Browse lesson plans

Archaeological context

In Intrigue of the Past, page 1.5

In their study of context, students will use a game and a discussion to demonstrate the importance of artifacts in context for learning about past people.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 Social Studies)

Artifact classification

In Intrigue of the Past, page 2.4

Students will use pictures of artifacts or objects from a teaching kit to classify artifacts and answer questions about the lifeways of a group of historic Native Americans.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 Social Studies)

Classification and attributes

In Intrigue of the Past, page 1.7

In their study of classification and attributes, students will use “doohickey kits” to classify objects based on their attributes, and explain that scientists and specifically archaeologists use classification to help answer research questions.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 Social Studies)

Coastal Plain cultures graphic organizer

In Two worlds: Educator's guide, page 2.5

As students read the article "Peoples of the Coastal Plain," this graphic organizer will help them develop an understanding of the cultures that existed in North Carolina's Coastal Plain hundreds of years ago.

Format: /lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Pauline S. Johnson.

Digging up discoveries

The students will study archaeology, practicing their knowledge of spelling patterns and capitalization and punctuation skills along the way. The students will go to a teacher-created excavation and discover a surprise in a “rock” from the excavation. The students will then write about their experience.

Format: lesson plan (grade 1 English Language Arts and Science)

By Alyssa Slater.

A guided journey into the past

In Intrigue of the Past, page 5.7

In their study of archaeological resource conservation, students will use guided imagery to discover and judge an alternative way to enjoy artifacts without removing them from archaeological sites.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 Visual Arts Education, English Language Arts, and Social Studies)

Looking at an object

In Intrigue of the Past, page 2.10

Students will analyze unfamiliar objects in order to observe the attributes of an object, infer the uses of objects; and discover how archaeologists use objects to learn about the past.

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

Observation and inference

In Intrigue of the Past, page 1.4

In their study of observation and inference, students will use activity sheets and coins to differentiate between observation and inference through a problem-solving approach, and demonstrate their knowledge by analyzing an archaeological artifact and creating their own observation-inference statements.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Visual Arts Education and Social Studies)

Piedmont cultures graphic organizer

In Two worlds: Educator's guide, page 2.3

This activity will assist students in understanding Piedmont cultures as they read the article "Peoples of the Piedmont."

Format: /lesson plan (grade 8 Social Studies)

By Pauline S. Johnson.

A Siouan village

In Intrigue of the Past, page 4.6

In their study of an excavated village site, students will record observations about a site feature and infer how past peoples used individual features and the site as a whole. They will also summarize how archaeologists use observation and inference to determine past lifeways.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 Social Studies)

Why is the past important?

In Intrigue of the Past, page 1.2

As an introduction to the study of North Carolina's archaeological heritage, students will use personally owned object to share the importance of their past and connect this importance with reasons why the human past is important.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–4 Social Studies)

Resources on the web

Artifacts in context

The purpose of this lesson is to hypothesize how people lived during a certain time, based on archaeological sites and artifacts. It puts students in the role of archaeologist, using the mysterious city of Catalhoyuk to explore how artifacts can give us... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Information Skills)

Provided by: Science Netlinks

Historic Jamestowne: Unearthing America's Birthplace

How did colonists at Jamestowne clean their ears? With a silver ear picker, of course! Find out more about archaeology, artifacts, and this history of Jamestowne at this site featuring special finds, interactive exercises, historic briefs, and lesson plans. (Learn more)

Format: website/lesson plan

Provided by: The Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities

King Tut's treasures

In this Xpeditions lesson that focuses on King Tut, students explore what artifacts can tell us about culture. This lesson introduces research skills, uses scaffolding, and provides opportunities for integrating technology. Students will: ... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 2 Social Studies)

Provided by: Xpeditions

What can we learn from artifacts?

In this lesson on archaeology, students will learn about artifacts—what they are, how they are initially buried and then excavated. The purpose of this lesson is to determine what artifacts are, how they are discovered, and what information can be... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Information Skills)

Provided by: Science Netlinks