Hands-On Archaeology: Real-Life Activities for Kids [Paperback]

John White Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2005

Written by renowned archaeologist John White, Ph.D., this book shows any teacher or parent how to help kids become young archaeologists. Imagine the thrill students will experience as they discover artifacts from the past. There isn't a single student who won't love the activities in this book!

From creating simulated archaeology digs in the classroom to digs in the community, this book is a how-to for teaching archaeology. Of equal importance is that while learning the discipline of archaeology, students will be acquiring skills in math, biology, geology, art, geography, history, and language skills, as well as motor, social, and conceptual skills.

Hands-On Archaeology shows teachers everything they will need to help students conduct real-life archaeological digs. Packed with activities, this book first offers small-scale activities that can easily be conducted in the classroom using everyday materials. Then, the author takes kids out if the school to an empty lot in the community. Students will not just learn about archaeology—they will be archaeologists!

Grades 4–10

Editorial Reviews

Review

Here is another example of the type of educational book that should be used with gifted students in grades four through middle school. White is an experienced archaeologist and anthropologist. His book teaches the fundamentals of archaeology by having students excavate empty lots of recently demolished buildings. They must engage in the following activities: making careful observations of a site, building a resource library, developing a working hypothesis, pre-excavation research, making an excavation, taking care of artifacts, and writing a research report. The author strives to accomplish a goal of education emphasized by Jerome Bruner (Toward a Theory of Instruction, 1966) — educating students to think and approach problems like a scientist. --Gifted Education News

Product Details

• Paperback: 194 pages
• Publisher: Prufrock Press (September 1, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1593631626
• ISBN-13: 978-1593631628
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.5 x 0.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #259,654 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for the classroom teacher, April 10, 2007

By 

Cookie's mom (Lawrenceville, GA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hands-On Archaeology: Real-Life Activities for Kids (Paperback)

When I read the description of this book on Amazon I assumed it would be full of stand-alone "rainy-day"-type kids' activities. I was wrong. The book actually contains a complete archaeology curriculum made up of 43 activites (lessons) which can be modified to fit students in grades 4-10. It is designed for teachers who (like me) know little or nothing about archaeology. Each activity is described in detail with objectives, material lists, vocabulary lists, etc. The later activities build on the earlier ones. There are also several worksheets included, but these are not time-killers or games; they are used to document and build on the hands-on portion of each lesson. This is a great book, designed for real learning, and I would highly recommend it for classroom teachers and for groups of home schoolers. However, it does not exactly fit my needs. The group I am working with will have only a limited amount of instructional time, so we will not be able to complete more than four or five lessons and none of these activities stand alone. But I am so impressed by the quality of the material in this book that I am going to try to adapt it and at least give my students a good introduction to the subject. And, although it will take me some time to finish reading the book, I know I will also learn a lot in the process.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great resource for teachers, April 7, 2009

By 

Tom "Culture Teacher" (Cedar Rapids, Iowa) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Hands-On Archaeology: Real-Life Activities for Kids (Paperback)

Working at a museum where we've installed an exhibit with archaeological artifacts, I wanted something I could recommend to teachers to use as supplemental activities in the classroom. This is the only book I've found that's a)appropriate for elementary students, b)not dumbed-down, and c)science-based rather than just treasure-hunting. And though a few of the activities are a bit repetitive or redundant, I highly recommend this book!

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome purchase!, July 18, 2011

By 

Mitchinma - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hands-On Archaeology: Real-Life Activities for Kids (Paperback)

I am doing a summer school program for Middle High School students where we are going on an Archaeological "dig" on the grounds of the school. This book will be a definite" asset to me. The book arrived quickly and, although not new, was in excellent shape! I highly recommend this seller!