Lesson Plan 2: Using Math in Archaeology by Gloria Larson - 1999 CAP for Teachers Participant

Overview

Students will practice math skills in a classroom simulation of an archaeological excavation. This activity may be worked on throughout the year, or completed over several days as a review unit.

Objectives/Skills

Students will:

• Make accurate measurements using the metric system.
• Find area and perimeter using formulas.
• Make accurate scale drawings.
• Sort and classify objects.
• Record and graph data.

Grade level Grades 5 - 8.


Background

Discuss archaeology with students--what it is, excavation and laboratory methods used, preservation of sites. Show pictures of an archaeological site and, if possible, visit a site with the students. Work with teachers in other subject areas to build enthusiasm for the discipline of archaeology.

Preparation

• Set boundaries for a pretend archaeological site, in an large, open area.
• Draw a 3x3 ft. mural or poster of the floor of one or more unit (profile; the size of the walls will depend on the size of the units you defined outdoors). Include strata changes and one or more features in the profile.
• Have 150ft. measuring tapes, 10ft. measuring tapes, graph paper, rulers, and pencils available

Procedure

• Have students find perimeter and area of the field, or "site," and the units. Discuss orderly arrangement of units and have students determine how many units would fit in the "site." Have students make a scale drawing of the "site."
• Inside, discuss how archaeologists excavate units in layers and screen soil to find artifacts.
• Give each group of students a bag of "artifacts" to classify and identify. If desired, add loose soil to the bags and let students screen out artifacts. If possible, include artifacts related to the culture or time period being studied in history class. When all artifacts for a unit are classified, have students make one or more graphs of the results:


• Pictograph--number of each kind of artifact.
• Line graph--number of each kind of artifact.
• Bar graph--number of each kind of artifact.
• Circle graph--percentage of each kind of artifact
  
  Students may choose one or more artifacts of which to make scale drawings.
  
  
• Have students make a scale drawing of the profile on the mural using the same methods used at an archaeological site. Have students make separate drawings of feature plans.

Additional Activities:

• Convert metric measures into English, or convert from one metric measurement to another (e.g., centimeter to meter; meter to kilometer).
• Have students use the Pythagorean Theorem to outline units. You will need stakes and string (or chalk if on a hard surface).
• Have students find the volume of soil removed from a unit by using the formula: Volume=length x width x height.
• ave students measure and weigh artifacts and create a system for labeling and/or listing them.
• Give students additional information so they can:


• record and graph the number of artifacts found in each unit of the site.
• make a histograph of the results from the above exercise.
• find the mean number of artifacts found per unit, median number per unit, mode of all units.