National Endowment for the Humanities
Kennewick Man: Science and Sacred Rights
"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...
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Forensic Detectives: Archaeology at Work
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...
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The Mathematician And The Archaeologist
Students decorate clay pots and destroy them in order to learn the techniques of modern-day archaeologists and practice mathematical measurements. This is an exciting lesson suitable for Social Studies, Math, Science, or Art classroom.
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Classroom Archaeology
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.
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Ping!
Using "mystery bathymetry" shoeboxes, young explorers simulate sonar action to map out the topography of an un-viewable landscape. This classic activity helps physical oceanography learners understand how sonar works. It would be...
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Archaeology
Students compare and contrast the role of scientists with that of archaeologists. They also describe the roles of observations and evidence in science.
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Archaeology
High schoolers examine how observations lead to investigations, and how archaeologists conduct their investigation.
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Marine Archaeology
Students examine marine archaeology. In this archaeological data lesson, students see how archaeologists use data to make inferences about shipwrecks. Students read data and make their own inferences, write about marine life and...
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Dr. Dirt's Archaeology Lab Artifact Analysis
Students simulate analyzing artifacts in archaeological lab by using real techniques that archaeologists use. Students practice measuring skills, drawing, writing, and brainstorming, and make inferences based on evidence.
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The Robot Archaeologist
High schoolers discover what is needed to program an underwater robot to complete a course of action. In this robot archaeologist instructional activity students design an archaeological strategy of an underwater vehicle.
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Archaeology and Erosion
Sixth graders study how erosion affects archaeology sites. In this investigative lesson, 6th graders construct a model of a pyramid using sugar cubes. They will investigate in groups how water, wind, and sunlight affects their model...
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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.
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Archeologists For a Day
Students listen to a reading about fossils and go on a hunt for items with fossil characteristics. In this cross curricular fossil instructional activity, students will examine their fossil finds and create a graphic organizer. ...
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You are the Archaeologist
Kids can practice their observation and evidence-based argument skills with a fun and engaging look at artifacts. With a given set of objects, each child will sketch and describe the object, then partners work together to determine...
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My Wet Robot
After hearing about the 2006 PHAEDRA mission that explored the Aegean Sea, middle schoolers work in groups to create a robotic vehicle. They must consider power, propulsion, and other vital systems. Use the multitude of external...
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Shoe Box Archaeology
Pupils 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.
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Shoe Box Archaeology
Students make a box layered with information about grandparents, parents, and themselves. They dig up each other boxes and try to decipher the personality or lifestyle of the person whose box it is.
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Archaeological Soils
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.
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Archaeology 101
Let's go on an archaeological dig! Here is a lesson plan 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...
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Archaeology Preservation Lab
Students imagine themselves excavating their classroom 5000 years in the future. They discuss what they find there, what items be preserved and which not, and what the objects tell about the people who lived there.
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Archaeology and Storytelling
Young scholars identify and interpret both individual families and whole cultures learn about their pasts by collecting and analyzing stories and artifacts. Then they identify that not all archaeological finds readily reveal their...
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Looking into the Past (Archaeology)
Students discover how to be an archaeologist. In this archaeology lesson, students research the basic information about an archaeologist. Students then observe different artifacts and learn what questions to ask in order to discover the...
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Relative Dating in Archaeology
Students create a timeline that explains how ancient cultures used artifacts. In this Relative Dating in Archaeology lesson, students examine artifacts and draw conclusions about their origins. Then students analyze antiquated objects or...
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I Can Be An Archaeologist Book Share
Students read and discuss the book, I Can Be An Archaeologist by Robert B. Pickering, and become archaeologists, themselves, as they examine, sort, and record items in a paper bag and trash from their classroom, as well as 2 others.