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Maryland Historical Trust

Archaeology Lesson Plans (K-12)

By popular demand, the Maryland Historical Trust offers a collection of free archaeology lesson plans for K-12 educators! These ready-to-use units cover everything from archaeology basics and stratigraphy to artifact identification and Indigenous cultural histories. 

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

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.

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.

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, and Native Life along the Patuxent

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.

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.

Tribal Sovereignty

Created by Brian Yates

This lesson includes a worksheet and writing prompts to help students analyze the role of native sovereignty in contemporary law.

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.

Indigenous Peoples and 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.

Native American Societies and 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.