Curated OER
Interpreting the Evidence
Young scholars find out about the social changes that caused the collapse of important ancient civilizations in Central America, Mesopotamia, the southwestern United States, and western Africa.
Curated OER
What Can We Learn From the Past?
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...
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...
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...
American Museum of Natural History
Finding Fossils
How does one go about finding fossils? Find out with an informative webpage that looks at the digging process, showcases rocks and common fossils, helpful tips, and a list of archeological do's and don'ts.
American Museum of Natural History
Talk to a Titanosaur
Learn all about the Titanosaur with an engaging website that delves deep into the large reptile's physical traits, family history, discovery, and fossil reconstruction.
Museum of the American Revolution
Pop-Up Museum
Museums offer more than interesting exhibits—they are key to keeping history alive. An immersive activity uses a virtual field trip to show academics the importance of museums in preserving history. Young historians learn how museums are...
Plimoth Plantation
History In A New Light: Illuminating the Archaeology of Historic Patuxet and Plymouth
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...
American Museum of Natural History
Anatomy Adventure
Sometimes science is puzzling. Using an online animation, individuals manipulate skeletal bones of an ancient species to recreate its skeleton. Learners complete the skeletal puzzle and learn about the process of paleontology in person...
American Museum of Natural History
Buried Bones
Patience is the name of the game. Using Plaster of Paris and chicken bones, learners simulate an archeological dig site. They excavate the chicken bones over a period of several days using tools and a large amount of patience.
American Museum of Natural History
Make Your Own Mythic Mask or Puppet
No need to wait until Halloween to create a mask. Young anthropologists get involved in the centuries-old tradition of mask and puppet making with the help of an engaging resource that shows them how to craft their own masks or puppets.
American Museum of Natural History
Mint Your Own Coin
Provide young archaeologists with an opportunity to craft their own artifacts. The step-by-step directions in an engaging resource show them how to mint their own coin, complete with image, date, and motto.
American Museum of Natural History
What's This?: Early Humans
Early humans crafted shelters out of whatever materials they could find. A one-question quiz asks learners to identify the type of bones used to construct the hut pictured in a display.
American Museum of Natural History
Make Your Own Paper
Paper, paper everywhere. Paper is so prolific that few think about where the idea for it originated and how it is made. Introduce young readers to the paper-making process with an activity that lets them create their own.
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...
American Museum of Natural History
Map Your Own World
Young archaeologists practice their mapping skills by creating a detailed site map of their room or another room in their home. After indicating walls, windows, doors, and closets, they add furniture and objects, labeling each item.
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...
American Museum of Natural History
Being an Archeologist: Chuck Spencer
Meet Chuck Spencer, an archeologist who studies the Zapotec people who lived in the Valley of Oaxaca, Mexico over 2000 years ago. Spencer shares in print his response to questions posed by kids.
American Museum of Natural History
Up Close With a Zapotec Urn
If a Zapotec urn, buried for over a thousand years in a temple in the lost city of Xoxocotlan in the Valley of Oaxaca in the mountains of southern Mexico could talk image the stories it could tell. That's the set up in a clever resource...
American Museum of Natural History
What is Anthropology
A colorful resource introduces learners to the four major fields of anthropology: cultural anthropology, linguistic anthropology, biological anthropology, and archaeology. Explanations are provided for what each field studies, the kinds...
American Museum of Natural History
Inca Investigation
A fascinating interactive resource lets young archaeologists dig through the history of Huanuco Pampa. The Inca city, located high in the Andes mountains of Peru, was once a thriving community. Craig Morris has spent years researching...
American Museum of Natural History
A Walk Through the Ruins of Petra
Walking through the ancient Nabataean city of Petra can be a challenge. A tour begins with a 20-minute walk down a rocky slope through the narrow Siq to get to the famous Treasury known to Indiana Jones fans. But that is just the...
American Museum of Natural History
The Ancient City of Petra
Anyone who has seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade will recognize the entrance to the Nabataean city of Petra. Young archaeologists don't need horses or camels to travel through the Sig and tour this fascinating city, however. With...
American Museum of Natural History
If Trash Could Talk
Trash can talk! Young archaeologists dig through their trash to see what it reveals about their lives. After they examine their midden, links permit users to test their knowledge of archaeology with a 10-questions quiz, learn how...