today the Forest Service works with state, local, and tribal partners to implement the National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy which has “three key components: Resilient Landscapes, Fire Adapted Communities, and Safe and Effective Wildfire Response” (fs.usda.org). This plan is implemented through conducting prescribed burns to restore and maintain landscapes, providing information to the public on home defense, adjusting construction codes, and reducing human caused fires to create fire adapted communities. In addition to having firefighters trained for large scale fires and focus on protecting structures when responding to wildfires.

Preparation

If attending the field trip at Whiskeytown National Recreation Area the teacher should be in communication with their rangers about times, location, weather, and materials. Rangers will need the following materials:

• Wintu Sites of Significance worksheets

• Wintu Site map (enlarged)

• Wintu Ethnobotany plant identification paper

• Yerba Santa, Christmas Berry, Moss, Maple Tree, California Mugwort, and California Bay in the vicinity. (Okay if not all are available)

• Copy of Wintu coyote coal myth

• Cultural Burning to Wildfires sorting picture cards

• 30 Pencils

• 1 Pencil box

• 30 clipboards (tip: place the map activity worksheet on the clipboards prior to the field trip to help the rotation run smoother)

• 10 expo markers

• Rotation schedule

• Grouping name tag stickers (optional, or recommend them to teacher prior)

If teaching this lesson in your own classroom please familiarize yourself with the content in the “Background Information for Teacher” section above. If teaching this lesson in a classroom the teacher will need the following materials:

• Wintu Sites of Significance worksheets

• Wintu Site map (enlarged)

• Wintu Ethnobotany plant identification paper

• Samples of Yerba Santa, Christmas Berry, Moss, Maple Tree, California Mugwort, and California Bay or pictures of each plant.

• Recording of Wintu coyote coal myth

Cultural Burning to Wildfires sorting picture cards

Materials

Lesson Hook/Preview

Lesson hook:

• Have you been to Whiskeytown before?

  • Answers may include: yes or no

• What do you know about Native Americans today? (emphasize today, not historical facts.)

  • Answers may include but are not limited to: I am Native American, I know a Native American, They live near us, They no longer exist (accept wrong answers at this time) or nothing.

• Do you know who the Wintu are?

  • Answers may include: yes or no

Lesson preview: “The Wintu are a group of indegenous people who have lived right here on the land where you are sitting in Whiskeytown, where you live in Shasta County, where you go to school at (insert name of school) for thousands of years! Sometimes we get the idea that Native Americans are a “thing of the past '' or only a “part of history” but in reality Native Americans are an important part of our everyday community! Our goal for today is to 1) see what aspects of Wintu culture we can relate to in our everyday lives, 2) learn about some of the traditional practices and beliefs the Wintu had and 3), the most important goal, learn something new while out in nature!”

Procedure

Whole Group
Map Rotation
Wintu Ethnobotany Rotation
Fire Rotation

Prior to students arriving: Communicate with teachers about the location, weather, bathroom situation, and time limits. Ask teachers to please break their students into 3 groups prior to arrival. Ten students per group maximum. I recommend the name tags stickers (found in the materials section) for color coded groups that can be placed on student shirts to aid in organization.

Step One Greeting: Greet students at their bus, show where the restroom is located and lead them to the field trip location.

Step Two Introductions: Gather students and teachers in the shade (always ensure your eyes are to the sun instead of theirs) and introduce the rangers & volunteers for the day. Go over any necessary safety procedures (snakes, poison oak, anything else you think of.)

Step Three Hook: Tell students to answer with a thumb up for yes or thumb down for no and then ask the question:

Have you been to Whiskeytown before? Generally comment on the responses you see such as “Cool, a lot of you have!” or “We have some first timers today! I am excited to have you out here!”

Step Four Hook: Tell students you will call on 5 kids to answer the next question and that there is not a right or wrong answer. Ask students what do you know about Native Americans today? (emphasize today, not historical facts.) Call on 5 students to share their answers.

Step Five Hook: Tell students to answer with a thumb up for yes or thumb down for no and then ask the question: Do you know who the Wintu are? Generally comment on the responses you see such as “great we have some yes some no which is great because they are the focus of today so by the end of our field trip you will all know who the Wintu are!

Step Six Purpose: Introduce the purpose of the field trip “The Wintu are a group of indigenous people who have lived right here on the land where you are sitting in Whiskeytown, where you live in Shasta County, where you go to school at (insert name of school) for thousands of years! Sometimes we get the idea that Native Americans are a “thing of the past '' or only a “part of history” but in reality Native Americans are an important part of our everyday community! Our goal for today is to 1) see what aspects of Wintu culture we can relate to in our everyday lives, 2) learn about some of the traditional practices and beliefs the Wintu had and 3), the most important goal, learn something new while out in nature!”

