ERIC ED398093: John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood: Mayan Explorers.

12 Pages·1994·0.27 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
SO 026 310
ED 398 093
McDermott, Michael
AUTHOR
John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood: Mayan
TITLE
Explorers.
Center for International Education (ED), Washington,
SPONS AGENCY
DC.
PUB DATE
94
NOTE
12p.
Teaching Guides (For
Classroom Use
PUB TYPE
Guides
Teacher) (052)
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
*American Indians; Area Studies; *Culture; Ethnic
DESCRIPTORS
Groups; Foreign Countries; *Geography; Global
Education; *Latin American History; Latin Americans;
*Mexicans; Secondary Education; Social Studies
*Catherwood (Frederick); Maya (People); Mexico;
IDENTIFIERS
*Stephens (John Lloyd)
ABSTRACT
This mini-unit focuses on the lives and
accomplishments of John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood and
their contacts with the Maya. This project deals specifically with
how Stephens' published accounts and Catherwood's drawings became the
basis from which all further Mayan research developed. These two
explorers were the first to describe and chronicle fully their
discoveries in Mexico and Central America. Topics discussed include:
(1) "The Yucatan, Location, Climate and Basic Geography";
(2)
(3) "Early Maya
"Earliest References to the Yucatan Peninsula";
(4) "Mayan Language"; (5) "John Lloyd Stephens";
History";
(6)
"Frederick Catherwood"; and (7) "Modern Research Regarding the Maya."
Contains 12 references. (EH)
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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
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JOHN LLOYD STEPHENS AND FREDERICK CATHERWOOD
MAYAN EXPLORERS
FULBRIGHT-HAYS SUMMER SEMINAR 1994
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MICHAEL MCDERMOTT
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24 HUNT STREET
WATERTOWN, MA
02172
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Once of Educational Resnarch and ImOrovornont
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John Lloyd Stephens and Frederick Catherwood
Mayan Explorers
This project represents my efforts to incorporate a mini-unit on
the
Frederick
lives and accomplishments of John Lloyd Stephens and
the mini
Catherwood into a complete unit on the Maya. This unit (including
will be an integral
unit that will be described in detail in this project),
by the Foreign
part of a new global studies class taught and offered
replace our
Language Department .in my school system. This class will
Honors. The new course
current senior Spanish course entitled Spanish 5
and culture of the
will be an in-depth study of the geography, history
Iberian Peninsula,
Spanish speaking world. Units will be developed on the
in this project is to
Mexico, Central America and South America. My intent
specifically with the
show the portion of the Mexico unit that will deal
Stephens' published accounts
works of Stephens and Catherwood and how
which all further Mayan
and Catherwood's drawings became the basis from
research developed.
in great
As a study of the Maya is a wide and difficult topic to cover
would suggest that the unit on the Maya begin with this mini-unit
detail,
I
of these
that will set the background for a clearer understanding
I chose Stephens and Catherwood as our guides as they
remarkable people.
Mexico
to fully describe and chronicle their discoveries in
were the first
regarding their discoveries make
and Central America. Their astonishment
mysterious world of the
them excellent guides for students entering the
Maya for the first time.
in :ne management of this mini-unit as
see the role of the teacher
I
of cooperative learning
that of a guide and resource person. Utilization
would follow. Students taking on
techniques would be the route that
I
to divide and
leadership roles in groups would be the most effective way
shared with the whole class as the
master pieces of information to be
progresses.
mini-unit
requiro approximately 10 class days to
This mini-unit
will
speakers, field trips and
complete. 'This will include work in class, guest
the viewing of a video on the subject.
1
research areas of
In order to allow the students sufficient time to
information class on the
interest, the teacher should prepare a general
Catherwood. Offering a
topic of the Maya and most especially Stephens and
with the students the
short biography of each man and then discussing
mini-unit. So as not to overwhelm the class, the
areas to be covered in the
include the
following are the topics that should be discussed and also
assignments to be divided:
a) The Yucatan, Location, Climate and Basic
Geography.
b) Earliest References to the Yucatan
Peninsula.
c) Early Maya History.
d) Mayan Language
e) John Lloyd Stephens
Frederick Catherwood
,
f)
g) Modern Research Regarding the Maya
A suggested schedule would be:
Introduction
Day 1
Location/climate/population of the Yuc.
