Curated OER
The Mathematician And The Archaeologist
Students decorate clay pots and destroy them in order to learn the techniques of modern-day archaeologists and practice mathematical measurements. This is an exciting lesson suitable for Social Studies, Math, Science, or Art classroom.
Curated OER
Stone Tools of Texas Indians
Provide background information regarding the use of stone tools from the paleoindian through the late prehistoric periods. Learners can read this informational passage to gain insight on how and why we study these amazing artifacts from...
Society for Science & the Public
Easter Islanders Made Tools, Not War
When studying artifacts, especially tools, how do archaeologists determine what the devices were used for? In what ways might researchers' previous experiences influence their perception of an artifact? An article about researchers'...
Curated OER
Traces: Historic Archaeology
Young scholars list at least five different kinds of artifacts archaeologists have found in U.S. excavations. They cite artifacts when describing life at a particular archaeological site.
Curated OER
Stone Tool Scavenger Hunt
Seventh graders use Internet to familiarize themselves with variety of stone tools used by early man, create information chart describing each tool and its purpose, and discuss why tools have survived thousands of years.
Curated OER
Archaeology
Students compare and contrast the role of scientists with that of archaeologists. They also describe the roles of observations and evidence in science.
Curated OER
Dr. Dirt's Archaeology Lab Artifact Analysis
Students simulate analyzing artifacts in archaeological lab by using real techniques that archaeologists use. Students practice measuring skills, drawing, writing, and brainstorming, and make inferences based on evidence.
Curated OER
Fill in the Blanks
Archaeologists, historians, and scientists all work together to create a timeline of our past. Engages learners in a series of activities that all filter through the NOVA video, "Mysteries of the First Americans." Each activity is...
Curated OER
Inventions Over Time
Explore the inventions of the past with a project on ancient tools. After reading an article about hunting during the Archaic period, the Late Prehistoric period, and the Historic period, kids fill in a cause-and-effect chart about the...
Curated OER
Basics of Archaeology
Young scholars identify what and how to complete an Archaeological excavation is conducted. They identify the transition from one layer to the next more easily if the colors of the layers are different. When creating a dig, the teacher...
Curated OER
Back From the Future
Students pose as archaeologists, famous for their scholarly excavations, writing, and lectures about ancient cultures and are invited back to the 20thy century from the year 3000 to explore an archaeological sit, their classroom.
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What Artifacts Reveal About The Past
Middle schoolers take a closer look at artifacts to learn about the people who used them. In this colonial America lesson, students examine photographs of everyday items used in colonial times and determine what the uses of the tools may...
Curated OER
Fossils Lesson 4 - Who Are Some Famous Fossil Hunters and What Are Their Finds?
Students research and develop a presentation about a famous fossil hunter/archaeologist. In this fossil hunter/archaeologist instructional activity, students listen to a reading of Don Brown's, Rare Treasure: Mary Anning and Her...
Curated OER
Unearthing the Past
Students analyze artifacts from an early society to determine information relating to daily life in that society. They consider which artifacts from our society would be most valuable to future archeologists.
Curated OER
You are the Archaeologist
Kids can practice their observation and evidence-based argument skills with a fun and engaging look at artifacts. With a given set of objects, each child will sketch and describe the object, then partners work together to determine...
Channel Islands Film
Sa Hi Pa Ca (Once Upon a Time): Lesson Plan 2
What tools do archaeologists and anthropologist use to learned about what life was like in the past. After watching West of The West's documentary Once Upon a Time that details how scientists use artifacts to establish a history of the...
Time Warp Trio
The Caveman Catastrophe
Young archaeologists study the development of human history, and work in groups to create a timeline that traces the development of humans. Additionally, the groups utilize a very clever graphic organizer embedded in the plan in order to...
Curated OER
Measuring Pots
Students use an activity sheet to construct analogies about possible function of ancient or historic ceramics and compute circumference from a section of a circle as they study measuring pots.
Curated OER
How Do We Learn About the Past?
Students examine archaeological discoveries. In this learning about the past instructional activity, students view a "Magic School Bus" video, discuss the role of an archeologist, and complete a graphic organizer. Students discuss a...
Curated OER
Blogging To Create A Community of Writers # 5 of 7
Here is activity 5 from a 7 activity unit on using blogging to create a community of writers. The aim of this activity is to get students writing about what Archaeologists do and how they use material data to study the past. They compose...
Curated OER
Stonehenge: Solving Ancient Mysteries
Students explore archeologists and anthropologists and the tools and methods they use to gather and interpret scientific evidence. They research current archaeological excavations and contact the scientists working at these digs.
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Vikings in Vinland
Students examine the role of archaeology in gaining information about past civilizations. After reading an article, they discover evidence of the Viking settlement of North America. They summarize the information in the article by...
Curated OER
Pottery-making Methods
Students become experimental archaeologists using three methods of pottery making before the invention of the pottery wheel.
Curated OER
You Can Dig It!
Students act as archeologists to examine, describe and hypothesize about 'artifacts' they have been given for their archeological interpretation. They rely on the descriptions and hypotheses of other students to identify the 'artifacts'...