Archaeologists Make Educated Guesses That Might be Wrong! Grade 3 Francie Kugelman Dahlia Heights Elementary School GRADE LEVEL: Third Grade (but can be used for 4th – 10th) TOPIC/SUBJECT: How do archaeologists determine the function of artifacts? The focus of this lesson is for the students to realize that sometimes archaeologists have to make an educated guess when examining artifacts to determine the function of the artifacts. This lesson is building background knowledge on archaeology and artifacts, and should be done BEFORE the actual artifact excavation, and before the initial museum exhibition of artifacts curated by the students. EXPECTED LEARNING OUTCOMES: Common Core English Language Arts Writing Standards: W.3.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly. a. Introduce a topic and group related information together; include illustrations when useful to aiding comprehension. b. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, and details. c. Use linking words and phrases (e.g., also, another, and, more, but) to connect ideas within categories of information). d. Provide a concluding statement or section. Common Core Speaking and Listening Standards: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas SL3.4 Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace. a. Plan and deliver an informative or explanatory presentation on a topic that: organizes ideas around major points of information, follows a logical sequence, includes supporting details, uses clear and specific vocabulary, and provides a strong conclusion. MATERIALS/EQUIPMENT: • Document Camera • Projector • Motel of the Mysteries by David Macauley, Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1979. ISBN 0395284252 OVERALL CONTENT OBJECTIVES: Students will realize that sometimes archaeologists might be incorrect in their interpretation of what the function of artifacts might be. MOTIVATION/RATIONALE: The illustrations in the book, Motel of the Mysteries, are very entertaining and funny. This is a light-­‐hearted way to introduce what archaeologists do, what artifacts are, and the misinterpretation that can occur regarding the function of an artifact. Directed Lesson with Guided Group Practice: Discuss how interpretations of artifacts can differ according to different people. Ask if students have ever seen an object that they thought had one function, only to discover that they were wrong? Ask if students ever come into contact with an object and had no idea of what it was used for? Use the document camera and projector to show illustrations of excerpts from the book, Motel of the Mysteries to illustrate the difference between interpretation and misinterpretation of artifacts. The main idea of Motel of the Mysteries is that an archaeologist from our future 2,000 years from now comes across a motel from a long ago civilization (ours). The archaeologist believes that the two skeletons in the motel room are the King and Queen enthroned in their holy chamber. The archaeologist and his assistant make many funny misinterpretations of the function of the artifacts they discover in the motel. Discuss how the author, David Macaulay, purposefully and humorously drew erroneous conclusions about 20th century artifacts. Have students select their favorite misinterpretations of the artifacts in the book and write about why they like that misinterpretation. Have students reflect on how an archaeologist can make a misinterpretation when determining an artifact’s function. EXTENSION HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT: Continuing our study of artifacts and objects, select a common object in your home. Following David Macaulay's pattern in the book, Motel of the Mysteries, illustrate your object and write a funny, and totally incorrect paragraph about how archaeologists 2,000 years from now might misinterpret the purpose and use of this object. EXTENSION CLASSROOM SPEAKING ASSIGNMENT: Bring your object to school, or a picture of your object and give a presentation in front of the class. You can read what you wrote, or just speak on your own about your interpretation of this common object. Here is a sample response from a third grade student who chose a blanket as her object: “This is called the Magical Blanket. You would put your body under the blanket and it will take you to another place. The place that you were dreaming about. It was used for making dreams come true. But also you don’t have to go to a land. You can go anywhere you want to go. Like, for an example you would lay under the blanket and wish to go to Candy Land. Your dream will come true. But when it is morning you will return back to your bed. This is how the Magical Blanket works.” This lesson is by Francie Kugelman, a third grade teacher at Dahlia Heights Elementary School in Los Angeles. Parts of this lesson were adapted from a lesson plan by Lisa Westall, a 7th grade Language Arts teacher, in Westerville, Ohio http://www.clevelandart.org/sites/default/files/documents/lesson-­‐plans/cma_lesson_ao_mysteryobjects.pdf Also adapted from an 2002 article published by the Arizona Historical Society http://www.archaeologysouthwest.org/pdf/rntg-­‐3.pdf ACTIVITY 1: Chocolate Chip/M&M Cookie Excavation GRADE LEVEL: Third Grade (but can be used for 4th – 6th) TOPIC/SUBJECT: Archaeological Dig using a Cookie with large chips The focus of this lesson is for the students to practice slow and careful excavation skills, and using a grid to record their chocolate excavation findings. This lesson is building background knowledge on excavation, and should be done BEFORE the actual artifact excavation. MATERIALS/EQUIPMENT: • Chocolate Chip cookie dough • Mega size chocolate M&M’s • Hershey’s chocolate drops • Cookie Excavation Grid • Toothpicks OVERALL CONTENT OBJECTIVES: Each student will be given a baked chocolate chip filled cookie and told to use the toothpick to carefully excavate the chips. MOTIVATION/RATIONALE: The students are motivated because they are being archaeologists, and are practicing their excavation skills on the cookies. They are to record on the excavation sheet where they found the various chips. Once the excavation is completed, students are allowed to eat their cookies! INFORMAL ASSESSMENT: Teacher walks around the class and discusses how to read the grid and draw the circles on the grid to represent the chips that were excavated from the cookie. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ACADEMIC VOCABULARY: Artifact, excavation, dig, circumference, points, ordered pairs, extract, archaeological dig. This lesson is by Francie Kugelman, a third grade teacher at Dahlia Heights Elementary School in Los Angeles. This lesson was adapted from Florida Museum of Natural History, Fossil Cookie Excavations submitted by Cassandra Rae Harper. http://owenshistory.info/Documents/03_Pre-­‐History/Cookie_Dig.pdf Cookie Excavation Grid Cookie Excavation Site Grid Map of Excavation Site A B C D E F G H I J A B C D E F G H I J 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1. Place your cookie in the middle of the Cookie Excavation Site grid (left side). Do not move your cookie from this spot. 2. Find the following coordinate pairs on your cookie: Top: Bottom: Left side: Right side: 3. Transfer these coordinate pairs to the Grid Map and sketch the perimeter of your cookie. 4. Plot chips as you excavate them on your Grid Map. 5. What problems did you encounter trying to excavate your chips? 6. Did you have to sacrifice any chips in order to keep one whole? TEAM ID TAGS: indy Bed
kitty Bed
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