Day 2
History of area: Spanish Conquistadores
Day 3
to Catherwood/Stephens
Intro
Day 4
Continue discussion of C&S
Day 5
Read excerpts of writings/show slides
Day 6
and compare modern pictures with
drawings done by Catherwood.
Map out C&S journeys
Day 7
Discuss archeology in New World
Day 8
Student presentations
Day 9
Video
Day 10
2
4
fully implement the mini-unit, the following texts
In order to
university libraries. Those
should be acquired through school, public or
consider essential.
marked with an asterisk (*),
I
York, Thames and Hudson,
Coe, Michael D., Breaking the Maya Code. New
1992.
Hudson, New York, 1980.
*Coe, Michael D., The Maya. New York, Thames and
Editorial Porrt)a, S.A.,1992.
*Cortes, Hernan. Cartas de Relackin. Mexico.
of the Ancient
Brunhouse, Robert L., Sylvanus G. Morley and the World
1971.
Mayas. Norman. University of Oklahoma Press.
W.). Yucatan Before and
*DeLanda, Diego., (Translated with notes by Gates,
Fernando. 1993.
After the Conquest. Mérida. Editorial Sn.
of Mexico in Color.
*Ferguson, William M., and Royce, John Q., Maya Ruins
Norman. University of Oklahoma Press. 1977.
California Press. 1989.
Houston, S.D., Maya Glyphs. Berkeley. University of
America, Chiapas and
*Stephens, John L., Incidents of Travel in Central
Yucatan. New York. Dover Publications, Inc. 1969
Yucatan. Mérida. Editorial Sn.
*Stephens, John L., Incidents of Travel in
Fernando. 1993.
Historia de Stephens y
*Von Hagen, Victor., En Busca de los Mayas La
Catherwood. Mexico. Editorial Diana. 1991.
Architect. New York. Oxford
*Von Hagen, Victor., Frederick Catherwood,
University Press. 1950.
Architect-Explorer of Two Worlds.
*Von Hagen, Victor., F. Catherwood,
Barre. Barre Publishers. 1968.
Cities
*Von Hagen, Victor., Maya Explorer John Lloyd Stephens and the Lost
Oldahoma Press.
of Central America and Yucatan. Norman. University of
1947.
York.
Sabloff, Jeremy A., The New Archaeology and the Ancient Maya. New
lecture
The teacher, during the introductory lesson, will give a short
Utilizing the encyclopedia would
on the lives of Stephens and Catherwood.
of the
be sufficient for this exercise. Distribution and explanation
The teacher
bibliography is the most important task for this initial class.
students
will explain the use and location of the suggested texts so that
will be able to decide what aspect of the mini-unit they wish to
investigate and present.
Using 21 students as the average class size. There are seven
students each
categories listed above. Therefore seven groups of three
ring-binder
will be the model for this unit. Each student must have a
Each group must
notebook to hold all hand outs and related information.
the end of each presentation. At
prepare summaries to be distributed at
accumulated a full
the end of the mini-unit, the whole class will have
notebook of information.
Geography. The
Topic A: The Yucatan. Location. Climate and Basic
refer to several sources. The first
group that chooses this topic should
the Yucatan peninsula.
would be any travel guide for Mexico that describes
quality information that
The Michelin Guide is an excellent example of the
includes information on
is readily available in bookstores. The Michelin
Travel in Yucatan, (see
weather and average temperatures. In Incidents of
for the periods when
appendix), Stephens has included daily temperatures
Students may wish to
he and Catherwood lived and traveled in the region.
meteorological information
compare those statistics with the currents
A large map of the area
available from guides or from weather services.
of the lesson is
that can be hung in the classroom for the duration
of the class, the
essential. The student team can explain to the rest
of Mexico and
location of the Yucatan peninsula in relation to the rest
will probably be familiar with
point out the principal cities. Most student
tourist ddstinations. In
Cancun and Cozumel due to their popularity as
I ncidents of Travel in Yucatan, Stephens offers a history of
Chapter III
of
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the region and the experiences of the first Europeans to see the area.
