PBS
Interviewing a Parent
Students complete a personal interview in order to discover important information about family history and interesting family artifacts.They analyze statements from the interview in order to prove the accuracy of these statements, as...
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social Studies: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorow
Sixth graders take an Internet trip back in time to explore ancient cultures. Working in teams, they assume the roles of theologian, cartographer, economist, political analyst, and anthropologist. The same groups then create time...
PBS
Written in Stone
Students explore history through a tour of a local cemetery. Students investigate tombstones for historical information, make stone rubbings, and use this secondary source reference to obtain primary sources.
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Archaeologists Puzzle Pieces
Students identify how archaeologists use typology to interpret artifacts. They interpret sample artifacts as if they discovered them.
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Treasures of Ancient Egypt
Sixth graders create museum displays about Egyptian life. Their exhibits include information about ancient Egypt's religion, economics, government, and customs. Their museum items resemble actual artifacts they have researched.
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Dear Me
Students take a classroom "gallery walk" memorializing 9/11. As a class, they read and discuss the article "A Day to Clear the View, and Remember." Then, they write letters focusing on events that have made them want to alter their life...
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Sultan's Lost Treasure
Students view a video clip about a sultan's lost treasure. They examine artifacts and determine their characteristics. They complete a worksheet to end the lesson plan.
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Forensic Examination of Artifacts: The Mystery of Meriwether Lewis' Death
Students role play the position of a scientist to gather information on Meriwether Lewis' death. They discover what he did after the famous expedition and how centuries affect the study of a body. They share their information with the...
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Can You Dig It?
Students use a mock archaeological site to dig up artifacts. They read an article about artifacts found in Syria. They develop a list of artifacts that are related to specific sites in the community. They create an exhibition of these...
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Ancient Civilizations
Sixth graders, in groups, research the culture of an ancient civilization. They use the Internet to locate artifacts that illustrate different elements of culture, write a description and analysis of each piece and present their work to...
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Take Only Photos and Leave Only Bubbles: Learn About American History from a Sunken Spanish Galleon
Students simulate the research process of investigating a shipwreck. In small groups, they conduct Internet research, and develop and write a proposal for excavation of the archaeological site.
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A Siouan Village
Fourth graders examine the artifacts obtained from an excavated Siouan village site. They make inferences about the people who once lived there based on the artifacts and complete a Research Team Report.
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Imag(in)ing History Across Generations
Students find an image depicting events of September 11 or after and write a letter to their future grandchldren explaining the image and why those chose to preserve it for them.
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Looking into the Past (Archaeology)
Students discover how to be an archaeologist. In this archaeology instructional activity, students research the basic information about an archaeologist. Students then observe different artifacts and learn what questions to ask in order...
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Making Faces
Students analyze facial expressions on artifacts. In this artifacts lesson, students examine facial expressions on artifacts. Students draw a face with an expression of their choice.
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Unearthing Ancient Greece
Students locate and analyze clues about ancient Greek life. In this ancient Greece lesson plan, students look at art, architecture, and artifacts to determine what was important to the Greeks and discover details about their culture....
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Ancient Artifacts
Learners research the earliest Americans. In this ancient civilizations lesson, students investigate the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas. Learners examine artifacts used in the cultures and then determine what the artifacts were used for and...
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Personal Artifacts
Ninth graders put their observation skills to work. In this observation skills lesson, 9th graders examine personal artifacts that their instructor has gathered. Students take notes on the artifacts they analyze and write lab reports...
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For the Last 10,000 Years...
Students study the National Estuarine Research Reserve System and discuss why they have important cultural artifacts. In this estuarine weather instructional activity students use the Internet and complete a worksheet.
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Worksheet for Analysis of an Artifact
In this primary source analysis worksheet, students respond to 20 short answer questions that require them to analyze an artifact of their choice.
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Moving Objects
Students discover the history of the United States by examining the Great Migration. In this U.S. History lesson, students research the immigration movement on the Internet and complete a worksheet about the large population shift. ...
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An Exercise in Seriation Dating
Students study the different types of artifacts found that were made by the colonial people. In this archaeology lesson students take part in finding ceramic and charting their results.
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Everyone has Interesting Stuff
Students examine a random collection of artifacts. In this deductive reasoning and cultural awareness instructional activity, students will pair up and examine a given artifact. Each student will attempt to use the artifact's attributes...
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The ABC's of Artifacts
Students create their own ABC book about artifacts. In this artifact lesson, students read ABC History Mystery and review the artifacts pictured in the book. They create their own ABC book with each student working on a letter.