Step Seven Groups: Assign each group to a ranger and disperse students to begin rotation one.

Step One Map Rotation: Gather students around your assigned area, introduce yourself again, and then buddy them off in pairs of two (I like using chip & salsa or peanut butter & jelly!)

Step Two Map Rotation: Tell the students to quietly observe the landscape, near and far, for 10 seconds. Then ask them to tell their partner what they heard, saw, or even smelled! Take three volunteers to share their observations.

Step Three Map Rotation: Inform students of the nine regions of the Northern Wintun: Nomti-pom, Wenemem, Dawpom, Elpom, λ’abal-pom (pronounced like l’abal-pom), Nomsu’s, Dawnom, and Norelmaq. Explain that while groups are all from this area you will be focusing on those who resided within Whiskeytown Park boundaries. Bring out the large Wintu sites of settlement map and ask students what place they think the map is of. Take a few guesses, hopefully a student will guess correctly with Whiskeytown! Tell students this is a physical map which provides us with information about the geography and political boundaries.

Step Four Map Rotation: Provide each student with their own recording sheet/ map, pencil, and clipboard.

Step Five Map Rotation: Tell students to place their finger on the map key. Have students discuss with their partner what information the map key provides us.

• Point to the blue dots on your large map and let the students shout out what it represents.

• Point to the black boundary line and let the students shout out what it represents.

• Point to the compass and let students shout out what it tells us (not all students may get this one.)

• Point to Clear Creek and let students shout out what it represents. Bring light to the fact that Clear Creek is not in the map key, but we know what it is because it is labeled.

Step Six Map Rotation: Tell students the map key helps us understand information about our map and with the use of the key we know this information is correct and true. Provoke students into discussing how the key can give us more detail by saying

• “So, we know the blue dots are each 1 Wintu site. Do we know how many Wintu sites are in Whiskeytown?”

• Let students count and give a thumb up when they have their answer.

• Let students shout out their answers.

• The correct answer is 18, if not all groups said 18 count them together on your large map.

Step Seven Map Rotation: Bring student’s attention to the chart under their map. Note on your board that there are 18 Wintu sites in Whiskeytown as students also take note on their own paper. Note that Clear Creek runs through all of Whiskeytown.

Step Eight Map Rotation: Ask students what else they notice about the blue sites of settlement. If someone is ready to share let them share or if they need time to talk with a partner that is fine.

Step Nine Map Rotation: Lead students into discussing that all sites of settlement are located near Clear Creek. Take note on your board in the notice section that the sites are all on the creek; have students do the same.

Step Ten Map Rotation: Ask students “what other physical features does the map provide?” Lead students into noticing the elevation on the map. Gesture to Shasta Bally and ask students what they think it might be. Once a student provides the answer of mountain, tell them it is Shasta Bally, the highest point of elevation in Whiskeytown. Inform students that bally is the Wintu word for mountain.

Step Eleven Map Rotation: Add Shasta Bally to your I noticed section of the organizer as students add it to theirs. Next, ask them why they think there are not any blue village sites on the mountain. Provide time for students to discuss with their partners. Choose someone to share their response.

Step Twelve Map Rotation: Lead students to a discussion of why all the village sites are on Clear Creek and ask students what are the benefits of living on the creek? Once students conclude that the Wintu settled on Clear Creek because it provides water, animals and plants for food, and trees for shelter, write a statement summarizing their ideas on your board in the “I can conclude'' section. Have students write their own conclusion.

***5th Grade Extension Map Rotation: Have students analyze the map key for the first two maps on their paper. Have students discuss with their partner what the key represents and locate each aspect on the map. Ask students to compare and contrast the two maps. Allow students to discuss the similarities and differences. Lead them to a discussion about the Wintu settlements beneath Whiskeytown Lake. Allow time for students to complete the chart.

***5th Grade Extension Map Rotation: Have students analyze the map key for the second two maps on their paper. Have students discuss with their partner what the key represents and locate each aspect on the map. Ask students to compare and contrast the two maps. Allow students to discuss the similarities and differences. Lead them to a discussion comparing the land size of traditional native lands vs. present day reservations. Ask students to reflect on their knowledge of the gold rush and ask leading questions about how the land was taken from native tribes. Allow time for students to complete the chart. 

Step Thirteen Map Rotation: Have students flip their paper and explain that Wintu lived in areas just like the one they’re in right now! Tell students they are tasked with finding enough resources in the area to be able to survive. Read the three guiding questions at the top of the paper with the students.

Step Fourteen Map Rotation: Go over any necessary guidelines and safety tips with the group then lead them to the creek shore. Let students roam around the area as they fill out the chart. Ask guiding questions and ensure that you touch base with each kid. Let them explore, get their hands dirty, and have fun! Encourage students to complete their chart but remember that just being outside is a very important part of this experience.

