HOW DO YOU KNOW?
Dig It Up!
main ideas
• Anthropologists study
people–where they live,
what they eat, their customs
and social relationships,
and much, much more.
• To learn about prehistoric
people, anthropologists
called archaeologists rely on
preserved evidence such as
human bones, old tools,
buried trash, and even fossilized feces.
background
information
As anthropologists study people
in contemporary as well as past
cultures, they, like detectives, use
many clues to help them.
Archaeologists–anthropologists who
study past civililizations–often
excavate old dwellings or burial sites
where bones of inhabitants are
preserved. Preserved tools, pottery,
and other artifacts are also analyzed
to better understand how people lived.
When it comes to finding out
what
ancient
people
ate,
archaeologists become even more
clever detectives. In excavated trash
heaps, they frequently find evidence
of food. Animal bones, shells, and
plant pollen give more clues about
what people ate. But for more direct
evidence, scientists analyze fossilized
fecal matter. There, seeds and plant
pollen trapped in the dung reveal
some of what was eaten. Fossil feces
aren’t always well preserved, but
when they are, they provide excellent
insights into the diets of prehistoric
people.
PROGR
AM
PROGRAM
SYNOPSIS
There, the kids discover that
archaeologists analyze fossilized feces to
determine what ancient inhabitantsate.
SCENE 1 People-Watchers 1:00
What are archaeologists–and why
are they always looking at people?
Cast members Stephanie and Z give
kids the lowdown on these special
anthropologists, who they are and
what they do.
SCENE 3 Who Were We?
:50
Stephanie and Z know archaeologists
study artifacts to find out about how
people lived, so what will future
excavators think about us? And what will
they make of our artifacts–like a Frisbee?
SCENE 2 Dig It!
10:00
Cast members Todd and Mary
travel to the southwestern U.S. to
assist an archaeologist who’s
excavating an ancient desert site.
vocabulary: anthropologist, archaeologist, fossil, feces, excavate,
culture, prehistoric, diet, artifact
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BEFORE-VIEWING
DEMONSTR
ATION
DEMONSTRA
MATERIALS:
• a collection of items kids
might not find around their
homes–old tools or kitchen
utensils, 78 rpm records, an
8 track tape cartridge, etc.
1. Gather materials by asking friends
to lend you things for a day. If possible, borrow an old-fashioned butter churn, an ice cream maker, a
bootscraper, buttonhook, or some
kind of old toy.
2. Display the items and ask kids to examine, them. If items are not breakable or dangerous, let kids pass them
around.
3. Allow time for students to look at each
item then ask what it is and what it
was used for. If nobody guesses correctly, guide kids through the reasoning process necessary for them to work
it out for themselves.
TUNING IN
Explain to students that it’s not always easy to find out about prehistoric people. After all,
prehistoric means “before written records,” so no one kept a diary of how people lived, what
they did for fun, or what they ate. How do kids think scientists find out things about these
people, such as what kind of dishes they used? (find pieces of pottery) what they wore? (clothing
in graves) what they ate? (animal bones, plant parts) Discuss the fact that scientists rely on all
kinds of preserved evidence of past lives. In this video, the preserved evidence under study is
fossilized fecal matter–not a common experience for your students. As kids view the video,
help them understand that the study of human excrement is serious, scientific investigation.
AFTER-VIEWING
DIS
CUS
SION
DISCUS
CUSSION
Discuss the term feces so that
students understand that archaeologists
study fossilized pieces of human
excrement. Ask what other clues
archaeologists might use to find out what
people ate. For example, how would kids
know if a family member had a snack late
last night? (dirty dishes; half-full
containers; cans, bottles, or boxes in the
garbage; crumbs; etc.)
Explain that archaeologists purposely
dig up buried trash to look for dietary
clues. Animal bones, shells, and even
leftover seeds found in the trash can be
useful in determining what went into a
prehistoric diet.
Tools Then
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Artifacts
Now
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P URPOSE
MATERIALS:
(per 6 students)
For kids to determine from
trash the makeup of the
family unit that might
have left it.
• large plastic bag filled with assorted clean food containers
for people and pets (milk/juice cartons, cereal boxes, pet food
baby food jars, vegetable cans, etc.); old newspapers and magazines, bread wrappers, gum wrappers, several clean bottles/
jars with labels removed but with distinctive odor (pickle or
olive jar, bottle of garlic powder, bottle of cinnamon, spaghetti
sauce jar, etc.)
WHA
WHATT TO DO
DO::
1. Ask friends to each save a bag of 10-15 items of “clean trash”
representative of what their families–or they as single people–
use during a week or two. Ask them to be sure that cans have
no sharp edges and that containers are washed and rinsed–
distinctive-odor containers should be “lightly” washed. (Remember which friend gives you which bag so you can check
how close kids come to describing each family unit.) When
you have enough trash-filled bags, bring them to school.
2. Divide kids into groups of 6, distribute the activity sheet,
“Dump Detective,” then give each group a bag of “family”
trash to analyze.
3. Have kids record each item on their activity sheets with a short
description, such as milk carton, sell date; magazine, dated;
baby food jar. Have kids describe any unidentifiable item the
best they can.
4. Explain that, based on their bag’s contents, each group will
draw conclusions about what the people ate; how many were
in the family unit (jumbo, economy-size items; single servings); how fast items were eaten (expiration dates on products); when items were eaten (dates on newspapers and magazines); and whether they have a pet.
5. Have each group member write his/her own hypothesis about
the family unit. Each assumption must be defended by evidence from the family’s trash.
Share findings. Did every member of a group describe the
same kind of family? Can each member defend her/his choice?
Discuss with kids the makeup of the real families that generated the trash samples. How well did kids describe the real
families?
CURRICULUM
CONNECTIONS
SOCIAL
STUDIES
Modern trash disposal usually involves some type of landfill. While much
of our garbage is biodegradable–breaks down over time–some materials, such as
plastic, glass, and metal, last for thousands of years. Ask kids to research how
your local sanitation department disposes of trash or, if possible, invite a speaker
from the department to address your kids and answer any questions they may
have.
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Date:
Name:
3-2-1 CLASSROOM CONTACT TM
© 1993 Children’s Television Workshop
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