I am writing a curriculum for our brand new archaeology dig on our outdoor lab and was in search of interesting and educational lesson plan ideas. Any suggestions?

Dr. dig responds:
dig does include excellent archaeology projects. Some examples are: make rhubarb papyrus, conserve your own pot, create your own time capsule, and make a Maya ball court. Back issues of dig include important articles about "What is Archaeology?" and a great piece about "What is Underwater Archaeology?" dig articles not only make great reading for kids, but they become super exercises in reading comprehension if you pose them a series of relevant questions to answer for each article they read.

For additional resources, I would contact the National Park Service, which may sponsor archaeology sites and projects in your area.

In addition, the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management produces a really excellent set of lesson plans in archaeology called Intrigue of the Past. The lesson plans are well constructed, easy to follow, and not necessarily culturally specific. Each lesson includes objectives, materials, vocabulary, some background information, procedure, and evaluation. Activity sheets are photocopiable. There are 28 lessons in all, including the following: Observation and Inference, Chronology: The Time of My Life, It's in the Garbage, Gridding a Site, Artifact Classification, and Artifact Ethics.

For information on how to acquire your own copy of Intrigue of the Past, contact:

Cultural Heritage Education Program
Bureau of Land Management
Anasazi Heritage Center
P.O. Box 758
Dolores, Colorado 81323
(970)882-4811

www.co.blm.gov/ahc/index.htm