Lesson Plans
Below is a collection of lesson plans about cultural heritage and archaeology.
Organization: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Description: In class lesson and activity on stratigraphy, the law of superposition, and seriation
Age group or class level: Grades 4-7
Organization: Tamástslikt Cultural Institute
Description: The answers sheet and teachers guide to the “4th Grade Study Guide to Tamástslikt Cultural Institute.”
Age group or class level: Teachers
Organization: Tamástslikt Cultural Institute
Description: An educational guide to lead students in the 4th grade through the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute with questions to keep students engaged.
Age group or class level: 4th Grade Students
4th Grade Study Guide to Tamástslikt Cultural Institute (PDF)
Organization: University of North Carolina
Description: In their study of archaeological issues students will use ethical dilemmas to examine their own values and beliefs about archaeological site protection and evaluate possible actions they might take regarding site and artifact protection.
Age group or class level: Middle School/High School students
Artifact Ethics (PDF)
Archaeological Resource Protection Act of North Carolina (PDF)
Dilemma Cards (PDF)
Organization: University of North Carolina
Description: Intrigue of the Past: North Carolina's First Peoples (Chapter 1) results from a marriage of the Bureau of Land Management's Project Archaeology and the University of North Carolina's Research Laboratories of Archaeology's commitment to provide a program designed to share with and teach North Carolina students about our state's rich and fascinating past. Equally important, the program emphasizes that the archaeological evidence of that past is fragile and threatened, and we all have a responsibility to see to its wise use.
Age group or class level: Grades 4-8
Why is the Past Important? (PDF)
Culture Everywhere (PDF)
Observation and Inference (PDF)
Archaeological Context (PDF)
Chronology: The Time of My Life (PDF)
Classification and Attributes (PDF)
Scientific Inquiry (PDF)
Organization: University of North Carolina
Description: Intrigue of the Past: North Carolina's First Peoples (Chapter 2) results from a marriage of the Bureau of Land Management's Project Archaeology and the University of North Carolina's Research Laboratories of Archaeology's commitment to provide a program designed to share with and teach North Carolina students about our state's rich and fascinating past. Equally important, the program emphasizes that the archaeological evidence of that past is fragile and threatened, and we all have a responsibility to see to its wise use.
Age group or class level: Grades 4-8
Gridding A Site (PDF)
Stratigraphy and Cross-Dating (PDF)
Measuring Pots (PDF)
Experimental Archaeology: Making Cordage (PDF)
Looking At An Object (PDF)
Archaeological Soils (PDF)
Inference By Analogy (PDF)
Organization: University of North Carolina
Description: Intrigue of the Past: North Carolina's First Peoples (Chapter 3) results from a marriage of the Bureau of Land Management's Project Archaeology and the University of North Carolina's Research Laboratories of Archaeology's commitment to provide a program designed to share with and teach North Carolina students about our state's rich and fascinating past. Equally important, the program emphasizes that the archaeological evidence of that past is fragile and threatened, and we all have a responsibility to see to its wise use.
Age group or class level: Grades 4-8
The Pathfinders (PDF)
The Forest People (PDF)
The Pottery Makers (PDF)
The Village Farmers (PDF)
Organization: University of North Carolina
Description: Intrigue of the Past: North Carolina's First Peoples (Chapter 4) results from a marriage of the Bureau of Land Management's Project Archaeology and the University of North Carolina's Research Laboratories of Archaeology's commitment to provide a program designed to share with and teach North Carolina students about our state's rich and fascinating past. Equally important, the program emphasizes that the archaeological evidence of that past is fragile and threatened, and we all have a responsibility to see to its wise use.
Age group or class level: Grades 4-8
Shadows of North Carolina’s Past (PDF)
Shifting Coastlines (PDF)
Name That Point (PDF)
Pottery Traditions (PDF)
A Siouan Village (PDF)
Language Families (PDF)
Organization: University of North Carolina
Description: Intrigue of the Past: North Carolina's First Peoples (Chapter 5) results from a marriage of the Bureau of Land Management's Project Archaeology and the University of North Carolina's Research Laboratories of Archaeology's commitment to provide a program designed to share with and teach North Carolina students about our state's rich and fascinating past. Equally important, the program emphasizes that the archaeological evidence of that past is fragile and threatened, and we all have a responsibility to see to its wise use.
Age group or class level: Grades 4-8
Archaeology As A Career (PDF)
Rock Art (PDF)
Creating Your Own Rock Art (PDF)
Site Robbers (PDF)
Organization: Utah State University College of Education
Description: A series of activities for students in grades 3-4 to learn about Utah Archaeology.
Age group or class level: Grades 3-4