In
discussed.
Chapter VI of the same, the derivation of the word Yucatan is
Students in
Topic B: Earliest References to the Yucatan Peninsula.
the Yucatan in Cortes'
this group will find an interesting description of
landing
Cartas de Relacidn. From pages 14 to 24, Cortes describes his
description is
in
first as Cozumel and later, the mainland. Although this
be able to
Spanish, students in language classes at an advanced level will
of Cortes
translate this section. A short presentation on the life and deeds
period
would be very helpful in order to help the class understand the time
and the reasons for his travels and actions.
Topic C: Early Mayan History. For this section of the mini-unit,
describes
Michael Coe's The Maya is the key resource. In chapter two he
arrival of
the earliest Maya. In chapter 6, the post classic period and the
The presenters of this segment
the Spanish. In chapter 7, early Mayan life.
in order to show the migration of the
can utilize a map of North America
Strait from Asia. The
earliest men and women who crossed the Bering
by the
students may also discuss the climatic changes experienced
south. Discussion of
earliest arrivals as they moved farther and farther
would be most
the time periods involved for this slow migration
by foot over
beneficial. Students must understand that travel was
territory.
uncharted
ancient sites
Topic D: Mayan Language. As the glyphs found at the
Catherwood, the written
fascinated Stephens and were clearly sketched by
journey to understand
language of the Maya plays an important role in our
teacher
Stephens and Catherwood. For this student group, close
is essential. The deciphering of the written Maya language
participation
The students should read in De Landa's
was a long and tedious project.
103-106. In Coe's work
Yucatan Before and After the Conquest pages
is offered.
believe
Breaking the Maya Code, a more detailed description
I
techniques used difficult
that students may find Coe's description of the
Catherwood and Stephens and their
to understand. Chapter 3 discusses
Chapter 10 offers an
place in the history of Mayan archaeology and
Maya Glyphs, students will
overview of language deciphering. In Houston's
whole class.
find examples of basic glyphs that could be shown to the
of the calendar on
DeLanda shows the glyphs for the Days and the use
pages 81-83.
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of
Topic E: John Lloyd Stephens. After moving through the sections
is time to learn more about J. L.
the mini-unit as described above, it
interesting
Stephens. Von Hagen in his book Maya Explorer, offers a very
I would
long text,
and readable story of the life of Stephens. As this is a
short resumes of the
suggest that students divide the chapters and write
chapter. A list of high
most important information discussed in each
A large
points in his life could then be prepared for class distribution.
hung in the classroom for
poster board size copy of this list should be
to follow. Using the Yucatan map
easy reference during the discussions
from topic A, these presenters could also mark out with pins or
markers,
discovered by Stephens
the locations of some of the principal Maya ruins
On page 15 of Von Hagen's book there is a picture of
with Catherwood.
is worth showing to the class and perhaps discussing the
Stephens. It
and the
trends of the 19th century regarding clothing, hairstyles
popularity of beards.
Topic F: Frederick Catherwood. Unfortunately, few authors have
produced two short works
written about Catherwood. Victor Von Hagen has
Architect.
Catherwood. Architect-Explorer and Frederick Catherwood.
F.
with useful
Once again, these books are easy to read and filled
written
information. Catherwood was never photographed so finding a
that the fact
description of him is almost impossible. Von Hagen states
detailed description of him.
that not even his closest friends ever left a
of Stephens and
Special attention should be paid to the meeting
Mayas (also
Catherwood as described in Von Hagen's En Busca de los
understanding of the talents of
available in English) in chapter VI. A clear
their 15 year friendship.
the two men is critical as is a knowledge of
record of his
Catherwood's skill as an artist has left us an incredible
Stephens visited. This student group
views of the Mayan cities that he and
Catherwood. Incidents of
should present some of the drawings done by
These could be copied onto
Travel in Yucatan has many included in the text.
his expertise.
overhead transparencies so that the whole class may see
Mexico in Color, the class will
Using Ferguson and Royce's Maya Ruins of
Catherwood with modern day
be able to compare the original drawings of
presenting group should point out that
photographs of the same areas. The
reconstructed temples and
modern pictures show, for the most part,
after years
buildings while Catherwood and Stephens saw the same areas
discussion of the changes that
of abandonment and jungle growth. This
have taken place at the Mayan sites is very important.
