Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Monuments have developed an Educator's Guide to assist teachers in developing lessons about archeology, biology, geology and the natural and cultural history of the Verde Valley. Each activity is designed to engage the students with the resources of the monuments and encourage critical thinking. These lesson plans also help educators prepare their students for a visit to Montezuma Castle, Montezuma Well or Tuzigoot National Monuments.

Below you will find links to the entire curriculum. The lesson plans have been broken into seperate sections for easy downloading. You will also find a reference table identifying the Arizona State Standards that are addressed with each activity. The page numbers referenced for each activity in this document refer to the numbers within the curriculum itself. For example, the document titled "Part 5: Natural History: Geology" begins with page 85 of the curriculum.

If you are planning to bring your students to one of our sites, please visit the Plan a Field Trip page of this website for details on preparations you will need to make, as well as forms to waive the entrance fees for chaperones, teachers and students 16 years of age and older.

Arizona State Standards Reference Table
Organized by grade level

Introduction and Contents
(pages 1-14 of the curriculum)

Part 1: Cultural History
(pages 15-68 of the curriculum)
Lessons cover archeology, dendrochronology, life in the pueblos, the Sinagua culture, agriculture in the ancient world, etc.

Part 2: Cultural History Answer Key
(pages 69-80 of the curriculum)

Part 3: Natural History Introduction
(pages 81-84 of the curriculum)

Part 4: Natural History - Geology
(pages 85-88 of the curriculum)
Lessons cover earth-science based activities.

Part 5: Natural History - Biodiversity
(pages 89-130 of the curriculum)
Lessons cover subjects relating to the importance of biodiversity and introduce the concepts of extinction and habitat loss and alteration.

Part 6: Natural History - Riparian Habitats
(pages 131-156 of the curriculum)
Introduces students to the unique riparian habitats of the Verde Valley and their importance to both the wildlife and people who live here.

Part 7: Natural History - Tavasci Marsh
(pages 157-160 of the curriculum)
Lessons focus on the unique characteristics of Tavasci Marsh. Specifically for middle-school science classes interested in visiting Tuzigoot National Monument.

Part 8: Natural History - Wetlands
(pages 161-168 of the curriculum)
Lessons cover the importance of wetlands to both wildlife and people, including topics such as water quality, erosion control, flood control, and habitats.

Part 9: Natural History - Conserving Our Resources
(pages 169-181 of the curriculum)
Lessons focus on the importance of the National Park System and the role parks play in preserving our national and heritage. Students will be introduced to the idea of resource stewardship and their role in protecting our national parks.

Part 10: Natural History - Crossword Answer Key
(page 182 of the curriculum)

Appendix
(pages 183-198 of the curriculum)