Table of Contents
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What's this lesson all about?
This lesson teaches students about the methods that archaeologists use. Archaeologists conduct excavations at archaeological sites in the hopes to find artifacts. To simulate excavation, students get to dig through bins of sand to find artifacts!
What is Excavation?
Archaeologists conduct excavations all over the world. Archaeologists determine what historic cultures were like by looking at the material remains people leave behind. These remains are called artifacts and features. To do their research, they must excavate a site. There are rules to excavation that help keep the process as organized as possible. Students often attend field school so they can get experience excavating a site.
What is Excavation?
Archaeologists conduct excavations all over the world. Archaeologists determine what historic cultures were like by looking at the material remains people leave behind. These remains are called artifacts and features. To do their research, they must excavate a site. There are rules to excavation that help keep the process as organized as possible. Students often attend field school so they can get experience excavating a site.
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This is an overview of the Archaeology lesson taught by Kira Yancey in the spring of 2018, complete with the Garbology activity. The powerpoint, lesson plan, and activity resources we used for this day can be found here. |
Sifting Through the Sands of Time Lesson Plan
By LaBethany Bradford
Third Grade
Eight Sessions
Lesson – Sifting Through the Sands of Time: What Is Excavation?
Materials
Review
Focus
Learning Objectives
Guided Practice (Activity)
Third Grade
Eight Sessions
Lesson – Sifting Through the Sands of Time: What Is Excavation?
Materials
- Bins – to put sand in
- Sand
- Brushes and spoons – tools to dig through the sand with
- Artifacts to put into the sand and dig up
- These can be toys, objects in the class (ie pencils or erasers), etc.
- Protective covering – this activity can be very messy!
- A tarp, blanket, sheet, newspaper, paper towels, etc.
Review
- The Four Subfields: CLAP
Focus
- What is archaeology, and what research methods do we use in archaeology?
Learning Objectives
- Students will understand what archaeology is, and terms involving archaeology
- Archaeology: the study of history using things that were left behind
- Pre-history: before written records were kept
- History: after written records started being kept
- Site: a place where we can see events occurred in the past
- We study sites
- Students will learn about archaeological sites in India – our country of focus this semester!
- Gunung Padang Megalithic Site
- Sangiran Early Man Site
- Candi Sukuh
- The oldest pyramid in the world is thought to be here
- Between 20,000-9,000 years old.
- Discovery of the first hominid fossil was here.
- Students will learn about different archaeological methods
- Survey: we collect information by observing a site's layout.
- We use drones and cameras to conduct surveys.
- Excavation: takes place when archaeologists dig into the ground
- Survey: we collect information by observing a site's layout.
- Students will understand what archaeologists find when they excavate sites
- Artifacts: Object made by human usually of historical or cultural interest
- Features: Evidence of human activity not movable
Guided Practice (Activity)
- We are going to dig up our own artifacts.
- Students will be given spoons and brushes to dig up their artifacts in the sand
Downloadable Content
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For more information, and our own insider perspective on teaching these archaeology lessons, check out our blog!
- Archaeology, Week 3! by LaBethany Bradford
- Week 3-Archaeology by Laura Eddy
- Spring 2018: Archaeology at TMSE
Gallery
Below are pictures of the Tuscaloosa Magnet School Elementary students during their excavation activity. The Museum of Natural History donated some fossils which the students were allowed to take home.