Curated OER
Digging For Dinosaurs
In this dinosaur themed learning exercise, students work together as a team of paleontologists to draw the dinosaur bones they discovered at a dig site. They must label their drawing on a grid map and then provide data about the length...
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation: Dirt Detective
Archaeologists study artifacts and soil and they use post holes to determine just how old the layers of soil is. Based on the location of post holes, archaeologists can determine if they are finding a house, or a wall or even a fort....
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Learning Lab: Decoding the Past: The Work of Archaeologists
Through this study, students will think like an archaeologist, and move towards a better understanding of our world by taking a look back at civilizations of the past.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Scientific American: Dead Men's Tales: Undisturbed Find
Emulate the work of archeologists by creating and excavating an archeological find. Record the exact location and position of every dig artifact to maintain the coherency of the find.
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Coming Into America: Dating Artifacts 9 12 [Pdf]
Investigate new discussions on the presence of humans in North America, and emulate the work of archeologists in dating artifacts at a dig site. Use clay to model how the radioactive isotope of carbon (C14) is used in dating organic...
PBS
Pbs Teachers: Scientific American: Science Safari: City of Gold
Investigate the challenges facing archeologists when dealing with local cultures near dig sites, and consider the difficulty of remaining sensitive to the past yet still being able to learn from it.