American Museum of Natural History
Map Your Own World
Young archaeologists practice their mapping skills by creating a detailed site map of their room or another room in their home. After indicating walls, windows, doors, and closets, they add furniture and objects, labeling each item.
American Museum of Natural History
Making a Field Journal
Trowels and brushes are certainly important tools for an archaeologist working on a dig. Perhaps more important, however, is the archaeologist's field journal. Christina Elson, an archaeologist working with the American Museum of Natural...
American Museum of Natural History
Being an Archeologist: Chuck Spencer
Meet Chuck Spencer, an archeologist who studies the Zapotec people who lived in the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico over 2000 years ago. Spencer shares in print his response to questions posed by kids.
American Museum of Natural History
A Walk Through the Ruins of Petra
Walking through the ancient Nabataean city of Petra can be a challenge. A tour begins with a 20-minute walk down a rocky slope through the narrow Siq to get to the famous Treasury known to Indiana Jones fans. But that is...
American Museum of Natural History
Being a Zoologist: Sandra Olsen
Are your students wild about horses? Then introduce them Sandra Olsen, a zooarchaeologist, who has been studying horses and the people who herd them. Ms Olsen responds to 15 interview questions and details how she goes about her...
American Museum of Natural History
Create Your Own Time Capsule
The corona virus pandemic is indeed a historic event. A time capsule activity permits young historians to document these days of social distancing, remote learning, and quarantine by collecting artifacts that capture what their lives are...
American Museum of Natural History
What's This?: Mythic Creatures
Fantastic beasts, and where to find them, are featured in a resource that offers images of real animals that just might have given rise to some of mythic creatures of legend.
American Museum of Natural History
What's This?: Early Humans
Early humans crafted shelters out of whatever materials they could find. A one-question quiz asks learners to identify the type of bones used to construct the hut pictured in a display.
American Museum of Natural History
What is Anthropology
A colorful resource introduces learners to the four major fields of anthropology: cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, biological anthropology, and archaeology. Explanations are provided for what each field studies, the kinds...
American Museum of Natural History
Up Close With a Zapotec Urn
If a Zapotec urn, buried for over a thousand years in a temple in the lost city of Xoxocotlan in the Valley of Oaxaca in the mountains of southern Mexico could talk image the stories it could tell. That's the set up in a clever resource...
American Museum of Natural History
The Ancient City of Petra
Anyone who has seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade will recognize the entrance to the Nabataean city of Petra. Young archaeologists don't need horses or camels to travel through the Sig and tour this fascinating city, however. With...
American Museum of Natural History
Sounds of the Silk Road
Young explorers may not be able to travel the Silk Road but they can listen to music that was played on instruments of the time and create their own songs with the help of an interesting interactive resource.
American Museum of Natural History
Mint Your Own Coin
Provide young archaeologists with an opportunity to craft their own artifacts. The step-by-step directions in an engaging resource show them how to mint their own coin, complete with image, date, and motto.
American Museum of Natural History
Make Your Own Paper
Paper, paper everywhere. Paper is so prolific that few think about where the idea for it originated and how it is made. Introduce young readers to the paper-making process with an activity that lets them create their own.
American Museum of Natural History
Make Your Own Mythic Mask or Puppet
No need to wait until Halloween to create a mask. Young anthropologists get involved in the centuries-old tradition of mask and puppet making with the help of an engaging resource that shows them how to craft their own masks or puppets.
American Museum of Natural History
Make Your Own Stationary
Revive the art of letter writing with a project that enables class members to craft their own, personalized stationary. Young scholars add their name, address, and country to three different templates that features images of mythic...
American Museum of Natural History
If Trash Could Talk
Trash can talk! Young archaeologists dig through their trash to see what it reveals about their lives. After they examine their midden, links permit users to test their knowledge of archaeology with a 10-questions quiz, learn how...
American Museum of Natural History
Dress Up a Horse
Walk, trot, gallop! Young equestrians have an opportunity to learn all about horses with an engaging resource that lets them select tack to dress up a horse, create flip books that illustrate the various gates, have questions answered by...
American Museum of Natural History
Theodore Roosevelt's Outdoor Adventures
Time for a virtual sightseeing trip. Pupils explore the Grand Canyon, Devil's Tower, and Yosemite Valley in an interactive online experience. They answer questions about the organisms in each location and draw conclusions based on their...
American Museum of Natural History
What's This? Reproduction
Attracting the right mate is as important for humans as any other species. An interesting lesson teaches individuals about several strategies that animals and plants have adapted to attract their mates. From colorful nests to powerful...
American Museum of Natural History
All About Horses
Horses come in all shapes and sizes, but all belong to the same species. Young scholars explore the different traits and connect the information to genetic modification. The interactive gives them the option to read about 18 different...
American Museum of Natural History
Bird Watching with Theodore Roosevelt
If you can't go to the birds, bring the birds to you! An interactive lesson helps learners identify different bird types by sight and sound. Pop-ups provide information about the different birds and audio plays the sound each bird...
American Museum of Natural History
Ask a Scientist About Our Environment
Let's ask an expert! Scientists at the American Museum of Natural History field questions about the environment in an interactive resource. Question topics range from global warming and conservation to endangered species and habitats.
American Museum of Natural History
Ask a Scientist About Dinosaurs
Who doesn't want to know more about the mysterious dinosaurs? Learners read about dinosaurs and the process scientists use to continue learning more about the animals in an interview-type format. A paleontologist responds to submitted...