Lesson Plans
Below is a collection of lesson plans about cultural heritage and archaeology.
Organization: CTAP Online
Description: Students describe the social, political, cultural and economic life and interactions among people of California from the pre-Columbian societies to the Spanish mission and Mexican rancho periods.
Age group or class level: Grade 4
Organization: Crayola
Description: A series of guides for teachers to use to create native American pottery replicas which helps students learn about the intricate designs and important symbols of native Americans.
Age group or class level: Grades 6-8
Organization: Dig Magazine
Description: List of links to lesson plans for teachers to use in the classroom; available for the past 12 years. Topics are archaeology based and range from Angkor Wat to Dogs to Hieroglyphs.
Age group or class level: Teachers/Grades 5-9.
Organization: Education World
Description: This lesson helps students understand what archaeologists find, why they search for artifacts, and how they reconstruct them. The lesson as written ties to a state history curriculum, but can easily be adapted to fit into curriculum relating to ancient cultures, and local history.
Age group or class level: Grades K-12
Organization: The Field Museum
Description: Follow the epic tale of the peoples in the Americas. This guide also includes an introductory section on Learning and Teaching about Indigenous Cultures.
Age group or class level: Grades 6-8
The Ancient Americans (PDF)
Organization: Houston Museum of Natural Sciences
Description: A lesson plan about the National Geographic film “Jerusalem,” with facts, information and activities related to the film. Teachers can use this lesson plan in order to teach their students about Jerusalem in general.
Age group or class level: All Grades/Class Levels
Organization: Memorial Hall Museum Online
Description: This lesson plan is used in conjunction with visiting Memorial Hall. Three activities teach students about the nature of Native Americans in the Deerfield area.
Age group or class level: Grades 3-8
Organization: Memorial Hall Museum Online
Description: For middle school classes, "Research and Investigation Project (RIP): A Grave Undertaking" unit is an exploration of the lives of individuals who lived in Deerfield from 1780-1880. Throughout their investigations of the past, students analyze a variety of primary and secondary sources and material culture to draw inferences about their research subjects, Deerfield's history, and the history of the country during this 100-year period.
Age group or class level: 8th Grade
Organization: Mississippi Valley Archaeological Center
Description: A varied sourced website with many activities, lesson plans and other resources related to archaeology for teachers to use.
Age group or class level: Grades 3-12
Organization: National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Description: This teaching packet explores new perspectives on early Chinese culture and art that have resulted from dramatic new archaeological discoveries.
Age group or class level: All grades/class levels