K-12 teachers with hands-on archaeological experience in fieldwork, lab, and classroom settings developed these lesson plans. Each plan is designed for a specific age group but can be adapted for other grades.
Elementary School Lessons
Archaeology Instructional Seminar
Created by Rebecca Otte
This lesson outlines options for instructional seminars, which are interest-based units conducted during students’ recess time. These instructional seminars focus on archaeology basics and include activities, games, and read-alongs.
Stratigraphy
Created by Katie Cole
This lesson includes two days of discussion about archaeology basics, and a lab activity focused on teaching stratigraphy.
Middle School Lessons
Introduction to Archaeology Research
Created by Angela Shamp
This lesson includes instructional activities and worksheets focused on archaeology basics, stratigraphy, and artifact identification. Plans also include mini-projects for students to complete.
The House on Mango Street
Created by Danielle Green
This lesson includes activities and a worksheet focused on the importance of artifacts. The lesson specifically used an excerpt from The House on Mango Street to help students understand how items in a home (artifacts) represent meaning to the people who live there.
middle school lessons 2
Reverse Dig
Created by Mary Jones
This lesson incorporates mathematics standards with an archaeological dig simulation to explore historical concepts. Students will learn about archaeological mapping and coordinate planes.
Before Contact: Geography, Culture, & Native Life
Created by Zachary Williams
This lesson includes primary sources, archaeological data, and worksheets to help students learn about how Native populations lived in North America prior to European arrival.
middle school 3
Archaeology Basics
Created by Alex Bohaska
This lesson includes five days of activities and worksheets focused on archaeology basics, tools for archaeology, stratigraphy, context, artifact categorization, and preservation/conservation.
High School Lessons
Introduction to Methods: How to Do History
Created by Adam Brahosky
This lesson includes activities and writing prompts designed to allow students to recognize the importance of studying archaeological evidence in order to form a more accurate depiction of early societies on their own terms instead of based on a culturally biased narrative.
Native American Societies & European Settlement
Created by Rebecca Crow
This lesson includes a writing prompt and primary and secondary sources for students to review that focuses on comparing interactions between Native American societies and European settlers between 1450-1900.
high school 2
Indigenous Peoples & Legislative History
Created by Victoria Turnell
This lesson includes three days of worksheets and primary documents for students to review to learn more about how legislation has shaped indigenous peoples’ sovereignty and identity.
Jamestown
Created by Chris Gooding
This lesson includes primary and secondary sources focused on the Starving Time in early Jamestown, as well as a document-based questions (DBQ) prompt.