Elementary students are often hampered by a tendency to ascribe innovation to increasing human intelligence or individual agency rather than increased information, better access to information, or collective and institutional agency. As a result, they struggle to build evidence-based interpretations of the distant past. A fifth-grade…

Experiential education, developed more than a century ago, is a guide for instructors interested in helping students capture the meaning of their learning experiences. John Dewey (1963) in Experience and Education emphasized that events are present and operative but that what concerns most people is their meaning. Dewey judged the quality of an…

Describes the discovery and decipherment of the Rosetta Stone. (AV)

Describes a method to help students become participants in historical analysis rather than observers of ancient history. Mesopotamia is used as a case study of a culture for which opportunities exist for conjecture, hypothesis formation, research, extrapolation, problem solving, and statements of causality. (Author/DB)

The potential value of historical archaeology for reconstructing the social history of the United States is outlined and the usefulness and practicality of archaeology as a teaching method is stressed. (JB)

Describes an innovative program involving sixth grade students in all aspects of archaeology, including an archaeological dig. Individual units on weather, geology, the metric system, and map reading are pursued. Specific archaeological techniques such as compiling site and field records, cataloging, and surveying are studied. (RM)

Much of Mesoamerica's rich cultural heritage is slowly eroding because of acid rain. Just as water dissolves an Alka-Seltzer tablet, acid rain erodes the limestone surfaces of Mexican archaeological sites at a rate of about one-half millimeter per century (Bravo et al. 2003). A half-millimeter may not seem like much, but at this pace, a few…

In this unit, elementary students are involved in many activities that introduce them to the basics of anthropology and archaeology. They interpret artifacts and record and interpret archaeological data, learn about environmental indicators and the significance of archaeological findings, and study conservation. The unit's culminating activity is…

Provides suggestions for an activity in which students are taught to observe and think in the manner of the archaeologist. Steps to be taken by the teacher before, during, and after a museum visit are specified. (Author/DB)

Advocates the use of archaeology and anthropology as tools for delivering multicultural education in the elementary setting. Argues that archaeology demonstrates to children the ways that various cultures have solved problems related to a common set of human needs. Discusses curriculum design and includes two lesson plans. (DSK)

Argues that archaeology education should be included within the social studies curriculum and addresses various reasons why archaeology has been ignored within the classroom. Presents the findings from a survey that investigated preservice and experienced teachers' knowledge of archaeology. Concludes that there is a need for teacher preparation on…

Describes the experiences of a sixth grade history class in learning about archaeology by planning and executing a small local dig. Offers advice on class preparation, excavation procedures, follow-up work, and the display of artifacts. Includes eight photographs of classroom and field work activities. (AEM)

Considers the reasons for utilizing artifacts when teaching social studies to children. Describes seven artifact kits: (1) an object box; (2) resource kit; (3) primary source enhancement kit; (4) symbol kits; (5) economic process kit; (6) packs; and (7) a kit for an archaeology dig. Provides an appendix for sources of artifacts. (CMK)

Explores the similarities and differences between the disciplines of history and archaeology. Examines the standards and principles recently proposed for teaching history and archaeology to determine the areas of difference and commonality. Addresses the issues of historical and archaeological thinking describing each in detail. (CMK)

In this article, the author describes "Dr. Gesundheit and the Mysteries of Snake Valley," a mini-unit that he designed so that his middle-level students could learn to interpret archaeological diagrams, work cooperatively to discover relationships among their observations, and draw well-founded conclusions. The unit requires approximately four…