Curated OER
Interpreting the Evidence
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.
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Digging up the Past
Students explore history through archaeology. In this critical analysis lesson, students work in teams to recreate a model of the archaeological discoveries made in the excavations at Monticello. This lesson is designed to help students...
Curated OER
Site Formation In Archaeology
Students look at the findings of a Hopi Indian dig site in order to reconstruct the sequence of events that occurred in the past. They examine the stratigraphy while making multiple hypothesis about the artifacts and their locations at...
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...
American Museum of Natural History
Make Your Own Paper
Paper, paper everywhere. Paper is so prolific that few think about where the idea for it originated and how it is made. Introduce young readers to the paper-making process with an activity that lets them create their own.
Channel Islands Film
Arlington Springs Man: Lesson Plan 3
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...
Curated OER
Artifacts of Wisconsin's Pre-european Cultures
Young scholars research forms of artistic expression in four cultures. They create a representation of art from one of the cultures and create museum information cards. They develop a rubric to evaluate each others work.
Curated OER
Tag It and Bag It: Archeology Lab Lesson
Seventh graders practice analyzing, collecting and categorizing artifacts. Using charts, they organize and interpret information about the artifacts they classified. They work together to create a graph to represent class totals and...
Curated OER
Social Studies:Anglo-Saxon Dress Accessories
Students discover the materials and designs used by Anglo-Saxons. By examining an ancient village, they determine materials and shapes most frequently used to make brooches and strap fittings. Finally, students draw pictures of the...
Curated OER
Archeology: Weapons of the Texanos
Students develop archaeological context skills through a simulation which places them in the year 2500. After listening to the teacher read, "Weapons of the Texanos," they record what they think the weapon is. Next, in groups, they...
Curated OER
Ceramics: A Vessel into History
Students create a personal clay vessel that has a specific use or meaning in their contemporary culture, which could be discerned through study by future archeologists and art historians.
Curated OER
Archeological Finds
Students explore archeology and it contributions to human history. They write a magazine article describing the discovery of a dig.
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
"Adding It Up" at James Fort
Pupils discuss jettons and their archaeological importance at Jamestown. They then practice using historic counting sheets and artifacts to understand the calculating methods of the early 17th Century, and identify their similarities...
Curated OER
Site Robbers
Fourth graders interview a Native American and write a newspaper article or letter that expresses concern about robbing archaeological sites.