TITLE: "Archeology Dig"
AUTHOR: Sharin Manes, St. Mary School, AZ
GRADE LEVEL/SUBJECT: 5-7
OVERVIEW: Generally children do not have knowledge of or
understand the methods of collecting information about pre-historic
peoples. A question most often asked is, "If there was no writing,
how do you know what they were like?"
PURPOSE: The purpose of this activity is to provide students with
experience in analyzing artifacts and relics and constructing a
hypothetical scenario describing a pre-historic culture.
OBJECTIVES: As a result of this activity, the children will
be able to:
1. Work in cooperative groups to achieve a goal
2. Identify items "found" at an archeological dig
3. Discuss findings within the group
4. Draw a picture depicting a settlement represented by the items
5. Report findings with the class
ACTIVITIES:
1. Divide the class into cooperative learning groups
2. Each group should appoint a discussion leader, scribe, artist,
presenter or any other tasks depending on the size of the group.
3. Tell the class they are part of an archeological team that has
discovered some interesting but puzzling items. Their task is to
determine what type of society lived at that particular site.
4. Give each group a bag containing the found items, a sheet of
discussion starters and art supplies,
5. Have the students look for answers and discuss possibilities.
6. Each group should then construct either a model or drawing of
their site.
7. The group presenter can share the findings with the entire class.
RESOURCES/MATERIALS:
l. Bags containing items or pictures of items that might found at
one type of site, i.e.
Hunter-gatherer:
bones, bit of animal pelt, leather thongs, animal drawings on hide or
rock, jewelry of bones, arrowheads, dried roots, baskets, etc.
Farming: kernels of corn, wool cloth, statues of gods, iron or stone
tools, etc.
Fishing: jewelry of shells, lines, sinkers, nets, etc.
Trading: old coins, combinations of items that might have been
traded, tally stones, etc.
Herders: evidence of fences, animal skins, clubs, etc.
Use whatever you have handy to give clues to the type of
society.
2. Discussion starter sheet
l. Is there evidence of food eaten?
2. Is there evidence of economic activity?
3. What kind of social structure might these people have had?
4. What kind of dwellings might they have had?
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER: Discuss with the class how they arrived at
their conclusions about the people they studied. Follow up with
further studies about ancient peoples and/or archeology.
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