The Department of Anthropology’s Archaeology Lab has hosted many activities, field trips, and adventures in archaeology for elementary school kids. Students from kindergarten through high school have access to the teaching collections in the lab which include prehistoric projectile points, grinding stones, and historic cans and bottles. Some kids have attempted to create stone tools, while others have used stones to grind corn into flour.
“Bone puzzles,” as the kids call them, are diagrams of animal skeletons drawn on large sheet of plastic to scale. Elements of actual skeletal specimens are then placed on the appropriate outline, coyote (dog) and deer. Second graders have enjoyed this exercise and were able to match elements with outlines. Other activities include “culture bags” which contain artifacts to “analyze” and exercises in stratigraphy. Sometimes children simply explore their own backpacks to learn what material objects can tell about someone.
Please note, these visits and activities require months advance notice because of busy schedules and the recruitment of student help.