Archaeology Teacher Resources

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...

A 10-question interactive permits young anthropologists to study the field of archaeology and the tools archaeologists use to dig into history.

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.

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...

A 12-minute virtual tour introduces viewers to the newest exhibition at the Plymouth Plantation museum. The video, featuring artifacts from an archaeological dig at historic Patuxet and Plymouth, begins with Wampanoag displays and moves...

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.

Young scholars, 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.

Sixty-seven pages take scholars on a digital tour through the exhibit, History in a New Light: Illuminating the Archaeology of Historic Patuxet and Plymouth. Crystal clear pictures accompanied by text offer a deep understanding of the...

Students compare and contrast the role of scientists with that of archaeologists. They also describe the roles of observations and evidence in science.

Learners examine how observations lead to investigations, and how archaeologists conduct their investigation.

In this archaeology activity, learners answer 8 questions about archaeology. For example, "How are most archaeological sites discovered?"

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...

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.

What would future archeologists learn from your scholars' personal belongings? Have them bring in a box of "primary sources" from their home. Discuss the difference between observations and inference, using some of your own items to...

The excavation of a cache of artifacts found on San Nicolas Island, a part of the Channel Island chain, is the focus of a documentary that shows how archaeologists uncover artifacts and use these finds to attempt to understand the past....

Students explore how an archaeologist works and makes discoveries. In this archaeology activity, students participate in a simulation in which they excavate broken pottery. Students use measurement, geometry, and observation skills...

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...

Students discover what is needed to program an underwater robot to complete a course of action.  For this robot archaeologist lesson students design an archaeological strategy of an underwater vehicle. 

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...

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...

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...

Learners 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.

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.