Museum of the American Revolution
Historical Analysis: Objects Tell Stories
Dig this! Young archeologists discover what objects teach us about the past. The activity uses an image of a Revolutionary War artifact to help historians practice analyzing the past. Scholars study the object and complete a worksheet to...
Museum of the American Revolution
Object Observation: Purpose on a Powder Horn?
Young archeologists discover the significance of ordinary objects from the past in an interesting lesson on artifact analysis. The activity focuses on examining the image of a powder horn from the Revolutionary War to understand what it...
Curated OER
Lewis & Clark: A Scientific Journey
Students act as archaeologists. In this Lewis and Clark expedition activity, students develop a list of questions that archaeologists might use to find the physical remains of the expedition and then use print and Internet sources to...
Curated OER
Reading - Archeologist
In this online interactive archeologists instructional activity, learners respond to 8 fill in the blank and multiple choice questions regarding the information included in the provided paragraphs.
Curated OER
Inference Makes the Difference
Students explore how archaeologists make inferences from artifacts to explore what life was like in the past. In this archaeology lesson, students work in groups and make inferences about an imaginary household based on modern day...
Curated OER
Methods of Collecting Information
Third graders examine a bag or box of soil containing items that they dig for. Their task is to become detectives to make conclusions about the area from which the items came as real archaeologists do.
Curated OER
Schoolyard Dig
Young scholars begin the lesson by being introduced to the new vocabulary associated with archaeology. In groups, they use the school grounds to simulate their dig site. They record all the objects they discover and what can be...
Curated OER
Looking At An Object
Students observe the attributes of an object, infer their uses, and discover how archaeologists use objects to explore the past.
Curated OER
Social Scientists
In this social scientist worksheet, students respond to 10 matching and short answer questions about the work of economists, archaeologists, anthropologists, historians, and political scientists.
Curated OER
Making Anglo - Saxon Clothes
Learners research as if they are archaeologists how Anglo-Saxon clothes were made. In this Anglo-Saxon clothing lesson plan, students use the internet and books to research clothing. Learners also draw clothing.
Curated OER
The Artifact Problem
Students work in small groups and make a map of a familiar room. In this artifact lesson, students decide on a suitable scale for their maps, the tools they will use and how they will make it and decide on strategies they would use to...
Curated OER
Dig This Dinosaur Relief Lesson
Young scholars create low-fire ceramic relief sculptures of dinosaur bones. They incorporate art history, aesthetics, and criticism with hands on activity. Students work together to draw an enlarged skeleton on butcher paper. The...
Curated OER
Personal Artifacts
Ninth graders put their observation skills to work. For this observation skills lesson, 9th graders examine personal artifacts that their instructor has gathered. Students take notes on the artifacts they analyze and write lab reports...
Curated OER
Digging up the Past
Young scholars explore history through archaeology. In this critical analysis instructional activity, students work in teams to recreate a model of the archaeological discoveries made in the excavations at Monticello. This instructional...
Curated OER
Introduction to Archaeology
Students view a PowerPoint presentation called, Archaeological Terms then discuss the job of an archaeologist and new vocabulary. They view the teacher made "artifact grid" and photograph the grid from different angles. They work in...
Curated OER
Saugus Iron Works
Students investigate the 17th century Saugus Iron Works. They role-play archaeologists, research local industries and write a report, and explore various websites regarding the Industrial Revolution and the Saugus Iron Works.
Channel Islands Film
Cache: Lesson Plan 2 - Grades 4-6
Class members will dig this activity that has them trying their hand at recovering artifacts. Groups are assigned a section of a sandbox, carefully uncover the artifacts in their section, and then develop theories about who might have...
American Museum of Natural History
Being a Zoologist: Sandra Olsen
Are your students wild about horses? Then introduce them Sandra Olsen, a zooarchaeologist, who has been studying horses and the people who herd them. Ms Olsen responds to 15 interview questions and details how she goes about her...
Curated OER
Archeology
Students investigate archaeological discoveries. In this ancient civilizations lesson plan, students research specific archaeological finds and prepare oral presentations to share their findings with their classmates.
Curated OER
Digging Into the Past
Students participate in an excavation simulation, and explore the ruins of Sardis. They ponder which clues scientists use to determine if artifacts found in the excavation are of Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, or Lydian origin.
Curated OER
Touch the Past: Archaeology of the Upper Mississippi River Region
Students examine the archeology of the Mississippi River Valley. Using the internet, they expand their research to include how the Native Americans in California used plants to meet their needs. They also research a Native American...
Curated OER
Shoebox Dig
Students participate in a simulation in which they dig for artifacts in a shoebox filled with objects. In groups, they record the types of material and artifacts found in each layer. To end the lesson, they answer questions on the...
Curated OER
Cyberspace Safari
Middle schoolers go on an information gathering hunt on the Internet to study West African empires. They work in teams; meteorologists, bankers, writers, and archaeologists. They collect data on all sorts of topics related to West...
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...