Curated OER
Animal Poetry
Fourth graders write poems that use local wildlife as their inspiration. After a class discussion which produces a list of wildlife that pupils have seen in their town, a review of three types of poetry ensues. They look at how haiku,...
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Archaeology and Prehistoric Native Americans
Students study the terms paleontology and archaeology and examine how they can help us learn about prehistoric Native Iowans. In this archaeology lesson students discuss these terms and view a video on Native Americans.
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Relative Dating in Archaeology
Students create a timeline that explains how ancient cultures used artifacts. In this Relative Dating in Archaeology lesson, students examine artifacts and draw conclusions about their origins. Then students analyze antiquated objects or...
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"Archeology Dig"
Learners simulate archaeologists as they dig through a bag with found items in order to arrive at conclusions about the people they are studying.
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Basics of Archaeology
Middle schoolers identify what and how to complete an Archaeological excavation is conducted. They identify the transition from one layer to the next more easily if the colors of the layers are different. When creating a dig, the...
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Unearthing the Past
Students analyze artifacts from an early society to determine information relating to daily life in that society. They consider which artifacts from our society would be most valuable to future archeologists.
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Archeology Dig
Learners look into a bag of artifacts as a group and draw conclusions on what they find. In this archaeology lesson plan, students draw a picture of the settlement represented by these items.
Channel Islands Film
Arlington Springs Man: Lesson Plan 4
West of the West's documentary Arlington Springs Man introduces viewers to the remarkable finds on Santa Rosa Island. Archaeologist have discovered on this small island that is part of the Channel island chain, human and pygmy mammoth...
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Experimental Archaeology: Making Cordage
Students make a cordage and use an activity sheet to experience a skill that ancient Native American in North Carolina neded for everyday life.
NOAA
The Methane Circus
Step right up! An engaging research-centered lesson, the third in a series of six, has young archaeologists study the amazing animals of the Cambrian explosion. Working in groups, they profile a breathtaking and odd creature and learn...
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Sand & Water: Shape Search
Students act as amateur archaeologists as they participate in their own "dig" to explore and record unusual shapes. In this shape exploration lesson, students use trowels and shovels to dig, and learn to sift the dirt with screens to...
Time Warp Trio
The Caveman Catastrophe
Young archaeologists study the development of human history, and work in groups to create a timeline that traces the development of humans. Additionally, the groups utilize a very clever graphic organizer embedded in the plan in order to...
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Archaeology 2500: Texano Weapons
Students listen to oral story describing mystery artifact, work in groups to write descriptive report of artifact, and creatively form hypothesis based purely on misinterpretation. Students then explore and discuss difficulty of...
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Working With Animals
Second graders study careers that involve animal care such as veterinarians, zookeepers and archeologists. They create a collage of animal drawings related to the careers.
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SHOW 303: The Channel Island Fox
Students explore how archaeologists and other scientists use different clues to piece together a picture of the past. Students perform activities that allow them to conduct three types of scientific research. They discuss their...
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Taming the Wild Aurochs
Fourth graders assess the development of animal husbandry, outline it in detail as well as arrange the steps in sequential order. In addition, they discuss how certain animals came to be domesticated, concentrate to research on one of...
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Big Bones, Little Bones
Learners investigate archeology. In this archeology lesson, students research the process of excavation. Learners participate in a mock-excavation and sort objects by physical properties.
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How Size Shapes Animals
Students investigate how size affects large and small animals differently. In this animal lesson plan, students determine how size affects different animals by constructing their own animal out of marshmallows. Once students create...
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Archaeology What Gets Preserved?
Students view a video on a culture and list what would be preserved over time. In this investigative lesson students study preservation and what gets preserved in different cultures.
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Animal Encounters
Students use their visualizing and interpreting skills to produce original writings and artwork.
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What Can We Learn From Bones?
Students discuss what type of information they can gather from bones. In groups, they travel between stations in which they can view photos and listen to actual accounts of finding bones. They focus on the tools available to Native...
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Archeology: Weapons of the Texanos
Students develop archaeological context skills through a simulation which places them in the year 2500. After listening to the teacher read, "Weapons of the Texanos," they record what they think the weapon is. Next, in groups, they...
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UMNH: Cultural Clutter - Tales In The Trash
Fourth graders list three or more types of evidence of prehistoric cultures that encouraged archaeologists to investigate the marshes around the Great Salt Lake. They also explain why it is important not to disturb archaeological remains.
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Ancient Recipes
Young scholars explore how foods and their preparation differ over time and from culture to culture. An ancient recipe for the preparation of goat, found by archaeologists, is examined and discussed by the students.