American Museum of Natural History
A Walk Through the Ruins of Petra
Walking through the ancient Nabataean city of Petra can be a challenge. A tour begins with a 20-minute walk down a rocky slope through the narrow Siq to get to the famous Treasury known to Indiana Jones fans. But that is just the...
Plimoth Plantation
History In A New Light: Illuminating the Archaeology of Historic Patuxet and Plymouth
Sixty-seven pages take scholars on a digital tour through the exhibit, History in a New Light: Illuminating the Archaeology of Historic Patuxet and Plymouth. Crystal clear pictures accompanied by text offer a deep understanding of the...
Curated OER
Layer Cake Archaeology
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.
Curated OER
Transparent Shoebox Dig
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...
Curated OER
Archaeological Self-Study: What Do Our Belongings and Trash Tell About Us?
Students examine how their belongings and their trash represents who they are. In this archaeology skills lesson, students watch a video titled "Discovering the Past" and then give archaeological techniques a try. Students examine and...
Curated OER
U.S. Archaeological Sites: Geography Practice
For this archaeological sites worksheet, students read about sites in the Unites States and use a map to complete a set of 7 short answer questions.
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...
American Museum of Natural History
Making a Field Journal
Trowels and brushes are certainly important tools for an archaeologist working on a dig. Perhaps more important, however, is the archaeologist's field journal. Christina Elson, an archaeologist working with the American Museum of Natural...
Curated OER
Archaeological Inquiry
Students describe what they see as they observe an "artifact". They draw conclusions based on the information gathered to identify what the artifact might be used for and determine how old it might be.
Curated OER
Archaeological Finds
Students demonstrate the goals and methods of archaeology and write a report of an archaeological dig at a site associated with a specific culture. They explore the science of archaeology and how it contributes to the understanding of...
American Museum of Natural History
If Trash Could Talk
Trash can talk! Young archaeologists dig through their trash to see what it reveals about their lives. After they examine their midden, links permit users to test their knowledge of archaeology with a 10-questions quiz, learn how...
Curated OER
Artifacts 1: What Can We Learn From Artifacts?
Sixth graders are introduced to artifacts and explore an online archaeological site to connect clues about how people once lived. For this deductive reasoning lesson, 6th graders participate in the stratigraphy game on Kids Dig Reed.com...
Curated OER
Shifting Coastlines
Students study North Carolina's changing coastline during the Paleoindian and Archaic periods and determine the positions of the coastline at different times and decide what types of archaeological information has been lost due to rising...
Curated OER
Indians in Georgia: How Do We Know What We Know?
Students discover archaeology by investigating the history of Native Americans in Georgia. In this U.S. history lesson, students participate in a mock archaeological excavation in their classroom by recovering artifacts and drawings...
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?
American Museum of Natural History
Map Your Own World
Young archaeologists practice their mapping skills by creating a detailed site map of their room or another room in their home. After indicating walls, windows, doors, and closets, they add furniture and objects, labeling each item.
Curated OER
Pieces of the Past
Students study the importance of preserving the archaeological record. They write a paragraph describing an object and why it is important to them. They cut their paper into a puzzle and compare their own to the student they trade with.
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
Shadows of North Carolina's Past
Students construct a timeline of four major culture periods in Native American history from studying archaeological evidence cards.
Curated OER
The Forgotten Cities
Students recognize and identify gaps in historical and archaeological evidence and how that evidence is interpreted. They explore the history of the Indus cities and identify what was left behind that survived for archaeologists to find...
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...
Curated OER
Artifacts 2: Artifacts in Context
Students role play as archeologists to determine how artifacts tell about how people lived. In this artifacts lesson, students look at pictures of artifacts of the ancient city of Catalhoyuk and tell what life was like there. They look...
Curated OER
Secrets of the Mummies
How did the ancient people of Egypt preserve their dead so well that their bodies are still recognizable today? Learn the painstakingly complex process they used for preservation. Young scholars read and summarize a narrative detailing...
Curated OER
What is an Atlatl?
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...