Customer Reviews

Hands-On Archaeology: Real-Life Activities for Kids

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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!

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!