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...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
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.
Be Smart
A Mammoth Undertaking: The Science of De-Extinction!
If scientists could use biotechnology to bring back extinct species, should it? A thought-provoking video explores the technical and ethical considerations of this question as part of a larger biology playlist. It explains what would be...
Curated OER
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.
The Brain Scoop
The First Brachiosaurus
How do scientists know when they've discovered something new? Travel back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the earth using an interesting video, which is part of Brain Scoop's Fossils and Geology playlist. The narrator examines the...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
Archaeology
Students compare and contrast the role of scientists with that of archaeologists. They also describe the roles of observations and evidence in science.
Curated OER
Archaeology
Young scholars examine how observations lead to investigations, and how archaeologists conduct their investigation.
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
The Robot Archaeologist
High schoolers discover what is needed to program an underwater robot to complete a course of action. In this robot archaeologist lesson plan students design an archaeological strategy of an underwater vehicle.
Curated OER
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...
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.
TED-Ed
The Search For King Richard III - The Archaeological Dig
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...
Curated OER
Archeologists For a Day
Students listen to a reading about fossils and go on a hunt for items with fossil characteristics. For this cross curricular fossil lesson, students will examine their fossil finds and create a graphic organizer. Students listen to...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
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...
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
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.
Curated OER
The Apollo Program And Lunar Archaeology
Students examine history and importance of Apollo Program, explore how Cold War helped create and sustain Apollo Program, and investigate how and why archaeologists and historians are attempting to preserve Apollo landing sites on moon.
Curated OER
Archaeological Soils
Eighth graders identify the composition of a soil sample. In this archaeology instructional activity, 8th graders describe the different soil layers formed in their activity. They explain how this pattern help archaeologists evaluate...
PBS
Can We Get DNA from Fossils?
Just how long can a fossil preserve DNA? It seems that DNA becomes unreadable after about 6.8 million years. Learn about the science that helped make this conclusion and the mistakes made along the way in a lesson from a PBS Eons video...
Curated OER
Archaeology 101
Let's go on an archaeological dig! Here is a instructional activity 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...