Archaeology Posters

These videos feature our 6th graders making archaeology posters (the Cookie Mafia and the Flaming Bunnies). This is an example of teamwork at its finest. Notice the classroom volume. Aside from Journey's "Don't Stop Believing" playing in the background, the class is fairly quiet. Students are engaged in focused discussion about their posters as they work simultaneously.

Creating the Archaeological Dig Box

Here are the steps for creating your Archaeological Dig Box (DUE: Monday, October 6):

STEP 1

Get a small shoe box and line it with plastic wrap.

(Note: you will be filling this box with moist dirt. If your shoebox is big, it will become very heavy. A small shoebox is best!)

STEP 2

In the box, place five (5) items that tell the class about you. These items must reveal the same information that the items placed in the personal culture bag did. However, do not use exactly the same items that you used in your bag.

STEP 3

Cover your artifacts with dirt and arrange them so that they are at different levels in the dirt. Then, add a small amount of water to create a moist substance. (The inside of the box should be lined with plastic so that the box itself does not become water logged.)

Pack the moist dirt containing the objects into the box and let it dry in the sun. This may take up to a week depending on the weather, so do it as soon as possible.

Bringing in a sopping wet box will result in a loss of points when your project is graded.

STEP 4

We will bring these into class to excavate. Each shoe box should be brought into class in a nondescript brown paper bag.

Important! NO NAME OR ANY OTHER IDENTIFYING MARKS SHOULD BE ON THE BAG OR BOX.

STEP 5

On the box (inside the bag), put a sticky note with your name on it. Then, I will remove the sticky notes and number the boxes so that only I know the rightful owner of each shoe box.

We will excavate the contents of the box during class. Our dig will be on Wednesday, Oct. 8.

STEP 6

Using the notes from Part One (Personal Culture Bag) we will try to deduce the owner of the box. This is much more difficult than one might expect!!

Dirt Detectives Web Quest

In this Web Quest, you will explore the field of archeology and get a chance to “play archeologist” as you determine the uses of some real artifacts discovered in Alaska.

BUILD YOUR VOCABULARY
1. Here are the links you need:
WORD CENTRAL: www.wordcentral.com
DIG GLOSSARY: www.digonsite.com/glossary/index.html


ARCHEOLOGY FOR KIDS WEB QUEST
1. Go to the following site: www.cr.nps.gov/archeology/public/kids/index.htm
2. Visit the three tabs (along the top) “Who are Archeologists,” “How do They Work?” and “The Archeology Lab.”
3. Under each tab, click on all of the pages in the menu to the right.
4. As you read through each section, be sure to roll your mouse over the underlined words in the text. The picture to the left will change as you do this. Be sure to read all the captions (information under the pictures)—this is where some of the most interesting information can be found!
5. As you learn about archeology, answer the questions IN YOUR OWN WORDS on your Web Quest Learning Log.


ARCTIC ARTIFACTS
7. Now, click on the tab called “Try It”. On the menu to the right, click “online archeology.” Under the heading “NPS Webrangers,” click on “Arctic Artifacts” (Here is the link in case you can’t find it: www.nps.gov/webrangers/medium/tour2/artifact/index.html)
8. Take the online “quiz” to see if you can guess the uses of these artifacts found in Alaska.
9. Answer the questions on your Web Quest Learning Log.


IF YOU FINISH EARLY
Check out the "Dig Deeper!" section below. Click on the links to read some news articles about archeology.

Dig Deeper!

ARCHEOLOGY IN THE NEWS
1. Now that you are an "expert" in the field of archaeology, search the sites below to find out about recent archeological discoveries in the news.

2. Browse through the articles on the sites below and choose one that you find interesting. Find the "printer-friendly" version of that article and print it. (If you and your partner are choosing the same article, print two copies--one for each of you.)

3. Open and print the Article Summary Guide. Follow the directions on the summary guide and become an expert on a current event in the field of archaeology!

LINKS for ARCHAEOLOGY IN THE NEWS
Search these sites for articles about archeology.

National Geographic Archaeology News
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/archaeology.html

Archaeological Institute of America Recent Headlines
http://www.archaeology.org/online/news/headlines.html

Yahoo Anthropology and Archaeology
http://news.yahoo.com/fc?cid=34&tmpl=fc&in=Science&cat=Anthropology_and_Archaeology

ARTICLES OF INTEREST
CNN.com article about a Mayan mummy: http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/09/08/mummy.maiden.ap/index.html

Crews recover Colombian mammoth tusk at San Diego building site: http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20070901/news_1m1tusk.html

Welcome to Dirt Detectives!

During this project we will learn more about our classmates’ lives, discover the similarities and differences between us, and experience the complex challenges faced by archaeologists when they try to learn about the past. You will be learning about archaeology by actually BEING an archaeologist!

Each student will be creating two major products:
1) Personal Culture Bag
2) Archaeological Dig Box

Stay tuned to this website for important announcements about the project!