American Museum of Natural History
Tools of the Trade
Archaeologist David Hurst Thomas details his search for a lost Spanish Mission on St. Catherines Island, Georgia. A great way to introduce youngsters to the life of and the tools used by archaeologists.
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 instructional activity suitable for Social Studies, Math, Science, or...
Curated OER
Inventions Over Time
Explore the inventions of the past with a project on ancient tools. After reading an article about hunting during the Archaic period, the Late Prehistoric period, and the Historic period, kids fill in a cause-and-effect chart about the...
PBS
Reading Adventure Pack: Archaeology
Readings of fiction and nonfiction texts followed by a series of activities put scholars in an archaeologist's shoes. Learners read two texts, Archaeologists Dig for Clues by Kate Duke and The Shipwrecked Sailor: An Egyptian Tale with...
Curated OER
Dr. Dirt's Archaeology Lab Artifact Analysis
Learners 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
Stone Tools of Texas Indians
Provide background information regarding the use of stone tools from the paleoindian through the late prehistoric periods. Learners can read this informational passage to gain insight on how and why we study these amazing artifacts from...
Curated OER
Fill in the Blanks
Archaeologists, historians, and scientists all work together to create a timeline of our past. Engages learners in a series of activities that all filter through the NOVA video, "Mysteries of the First Americans." Each activity is...
Society for Science & the Public
Easter Islanders Made Tools, Not War
When studying artifacts, especially tools, how do archaeologists determine what the devices were used for? In what ways might researchers' previous experiences influence their perception of an artifact? An article about researchers'...
Curated OER
Traces: Historic Archaeology
Students list at least five different kinds of artifacts archaeologists have found in U.S. excavations. They cite artifacts when describing life at a particular archaeological site.
American Museum of Natural History
What's the Big Idea About Archeology
The American Museum of Natural History offers a website sure to engage young anthropologists. Learners can dig into a site that offers an explanation of the field of archaeology, the kinds of questions archaeologists ask that launch...
Curated OER
Stone Tool Scavenger Hunt
Seventh graders use Internet to familiarize themselves with variety of stone tools used by early man, create information chart describing each tool and its purpose, and discuss why tools have survived thousands of years.
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
Shoe Box Archaeology
Students 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
Archaeology Underwater
Eleventh graders study underwater archaeology. In this history lesson, 11th graders read an article on archaeology. Students complete a reading comprehension worksheet on archaeology underwater.
Curated OER
Experimental Archaeology: Making Cordage
Students make a cordage and use an activity sheet to experience a skill that ancient Native American in North Carolina neded for everyday life.
Curated OER
We Really Dig Archeology and Palentology
Sixth graders examine the differences between archeology and paleontology. Using the internet, they explore the tools and techniques used in each field. They must use the correct tools to uncover and record the objects they find. They...
University of California
Migration of Early Humans: Evidence and Interpretations
While much of prehistory is cloaked in mystery, ancient ancestors left evidence in DNA, languages, and materials from their time. Using photographs of items such as cave paintings and ancient tools, as well as maps of linguistic patterns...
American Museum of Natural History
Piecing It All Together
Archaeology digs are much like giant jigsaw puzzles. The artifacts found are often in pieces and scientists must reconstruct them. A hands-on activity lets young archaeologists experience this facet of the job as they create, smash, and...
Curated OER
Virtual Day in Archeology
Students use the internet to examine a day in the life of an archeologist. In groups, they discover what types of tools they use in the field along with the process of an archeological excavation. They complete a worksheet in which...
Curated OER
What Artifacts Reveal About The Past
Middle schoolers take a closer look at artifacts to learn about the people who used them. In this colonial America lesson, students examine photographs of everyday items used in colonial times and determine what the uses of the...
Curated OER
Unearthing the Past
Students analyze artifacts from an early society to determine information relating to daily life in that society. They consider which artifacts from our society would be most valuable to future archeologists.
Curated OER
Measuring Pots
Students use an activity sheet to construct analogies about possible function of ancient or historic ceramics and compute circumference from a section of a circle as they study measuring pots.
Curated OER
How Do We Learn About the Past?
Students examine archaeological discoveries. In this learning about the past lesson, students view a "Magic School Bus" video, discuss the role of an archeologist, and complete a graphic organizer. Students discuss a variety of artifacts...