Readings of a fiction and nonfiction text followed by a series of activities put scholars in an archaeologist's shoes. Learners read two texts; Archaeologists Dig for Clues by Kate Duke and The Shipwrecked Sailor: An Egyptian Tale with...

The American Museum of Natural History offers a website sure to engage young anthropologists. Learners can dig into a site that offers an explanation of the field of archaeology, the kinds of questions archaeologists ask that launch...

Imagine being part of a team of scientists that discover the oldest human remains in North America. Imagine being part of the crew that documents this discovery. Class members get a change to be part of such an exciting adventure in a...

Excavating cake? Why not! Kids spoon into some layers and artifacts during this tasty hands-on activity. The cake, a simulated archaeological dig, is the object of observation and discussion.

Take this simulated archaeological dig one layer at a time with your young pupils to encourage observation, critical thinking, and careful attention. Using a transparent box full of layers of sand and artifacts, pupils examine the...

"Is this a good evolutionary adaptation, or is it going to lead us to being the shortest lived hominid species on planet earth?" Listen as Kenyan paleontologist Louise Leakey discusses our evolution from common ancestry and her work in...

The discovery of the remains of King Richard III in early 2013 sparked media attention all over the world. Take a walk through the archaeological site itself and learn about the process behind the excavation, from how the dig site was...

Students study the fossils in Argentina and why it is a good place to find them.  In this dinosaurs lesson students learn about the recent dinosaur excavations. 

Students excavate an artifact. In this archaeology lesson, students get a bucket filled with dirt and a broken up artifact. They work in groups to take it out and to find what its purpose was. 

Students recall prior knowledge of the process of fossilization. In this fossils lesson plan, students first create and at a later date, recover fossils. Students understand the painstaking process of recovering a fossil. Students...

Students explore how an archaeologist works and makes discoveries. In this archaeology lesson, students participate in a simulation in which they excavate broken pottery. Students use measurement, geometry, and observation skills during...

Middle schoolers 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...

Students simulate how archaeologists excavate sites by "searching" their own site in the form of a Jello mold. They use a grid to map the objects in the Jello mold as well as looking at three layers of Jello to understand stratigraphy...

Scholars imagine themselves as citizens of Pompeii in 79 AD. First they are assigned a job (or place in society like a child or slave). Then they record their daily activities for the weeks leading up to the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in...

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.

Young scholars role play as scientists working for the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, Bodrum, Turkey. They locate Bodrum on a map and study the Mycenaean trade around the Mediterranean Sea. They discover what goods were traded during...

Young scholars evaluate how archaeologists use soils to interpret sites and determine components of a soil sample.

Learners participate in an excavation simulation, and explore the ruins of Sardis. They ponder which clues scientists use to determine if artifacts found in the excavation are of Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, or Lydian origin.

Students participate in their own excavation and measure and record as they go. In this archaeology lesson students divide into groups and solve the mystery of what they uncovered in their dig box.

Second graders create stratified soil levels using pictures. In this earth science instructional activity, 2nd graders identify "artifacts" from 3 historic eras and divide them into 3 soil levels. Then they draw their own multi-level...

Fifth graders study fossils and how they are charted. In this fossil lesson plan, 5th graders research the excavation process of discovering fossils, and view fossils. They then do a hands on activity that involves plastic fossils that...

For this earth science worksheet, students identify what a site matrix is and that is composed of a sandstone mixture. They excavate each quadrant and write detailed journal entries. Students also complete a site map that illustrates...

In this history activity, learners read an excerpt that describes the terracotta warriors and what they faced. They respond to four short answer questions related to the excerpt and photo. Students identify what the archaeologists...