NEH SUMMER INSTITUTE FOR TEACHERS 2009

Daily Life in Ancient Times: Archeology of Israel and Jordan

 

Lesson created by: Justin Keen, Helen Tyson Middle School, Springdale, Arkansas.


HOW DO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES TELL US ABOUT THE PAST?

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Subject:  social studies, 7th grade

Skills: critical thinking, reading, writing, & communication

Strategies: collaboration,

Duration:  45 minute class period

Class size: 7 groups of 4

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Objective:

     As an introduction to how archaeologist use artifacts to learn about the past, students will analyze images in order to:

  1. Demonstrate application of archaeological process by organizing artifacts and features by age in order to create a comparative collection.
  2. Demonstrate evaluation of the archaeological process by determining how artifacts and features can help tell us about the past.

 

Materials:

              Image packet 1, Image packet 2, & “How do artifacts/features tell us about the past?” discussion questions for each group

 

Vocabulary:

Archaeology: a method for studying past human cultures and analyzing material evidence (artifacts, features, & sites)

            Artifact:  an object created, produced, or changed by humans and then left behind

            Bias: presenting information in an unfair or partial way

Comparative collection: collections of identified artifacts or features used for comparison with archaeologically recovered remains.

            Feature: a non movable/non portable element of an archaeological site.

            Publish: to put into print

Primary resource: anything written, created, or remaining from the time under study that is original and provides firsthand information.

            Site:  any location that demonstrates past human activity

 

Background:

              Even people who are familiar with the archaeological process may have trouble seeing how archaeologists can recreate the past or speculate on human behavior using only fragments of artifacts or features. This lesson is designed to simultaneously introduce the archeological process while demonstrating the role comparative collections and artifact/feature fragments play in the understanding of human past.

             

 

 

Setting the Stage:

              Pretend that we are archaeologists from the 22nd century returning to a N. America city after the people who lived there have abandoned the site. We are able to find artifacts and features but they are from different periods of time. We now have to use our knowledge of the past to put these items in the right sequence.

 

Procedure:

  1. Share background information & vocabulary.

 

Activity 1

  1. Handout Image packet 1. (there will be three different image sets so all the groups will not have the same pictures, this will be important for activity 2)
  2. Working in groups of 4, students will work collaboratively to analyze the images and put them in order of age from oldest to newest.
  3. Handout the “How do artifacts/features tell us about the past?” discussion questions for each group and have the students work to answer the questions for part 1.
  4. When students are done have them “publish” their findings by taping the pictures on a larger piece of paper.  All the groups should put their “published” findings in a central location. These will act as the comparative collections for the next activity.

 

Activity 2

  1. Handout Image packet 2 to each group. This packet contains image fragments from one of the packets from activity 1. (Be careful to make sure each group has different images in each step.)
  2. Students will work collaboratively to analyze the image fragments in packet 2. They will work together to recreate the same sequencing from step 3 using the appropriate “published” comparative collection as a reference.
  3. Have students complete discussions questions for part 2.

 

Closure:

              As you analyze the images and image fragments what challenges do you see that archaeologist face? How important is it that archaeologist correctly record their data? How important is it that archaeologist’s work together in order to correctly recreate and understand the past?

 

Evaluation:

              The groups will turn in their completed question sheets for evaluation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Name: _____________________________________________________________________________



HOW DO ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES TELL US ABOUT THE PAST?

 

Activity 1

  1. Are the images of an artifact or a feature? Explain your reasoning.

 

  1. Does the material the artifact/feature is made out of appear to change with time? Explain your reasoning.

 

 

 

  1. Did the use of the artifact/feature appear to change with time? Explain your reasoning.

 

 

 

  1. What does the artifact/feature appear to tell you about the people of the time period? Explain your reasoning.

 

 

Activity 2

  1. Was it more difficult to sequence the artifacts/features using only fragments? Explain your reasoning.

 

 

  1. Could the fragment have belonged to any other artifact/feature? Explain your reasoning.

 

 

  1. How important was it that you had a comparative collection in order to meet your goal? Explain your reasoning.

 

 

 

  1. How important is it that archaeologist publish their findings truthfully and free from bias. Explain your reasoning.

 

 

  1. How is it possible for artifact/feature fragments tell us about the people of the time period? Explain your reasoning.