Step One Ethnobotany Rotation: Gather students around your assigned area, introduce yourself again, and then buddy them off in pairs of two (I like using chip & salsa or peanut butter & jelly.)

Step Two Ethnobotany Rotation: Ask students to give a silent thumb up or down if they have ever had a headache before? What about a stomach ache? Or even just an itchy mosquito bite? Then have students talk with their partner about what they use to feel better when they’re sick or any medicine or routines they/ their parents use to help them feel better.

Step Three Ethnobotany Rotation: Now ask students “Imagine you lived before modern medicine, before pepto bismol, no saltine crackers when your stomach is upset… what would you do?!” Provide time for students to think or provide their response.

Step Four Ethnobotany Rotation: Explain to students that “the Wintu, and all other Native American groups, used native growing plants in their area to cure headaches, stomach aches, mosquito bites, and all sorts of other medical issues and some of these plants are surrounding you right now!”

Step Five Ethnobotany Rotation: Tell students that the goal for your rotation is to learn about the medicinal (pause and ask them what word sounds like medicinal? Answer: medicine! Define medicinal) properties of a few plants traditionally used by the Wintu. Explain that finding the right plant could be difficult sometimes. Ask/ discuss with students what they think some challenges of gathering plants may be. (Possible answers: not in the area, doesn’t grow all year, other plants are poisonous, hard to access)

Step Six Ethnobotany Rotation: Provide each student with a clipboard & plant scavenger hunt page. Explain to students their task of “searching the area for plants that can help or feed our group” (disclaimer: make sure they understand not to actually eat any plants)

Step Seven Ethnobotany Rotation: Lead students around the Towerhouse District to each plant on the scavenger hunt list: Yerba Santa*, Christmas Berry*, Moss, Maple Tree, California Mugwort*, and California Bay. Order is not important. Below is a list of discussion items as you examine each plant.

• Explain the plant use (medicinal, edible, storage.)

• Note if this plant is or is not currently gathered by Wintu members.

• Discuss with students if this plant was easy or hard to locate.

• If the plant has nuts / berries take note of if it is currently producing or not.

• Let students touch, smell, examine, and ask questions about the plant.

• Students will mark the plant off their scavenger hunt list with their expo marker.

Refer to your ranger answer key to guide discussion and provide accurate information for each plant. However, you are the expert so please add any cool information students would benefit from! If you cannot find a plant that is okay, it is a teaching moment for students to realize that the Wintu needed patience, skill, and knowledge of nature to gather plants. Step Eight Ethnobotany Rotation: Repeat step seven for each plant. If you have extra time, show students other plants that were not on your list! End the rotation by asking students if they would use any of the plants you discussed to cure a sickness / discuss their opinions on gathering plants.

*Bonus fun fact Ethnobotany Rotation: “The Wintu didn't discover it, but it might be worth mentioning the connection between willow bark and modern aspirin when discussing medicinal ethnobotany. This was used for centuries as an anti-inflammatory and is still one of the most commonly used modern medicines. The active chemical compound has essentially remained unchanged, we just produce it in labs at much higher potency that you would find in nature.” (Niswander, Dani. NPS 2021)

Step One Fire Rotation: Gather students around your assigned area, introduce yourself again, and then buddy them off in pairs of two (I like using chip & salsa or peanut butter & jelly!)

Step Two Fire Rotation: Ask students to give a quiet thumb up or down if they have seen a fire in our area. Discuss how wildfires are very common for us each summer/ fall then ask if they have “heard the story of how the Wintu first got fire?”  Allow students to answer yes or no then read the following Wintu fire story:“Wintu legend says the first people ate their food raw for lack of fire until Coyote helped out. He led the Wintu north until they came to a house where two women cooked over a fire.He said, “I am the only one who has the right song. I will pretend I’m cold and hungry; I’ll beg to enter and they will take pity on me.”Coyote instructed Panther, Deer, Squirrel, and all the people to be ready to catch the fire and run with it when he came out of the house. When the woman went to bed, someone knocked on the front door and Coyote ran out the back.Coyote tossed a hot coal to Panther who ran with it, passed it to Deer, who gave it to Fox, who passed it to Squirrel, who ran up and down the trees. Frog grabbed the coal and dived into the water, but not before the woman grabbed his tail. That is why frogs do not have tails. Frog had tossed the coal into a hollow stump before jumping into water, allowing the Wintu people of Northern California to build fires and cook food.” *Tip: when reading the fire story read it in a quiet spooky whisper, like you’re telling them a secret. The students respond to your tone and quiet down to listen. * Source: DuBois, Cora and Dorothy Demetracopoulou. "Wintu Myths..." Siskiyou Pioneer, The 2.3 (1953): 37. Print.

