Channel Islands Film
Cache: Lesson Plan 3 - Grades 4-5
Should the excavation of what is believed to be the cave of the Lone Woman of San Nicholas Island be allowed to continue? As a practice exercise designed to prepare pupils for a timed writing exam, individuals read two Los Angeles Times...
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Cultural Murals
Seventh graders research the cultural time period of early Wisconsin people. They create a mural depicting the diet, shelter, activities, climate, clothing, tools, and other materials used.
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Life for the First Inhabitants
Fourth graders trace the emergence and development of culture in Utah. They study the contributions of the American Indian culture on the development of Utah. They create their own rock art by using signs and images that show something...
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My Wet Robot
After hearing about the 2006 PHAEDRA mission that explored the Aegean Sea, middle schoolers work in groups to create a robotic vehicle. They must consider power, propulsion, and other vital systems. Use the multitude of external...
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Remains of the Day
Young scholars consider how archaeologists discovered and pieced together artifacts that indicate a Celtic presence in ancient Turkey. They research ancient civilizations and create archaeological digs containing items representative of...
National First Ladies' Library
Digging up the Past: Sir Arthur Evans and the Palace at Knossos
Middle schoolers explore the excavations of the Palace of Knossos on the Island of Crete. They create a simulated news broadcasting on the work of Sir Arthur Evans and his colleges. In their news investigation, learners cover such topics...
Ocean Explorer
Looking for Clues
Upper graders become "shipwreck detectives" by studying the debris field from a shipwreck in the Aegean Sea which took place in the 700s. A website is accessed that gives specific information about the debris field, and pairs of...
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...
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This Old Ship
Junior archaeologists will be able to describe shipwreck artifacts and the information they reveal. They work in small groups to reasearch wreckage features of different period ships, making this not only a science lesson, but a social...
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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...
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Archaeology
Students explore purpose and process of archaeology, as well as demonstrate how it applies to their own lives, through a simulated archaeological dig.
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Wreck Detectives
Junior archaeologists examine types of artifacts from the Bronze Age on the internet. In collaborative groups, they create a story about a ship from this period and then construct a model of the ocean floor after their ship has sunk....
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"Archeology Dig"
Students simulate archaeologists as they dig through a bag with found items in order to arrive at conclusions about the people they are studying.
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"How to Think Like an Archaeologist" - Suggested Pre-Visit Activity For Historic Jamestown
Students examine how archaeologists use artifacts to explore other people and their cultures. They discuss types of artifacts, analyze receipts for clues, and discuss how what the items bought reflect about people.
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The Pottery Project
Students research Native American culture regions and archaeology techniques. In small groups, they decorate a clay pot, break the pots, and repair and analyze the designs on the pottery.
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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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How Do We Learn About the Past?
Sixth graders discuss the role of an archaeologist as a class. After viewing photographs, they relate the objects found in their local area and Ancient Egypt. They draw a picture of an object that represents their own culture and gives...
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What Can We Learn From the Past?
Students observe items from their past, making inferences and observations about their own culture based on these artifacts. Students then share with the class what they learned about their own culture, giving all students more...
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Why Are Your "Good Dishes" Called China?
Students link monopoly as a result of geography and technology. They recognize technology as a determinant of economic success. Students recognize cultural diffusion based upon societal wants and needs. They compare and contrast methods...
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Visit a Mesopotamian House
Young scholars compare the homes of people who lived in ancient Mesopotamia to their own and explore how climate, natural resources, and cultural differences may have influenced the differences. The house plan can be obtained from the...
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Ancient Man in Asia
Seventh graders analyze and synthesize information about major historical developments by interpreting data, evaluation sources of information, identifying and comparing experiences and perspectives from multiple cultural perspectives.
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Dig It Up
Students participate in an archaeological excavation to determine how archeologists make inferences about various cultures. They reconstruct the site using layers of drawings. They discuss the kinds of information they learned.
Channel Islands Film
Cache: Lesson Plan 2 - Grades 4-6
Class members will dig this activity that has them trying their hand at recovering artifacts. Groups are assigned a section of a sandbox, carefully uncover the artifacts in their section, and then develop theories about who might have...
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Interpreting the Evidence
Students find out about the social changes that caused the collapse of important ancient civilizations in Central America, Mesopotamia, the southwestern United States, and western Africa.