Curated OER
Before It Was Wisconsin-Rock Art
Students examine how archaeologists make use of all forms of artifacts including rock art to try to piece together past cultures. They make their own rock art so they have a feel for how such pieces were made out of natural materials.
Curated OER
the Not Forgotten - Sharing History & Archaeology
Students create a catalog of gravestones in a cemetery that includes a burial ground from the Revolutionary War. They photograph and document the grave sites, research the Battle of Bunker hill and work with community members to create...
Curated OER
Facts, Feats and Folklore: Spiders
Students review and discuss a variety of sayings, folklore and superstitions about spiders. They discuss this information and choose either an interesting fact or appealing foklore tradition to illustrate.
Curated OER
Pottery, Porcelain, And Posterity
Students research and discuss the various ceramic techniques foudn throughout China's history using primary source documents and internet resources. This lesson emphasizes small learning groups.
Curated OER
Indians in Georgia: How Do We Know What We Know?
Students discover archaeology by investigating the history of Native Americans in Georgia. In this U.S. history lesson, students participate in a mock archaeological excavation in their classroom by recovering artifacts and...
Curated OER
Mystery of the Maya
Middle schoolers examine a piece of pottery and make conclusions about the culture. They demonstrate the skills used in digging at a dig site. They also make inferences about the responsibility archaeologists have when excavating a site.
Curated OER
Animal Poetry
Fourth graders write poems that use local wildlife as their inspiration. After a class discussion which produces a list of wildlife that pupils have seen in their town, a review of three types of poetry ensues. They look at how...
Smithsonian Institution
Watching Crystals Grow
Amazing science can sometimes happen right before your eyes! The class gets cozy as they watch crystals grow. They use Epsom salts, rocks, and food coloring to create crystals. They'll observe the entire process, documenting every step...
Curated OER
Revolutionary Money
Examine paper money from the American revolution! Historians study the paper bills and discuss the history of money. How has money changed over the times? Activities are included.
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Hatching Chickens
Learners observe chicks hatching from eggs. In this science lesson, students view a video to develop an understanding of the proper care and needs of eggs and live animals. This is a great precursor activity for hatching eggs in class.
Curated OER
Texas Treasures
Students explore the meanings of the word "treasure," and examine the use of clay in the construction of buildings in San Antonio, Texas. They examine clay artifacts, and watch a video about pottery artist, Harding Black. Students then...
Curated OER
Chinese Ritual: The Death Ceremony
Students discuss the importance of the Death Ceremony in Chinese culture using Du Fu's poem "Fireflies" as a basis of information and create original poetry in the style of Poet Du Fu.
Curated OER
Archaeology is ...
Students demonstrate the importance of context for learning about ancient people. They assess the importance of preservation of cultural resources. They exchange papers with a student in class. The students with the paper are responsible...
Curated OER
Tall Tales: Reconstructing A Personal Tell
Sixth graders discover the ways archaeologists examine artifacts and where they are found. After being introduced to new vocabulary, they use artifacts from their own lives and discover what could be told about their life from them. ...
Curated OER
Daily Life in Ancient Egypt
Students explain how artwork can inform about a culture and its traditions. They pretend to be archaeologists who have just opened a tomb. They interpret the past based on what they discover.
Curated OER
Ancient Book Found in Ireland
Students discuss items archeologists search for during digs and read a news article about a 2200-year-old religious book found in Ireland. They examine the article for examples of the passive voice. They make lists of items for a time...
Curated OER
Inventions over Time
Sixth graders examine inventions, such as spear points and bows and arrows, and discuss their importance in human cultural development. They compare these early inventions with modern ones and determine the impact of science and...
Curated OER
Scratch, Glue, Foil & Paint
Students sculpt large Greek and Roman letter design motifs, and replicate other examples of Greek and Roman artwork.
Curated OER
Baga Drum
Students examine a Baga Drum in order to explore the history of the Baga people of West Africa. In this art history lesson, students recognize figures used in Baga Drum design that represent aspects of Baga culture. They also design and...
Curated OER
The Museum as a Time Capsule: Mongolian Example
Students make defensible inferences based on observation of perceived evidence. They use observation and inference to recognize the validity of alternative approaches or solutions.
Curated OER
Understanding Artifacts
Students will develop a greater awareness of the things surrounding them and will be able to build a bridge between their own material culture and that of an imaginary figure from the past. This lesson focuses on the significance of...
Curated OER
Does This Belong to You?
Fourth graders examine legislation that has been passed to protect the rights and religion of Native Americans. In groups, they discuss their feelings on others taking artifacts from Native American sites and what they do if they find...
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.
Curated OER
Stonehenge: Solving Ancient Mysteries
Students investigate the mystery of Stonehenge. In this Stonehenge lesson, students participate in a classroom activity that requires them to research information about Stonehenge as well as information regarding archeology and...