Step Three Fire Rotation: Allow students to respond to the story with their partner. Ask them what they think about the story and discuss how some stories may or may not be true, let the students decide on their own if they want to believe the legend or not!

Step Four Fire Rotation: Explain that the Wintu used fire for warmth and cooking food, the same way we use it in our homes today. However, they also used fire as a tool to change the natural landscape. This is called cultural burning. Tell students the Wintu were able to help plants grow that they could eat, grow plants to weave baskets, make it easier to hunt, control pests, and even help water flow! Have students discuss with their partner if these are the same reasons we have fires today? Pick a student to share their answer to the group. (possible answers: no)

Step Five Fire Rotation: Lead students into a discussion of why fires happen in our areas today, let them share possible reasons with their partner. (possible answers: people caused with various reasons or lightning) Let a few students share their answers to the group.

Step Six Fire Rotation: Inform students that even though fires are not started for the same reasons today, some of the ecological benefits are the same. Explain that scientists are learning more and more about the benefits of fire and that the National Park Service is now working with Native American groups to learn about their fire practices from long ago.  

Step Seven Fire Rotation: Tell students their task for this rotation is to compare and contrast (compare same contrast different) Wintu cultural burning with present day National Park Service fire management. Point to the laminated category markers on the table or ground: Indegenous Fire Practice, National Park Service or Both. Provide each pair of students with 1 (or 2 if necessary) photo cards and have them discuss with their partner which category it belongs in. Students will then place their card in their decided category.

Step Eight Fire Rotation: Using your ranger answer key (or your own knowledge - you’re the expert here!) go over each picture card discussing the following:

• What the picture represents

• Purpose of this management practice

• If it was in the right category

Step Nine Fire Rotation: Talk with students about fire safety and the importance of fire in certain ecosystems. Ask if they have interest in helping their community in the future as a Wildland firefighter or paramedic / firefighter!

Bonus Step Ten Fire Rotation: If you have additional time with your group you can play “coyote coal” with the students! This is the same as playing hot potato but inspired by the Wintu coyote coal story. Have students sit in a circle and play this video on your phone. Students pass the bean bag (or medium rock) around just like the coyote passed the coal to all of the other animals! When you randomly stop the music the student holding the bean bag is “out.” Depending on the age maybe don’t actually kick them out of the game that would be sad, up to you. Continue this until your rotation time is over.

Closure Step One: Have rangers bring their groups back as a whole. Ask students to shout out if they had fun! Tell the group you have three questions 1) Why did the Wintu live near Clear Creek? Choose one student to answer. 2) Who remembers the name of one plant the Wintu collect or the use? Choose one student to answer. 3) What is one purpose of cultural burning? Choose one student to answer.

Closure Step Two: Remind the group that the Wintu have thrived on and respected this land for thousands of years and still do! Thank the Wintu and Redding Rancheria for helping us create content for the field trip and encourage students to learn more about the local Native American groups.

Closure Step Three: Tell students that you had a great time and thank them for coming out to learn in nature! Explain to students that their teachers worked really hard to get them out here today and on the count of 3 have the group shout a big thank you to their teachers!

Closure Step Four: If the class is staying to eat lunch at Tower House Historic District provide the necessary information or any other logistical information you find necessary. Provide teachers with the take home coloring pages and thank them one last time.

Vocabulary

Interpretive Ranger	Rangers who are responsible for communicating, or interpreting, the wildlife, history, and geology of parks to visitors.
Anthropologist	A person who studies human’s past and present societies.
Archaeology	The study of human history through analysis of artifacts or physical remains.
Wintu	A group of Native Americans who currently live in Northern California and have for thousands of years.
Traditional Lands	A term used to refer to physical land that once belonged to Native peoples.
Indigenous	Native to a place.
Physical map	A map that shows geographic detail of the land including mountains, lakes, rivers, valleys.
Medicinal	Having healing properties.
Prevent	To keep something from happening.
Myth	A traditional story involving the early history of a people which usually contains supernatural elements.

Assessment Materials

Tick out the Door

This formal assessment provides students with four questions in which they can reflect on their objectives from the field trip.

Rangers and teachers will be able to tell that individual students have met the objectives by informally assessing students throughout each rotation though asking guiding questions, ensuring students are completing the assignment, and listening to partner talk.

Rangers and teachers will be able to tell that individual students have met the objectives by formally assessing students with the following open answer questions.

1) Why did the Wintu live near Clear Creek?

2) Who remembers the name of one plant the Wintu collect, or the use?

3) What is one purpose of cultural burning?4) Why is it important to recognize that Native Americans are not only a “part of history”?

Additional Resources

For questions about the Wintu of Whiskeytown program or to obtain copies of documents associated with this education program, email Scott Einberger, visual information specialist for Whiskeytown National Recreation Area, at [e-mail].

Contact Information

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