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discussion of
Topic G: Modern Reseal 1.g:IggLig_/hn. After a
The question of
the lives and contributions of Stephens and Catherwood.
New Archaeology
Mayan research in the 90's is appropriate. Sabloff's The
presenting group discuss
and the Ancient Maya is a good tool to help this
diagrams presented in this book are
new trends in research. Pictures and
Archaeology and the
quite useful and easily understandable. Chapter VI:
Modern World is important.
is obvious that the students in this class have to do a great deal
It
working in groups,
of work outside of the classroom. As the /students are
keeping of all information
the tasks involved should not be so taxing. The
understanding of the
in a ring binder notebook will facilitate a clearer
whole picture at the end of the mini-unit.
cities of
As my school system is located quite close to the
Harvard University,
Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, field trips to
easily arranged.
the Boston Public Library and local universities are
nc.i_LEttinology at Harvard
The Peabody Museum of Archaeology_
materials. Glyphs,
University houses a wonderful collection of Mayan
display. An excellent
murals, stellae and models of temples are all on
would consider this
staff is available to offer tours to student groups.
I
field trip for students who had now
museum as the perfect place to plan a
Stephens and
acquired a knowledge of the Maya and most especially
meaning once
Catherwood. The materials on display would take on greater
example, several stellae on
the students have a firm knowledge base. For
Members of the group that
display have translations of the carved glyphs.
recognize one or even
presented on the Mayan language may enjoy trying to
them to the rest of the class. Students
more of the glyphs and explaining
of the
who show a desire to learn even more, may ask to see some
artifacts held in the archives of the museum.
is to make a visit to an area,
Another follow-up to the museum visit,
have been found.
in our school district, where native American artifacts
in our local
The opportunity to speak with archaeologists working
archaeology is a living
community will help the students understand that
science.
7
The Boston Public Library has an extensive collection on native
Americans and early research on theit development and migrations. Some
form.
of Catherwood's drawings are available for viewing in folio
of
O'Neill and Bapst libraries at Boston College hold a large number
books that describe the exploits of Stephens and Catherwood. As a pre-
students could visit the university library and learn
mini-unit field
trip,
how to run a topic search by computer.
The world famous Bachrach Photographic Studios are located in our
community. A visit to the studio would offer students the opportunity to
which may be similar to the
see early photographic equipment, some of
equipment used by Catherwood. Experts in the field can also show students
examples of early photographs from the 19th century and discuss the
difficulties faced by early photographers.
Ciudades
The viewing of the Uxmal segment (first half) of the video
C/Producciones, Mexico,
del Mexico Antiguo (English version) produced by
students should
is an excellent way to end the mini-unit. In preparation
VIII which describe
read in Incidents of Travel in Yucatan chapters VII and
The video tells the
the arrival of Stephens and Catherwood at Uxmal.
encounter the Mayan city
story of Stephens and Catherwood as they first
the students can
of Uxmal. The video was made at the actual site and
they drew,
easily see the difficulties faced by the two explores as
measured and stood in awe of this magnificent city.
With this type of mini-unit, there are great opportunities for
interdepartmental cooperation. History teachers could be invited to
of the rise and fall
discuss the Maya in greater detail and offer a picture
offer an idea of the
of the classic Mayan civilization. English teachers may
Especially noting the
importance of the written word in the 19th century.
easily usable
popularity of journals and diaries due to the lack of
photographic equipment and the total lack of our video camera recording
lesson on malaria (the
systems. The science department could offer a
related tropical
ultimate cause of Stephens' death) and other insect
XII and XV that
diseases (see Incidents of Travel in Yucatan chapters
describe attacks of fever).
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