Archaeology

Content Objectives

Students will:

• Learn about the concept of archaeology.
• Access prior knowledge and build background about past civilizations and how they are studied.
• Explore and apply the concept of what archaeologists study, the tools they use to conduct these studies, and the differences between past and present civilizations.

Language Objectives

Students will:

• Demonstrate an understanding of archaeology.
• Orally use words that name the tools archaeologists use and the objects they study.
• Extend oral vocabulary by speaking about the characteristics of past civilizations.
• Use key concept words [archaeology, civilization, culture, society, labratory, field study, excavation, artifact, relic, abandoned, ancient, fossil, ruins].

Other

Explain

• Use the slideshow to review the key concept words.
• Explain that students are going to learn about archaeology:
• What do archeologists study?
• What are some tools archeologists use?
• What are some differences between past and present civilizations?
• What does archaeology help us learn about?

Model

• After the host introduces the slideshow, point to the photo on screen. Ask students: What is an archaeologist? (a type of scientists who studies civilizations from the past)
• Ask students: What are the sites of these past civilizations? (all over the world)
• Say: Archaeology helps us to learn about the past. What are some tools that archeologists use? (pick ax, microscope, compass, etc.)

Guided Practice

• Guide students through the next three slides showing them places that people live and things that they use from the past and the present. Always have the students discuss whether or not an archaeologist would be interested in studying these things.

Apply

• Play the games that follow. Have them discuss with their partner the different topics that appear during the Talk About It feature.
• After the first game, ask students to discuss interesting facts they know about past civilizations. After the second game, have them discuss whether they know what past civilization they are descended from.

Close

• Ask students: Which past civilization would you be interested in studying? Why?
• Summarize for students that archaeology helps us to uncover the past. Encourage them to write a story about exploring the civilization that they would be interested in studying.