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Dinosaurs In Argentina
Middle schoolers 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.Â
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What did I find?
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.Â
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The Fossil Hunt
Students recall prior knowledge of the process of fossilization. In this fossils lesson, students first create and at a later date, recover fossils. Students understand the painstaking process of recovering a fossil. Students recover and...
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Archaeology: Digging in the Classroom
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...
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Basics of Archaeology
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...
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Mapping and Excavating a Jello Mold
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...
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I Got a Lava Livin' to Do in Pompeii
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...
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Back From the Future
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.
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Mycenaean Trade in the Mediterranean
Students 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 the...
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Digging Into the Past
Students 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.
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What's in the Soil?
Second graders create stratified soil levels using pictures. In this earth science lesson, 2nd graders identify "artifacts" from 3 historic eras and divide them into 3 soil levels. Then they draw their own multi-level soil profile and...
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Digging Into the Past
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...
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Old Warriors Face New Battle
In this history worksheet, 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...
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Dell House Dig
Students demonstrate basic procedures for archeological excavations. They participate in an archaeological dig exploration off of Blackhawk Island in the Wisconsin River where the Dell House once stood.
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Mapping and Excavating a Jello Mold
Fifth graders, in groups, map the three layers of different colored jello layers in molds and note the placement of fruit in them. On the grid paper they draw each grape, raisin, or other object and carefully remove each layer. After...
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Shells on the Mountain Top?
Students work in groups to remove fossils from sediments, classifying as many organisms and parts of organisms as possible into major groups. They study the data from each formation and make conclusions about the types of organisms and...
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The Vikings: Woodquay, Dublin
Students view the progamme that leads them through the process of researching an historical site. They are given the deifinition of an archaeologist. Students watch as two ten year olds are given the task of finding out as much as they...
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Digging Detectives
Students demonstrate basic procedures for archeological excavations. They explore an archeological site, students using various archeological methods and techniques to determine some of the aspects of past life and culture.
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The Archaeology of Cactus Ruin
Students simulate archaeologists by excavating a paper site. In groups, they use a sampling strategy to determine information about the people who lived at the site.
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Underwater Excavation
Students calculate artifact size and ship capacity based on the excavation of an ancient Roman shipwreck.