Curated OER
Reconstructing Artifacts
Young scholars investigate artifacts and reconstruct them. In this artifact lesson plan, students research archaeologists and Native American groups. Young scholars plan a design for a clay pot which represent the Native American artifact.
Curated OER
Titanic: Looking for Clues
Students make inferences about a shipwreck based on the location of artifacts. They role play as marine archaeologists and list three processes that contribute to the deterioration of the Titanic.
Curated OER
Artifact Puzzles
Students role-play the position of archaeologists to determine the different types of artifacts. They cut out a drawing of their object and connect them with their classmates objects. They write an essay about their object and where it...
Curated OER
Dell House Dig
Students experience an archaeological dig exploring off the shore of Black Hawk Island and Wisconsin River. They study in the same place where the infamous Dell House once stood. Dell House and its historical significance is reviewed...
Curated OER
Exploration of Prehistoric Peoples of Illinois
Eighth graders begin their examination of the prehistoric period in Illinois. As a class, they discuss the role of archaeology in history and how it helps learn more about native peoples. After examining each period, they develop their...
Curated OER
Saugus Iron Works
Young scholars investigate the 17th century Saugus Iron Works. They role-play archaeologists, research local industries and write a report, and explore various websites regarding the Industrial Revolution and the Saugus Iron Works.
Curated OER
Prehistoric Native American Lesson Plan: Make a Mississippian-style Gorget
Students create a Mississippian-style gorget using clay and a stylus to etch a design of a stylized spider.
Curated OER
The Roving Robotic Chemist
Junior oceanographers and underwater geologists describe the four major steps of mass spectrometry. They compete in small groups to simulate the tracking of a deepwater methane plume using imaginary autonomous underwater vehicles. Give...
Curated OER
Salt of the Earth: A Caddo Industry in Arkansas
Middle schoolers explore the history of the Caddo Salt Industry found in Arkansas. Along with learning about how salt deposits formed in Arkansas, learners study the process of salt production and how valuable salt is as a natural...
University of Chicago
Ancient Egyptians and Death
What archaeological evidence remains of ancient Egyptian burial and mortuary practices, and what can this information tell us about ancient Egyptian society?
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 haiku,...
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
Cave Art Drawing
Students design an environment that resembles a prehistoric cave. They use ancient rock art as inspiration for their own artistic expression. They demonstrate their understanding of the vocabulary, tools, and techniques used in...
Curated OER
Inference By Analogy
Learners infer the use or meaning of items recovered from a North Carolina Native American site based on 17th-century European settlers' accounts and illustration.
Curated OER
Preserve is the Word
Students investigate a list of archaeological ethical questions. They select a question/issue and design a 3-minute (maximum) PSA to persuade the public to agree with their idea. They conduct research or interviews with experts to be...
Curated OER
Using Artifacts to Engage Students in Critical Thinking Activities
Creating learning centers with artifact-related activities are a great way to promote deductive reasoning and critical thinking skills.
Curated OER
Plants and Animals: Partners in Pollination
Young scholars describe the complementary relationships between pollinators and the plants they pollinate, identify adaptations that flowers have developed to "encourage" pollination, and create and draw their own "designer" flowers.
Curated OER
Mineral Scavenger Hunt
Students complete a scavenger hunt worksheet as they find examples in their classroom, at home, etc., of minerals. Excellent worksheet!
Curated OER
Plants and Animals, Partners in Pollination
Young scholars participate in multiple hands-on activities to explore reproduction and pollination. In groups, using a cotton swab and powder, students simulate being pollinators and plants. They name the parts of the flowers and the...
Curated OER
Fossils Footprints Across Time
Learners examine fossils to understand how they are formed and how they give information about geological history. In this fossil lesson plan, students research and write about fossils and make models of different fossil types.The PDF...
Curated OER
Native Lands: Indians in Georgia, How Do We Know What We Know?
Students examine Native American oral traditions. In this Georgia history instructional activity, students discuss Native American oral traditions and research stories of migration. Students create their own oral history projects that...
Curated OER
Mystery Cemetary: Teachers
Students examine and analyze the skeletons of various bodies that could represent a cemetary. In groups, they identify a set of common characteristics in which the skeletons are grouped. To end the lesson, they answer questions related...
Curated OER
The Uluburun Shipwreck Project: Interconnections through Trade in the Late Bronze Age Mediterranean World
Ninth graders examine causes and effects of the Uluburun shipwreck. In groups, they develop their own ways to categorize the artifacts found on the ship and decide on the research questions they are going to focus on. They use the...
Curated OER
Ancient Cultures
Students develop archeological skills in order to explain how scientists determine what ancient cultures were like. They develop an appreciation of the work that is involved in finding out about our past.