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.

What would future archeologists learn from your scholars' personal belongings? Have them bring in a box of "primary sources" from their home. Discuss the difference between observations and inference, using some of your own items to...

Explore the inventions of the past with a project on ancient tools. After reading an article about hunting during the Archaic period, the Late Prehistoric period, and the Historic period, kids fill in a cause-and-effect chart about the...

Let's go an an archaeological dig! Prepare your kids with a list of vocabulary terms relating to archaeology, including different types of items that one might find. They study pictures of each item and play a memory game based on the...

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...

How have linguists and archaeologists been able to decode the Mayan written language? We find that the Mayan numeric system was the first clue into Mayan language. Part three in this four-part series also touches upon Mayan astronomy and...

Using dramatic reenactment, archaeological evidence, and primary source documents as a foundation for historic story telling, this clip describes a battle between Russia and Napoleon the Conqueror. Use this six-minute video to show how...

Dig in! Middle schoolers learn about archaeology by exploring the remnants of the Chiribaya bodies found in Illinois. Compare archaeological investigations, and then write a mystery detailing the discovery of a body! Consider bringing in...

Look far back in history and you'll meet a people group called the Celts. Celts, as you'll soon find out, are a group of people who inhabited Britain 2000 years ago. Presented here, is simple information which describes a bit about...

Students identify relationships between geography or climate and locations of prehistoric sites. They describe the resourcefulness of prehistoric cultures who had to depend upon raw materials in their environment to survive.

Archaeologists, historians, and scientists all work together to create a timeline of our past. Engages learners in a series of activities that all filter through the NOVA video, "Mysteries of the First Americans." Each activity is...

Junior oceanographers access the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Shipwreck Database and plot the locations of several shipwrecks. Shipwrecks are always an enthralling subject and this activity allows your learners to act as...

Young scholars decorate clay pots and destroy them in order to learn the techniques of modern-day archaeologists and practice mathematical measurements. This is an exciting activity suitable for Social Studies, Math, Science, or Art...

"Have respect for the dead!" Scholars investigate how science and religion often clash. As they look into the laws of science and the laws of religion, the legal ramifications at the federal level of both play into an argument they...

Here is an excellent cross-curricular activity. Learners relate multiplication to area by making a grid on graph paper, and then creating the same grid in real space outside in the school yard.

Students, in groups, receive a box of artifacts. They record their findings and discuss what the items would have been used for. They come together at the end of the lesson to share their findings.

Help middle schoolers conduct Internet research and develop a working definition for the discipline of social studies. From a list of websites, they develop classification skills and differentiate between primary and secondary sources....

Let's go on an archaeological dig! Here is a lesson that allows your young scientists to do just that! You fill up an empty water table or tray with sand, and bury miscellaneous objects. Pupils use spoons, sifters, and brushes to find...

Students assemble a shoe box following a layered pattern alternating between soil and artifacts. The layers of artifacts begin with the grandparents and end with the student's own personal possessions.

High schoolers investigate the models for the origin of modern humans and the conditions that facilitate speciation and evolution. The classification and nomenclature of hominid species is also examined.

Learners map their playground as if it were an archeological site. They locate objects on the playground and determine their location using coordinate points. A related lesson is Coordinate Grid: Mapping an Archeological Site.

Sixth graders examine the differences between archeology and paleontology. Using the internet, they explore the tools and techniques used in each field. They must use the correct tools to uncover and record the objects they find. They...

Here is a lesson plan whose focus is on classical archaeology. In groups, high schoolers read various myths and legends to examine the how the culture was passed between different groups. They participate in a role-play activity in which...

Eighth graders identify the composition of a soil sample. In this archaeology lesson plan, 8th graders describe the different soil layers formed in their activity. They explain how this pattern help archaeologists evaluate soil types.