Curated OER
Project 1
Students are given a coin to observe and make inferences about. Using a worksheet, they make two columns to list their observations and inferences in an organized manner. They develop a hypothesis based on one of the inferences and...
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Looking At An Object
Students observe the attributes of an object, infer their uses, and discover how archaeologists use objects to explore the past.
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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...
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Archeology of the Future
Students are introduced to the basic vocabulary of archeology. Using the vocabulary, they classify artifacts and make inferences about their uses. In groups, they create a chart for the criteria needed to analyze artifacts and share...
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Wreck Detectives
Students investigate shipwrecks. For this marine archaeology lesson ,students collect data and make inferences about the causes of shipwrecks. Students work in groups to create their own model of a shipwreck using clay. Students then...
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Utah Archaeology
Young scholars use Play-dough explore different types of fossils and examine how fossils are evidences of past life.
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Archaeology 2500: Texano Weapons
Pupils listen to oral story describing mystery artifact, work in groups to write descriptive report of artifact, and creatively form hypothesis based purely on misinterpretation. Students then explore and discuss difficulty of artifact...
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Clues to the Past
Learners analyze how arhaeologists study the past. They define basic archaeological terms, make general inferences from observations, and explain the importance of context.
Channel Islands Film
Once Upon a Time (Saxipak’a): Lesson Plan 4
How did the environment and natural resources found on the Channel islands influence the culture of the Chumash? Archaeology meets technology in an activity designed for middle schoolers. After viewing West of The West's documentary Once...
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Looking Back to 1980
Learners use clustering/mind mapping techniques to generate ideas, graphically represent inferences, organize their conclusions and write a report that presents conclusions the writer has reached, and facts substantiating those conclusions.
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Predicting the Past
Students study how archaeologists record the past. They discuss archaeology and artifacts. They view a list of artifacts discovered by Marquette at the Illinois Village and answer questions regarding them. They complete a test about...
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The Museum as a Time Capsule: Mongolian Example
High schoolers make defensible inferences based on observation of perceived evidence. They use observation and inference to recognize the validity of alternative approaches or solutions.
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Looking for Clues
Young scholars infer the cause of a shipwreck based upon information about artifacts found in the wreck. In this marine archeology lesson plan, students use an inventory list to infer the cause of a shipwreck. Young scholars discuss the...
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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...
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...
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Excavate and Explore
Students simulate an archeological excavation to explain how archeologists identify, date, and make inferences about their findings. They explain the importance of spatial and stratigraphic contexts in archaeology.
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Artifact Identification-What is it?
Students observe an artifact and make an inference about the artifact's purpose. They are going to role-play as archaeologists by using artifacts to hypothesize about the lives of past people.
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It's All in the Rocks
Students think critically to determine fact or inference when examining sedimentary layers with embedded fossils. They are being introduced to geology as well as evolutionary biology.
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Saving the Past for the Future
Students review web images to identify human impact on nature and site destruction.
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How to "Read" an Artifact
Students discuss the types of information they can get from artifacts. In groups, they practice "reading" artifacts and determining their usage. They use inferences to test against official information about certain pieces. They also...
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Shipwreck Mystery
Learners study web pages on a shipwreck then locate where this took place on a map. In this marine archaeologist activity students examine what clues archaeologists use to find the location of a shipwreck and what they might find.
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Archaeological Self-Study: What Do Our Belongings and Trash Tell About Us?
Pupils 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. Pupils examine and...
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Titanic: Looking for Clues
Students make inferences about a shipwreck based on the location of artifacts. They role play as marine archaeologists and list three processes that contribute to the deterioration of the Titanic.
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Location, Location, Location: Using a Grid to Determine Context
Seventh graders are introduced to making inferences about artifacts. Using a grid system, they locate the artifacts and determine where they originated from. They use this information to make conclusions about the way people lived...