What is Archaeology? (LS-EU-115)
The lesson is planned for pupils in the primary cycle (8-9 years old) and aims to present basic ideas about history development, timeline, archaeology and museums. Its objectives include the presentation of historical evidence, as well as understanding the differences between the material culture and written environmental data.
The main focus is on creating a personal perception of human history by understanding an individual experience as a part of the development of mankind. It is essential for the students to understand why history is so essential and why preserving the historical evidence can help people not only to know their past but also to better their everyday performance.
Visual searching and teamwork
The lesson is based on collaborative learning by proposing different group tasks and promotes visual search & learning. Using the resources given to us by the Europeana Collections, the pupils learn new ways of connecting with the European culture.
Sörmlands museum –
CC BY 4.0
Some of the tasks include investigation, others develop practical skills (e.g.: discovering hidden objects in shoeboxes full of sand). Every one of the students has the opportunity to express him/herself by presenting family photos and through this activity to develop communication skills. By asking questions, pupils can evaluate the historical importance of their family past. They can also appraise the historical significance of the Archeology and deliver a historical presentation orally about different kinds of occupation in the past.
This provides them with the opportunity to make the first attempt to formulate important historical questions.
Archaeology: the study of human activity in the past
Students realise that Archaeology is the study of human activity in the past, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data left behind. Also, they can experience archaeological procedures by the play with the sandboxes. This activity will engage all the pupils as game learning is the most amusing part of the lesson.
During this lesson, the pupils enjoyed making their in-class museum. After they completed the task of finding the hidden objects in the sandboxes, they carefully cleaned off the found objects with brushes, analysed them, described them.
The lesson was not only instructional but also entertaining as none of the kids has ever done this kind of work before.
Creating a mini-museum in the class develops a sense of shared responsibility and stimulate the group spirit. In such a way, the lesson fulfils many different tasks – academic, social and practical.
Students practicing
Archaeology search methods,
using a sandboxes.
Objects founds by students in the sandboxes
Pictures form Ms Yaneva’s class. CC BY
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CC BY 4.0 – The featured image used to illustrate this article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution. It can be found on the Lietuvos integrali MuziejŲ Informacinè sistema. The original image has been resized and labelled to illustrate this article.