An archaeology unit can make scientific research inviting and fun

Are your students fearful of scientific information and data? Then take advantage of the recent craze over popular TV series such as CSI: Crime Scene Investigation and Crossing Jordan. I did so last semester by devising a unit to increase my sixth-grade students' knowledge of specialized words and to ensure that they'd be comfortable researching unfamiliar text.

Since archaeology is a branch of science that interests so many kids, I based my 10-week lesson on the subject. First, I prominently displayed archaeology books in the library, including Ancient Times (Franklin Watts, 2000) by Guy Austrian and Archaeology for Kids (Chicago Review, 2001) by Richard Panchyk. After explaining the definition of archaeology to them, the students and I searched the Web and several magazines, like Science News and Scientific American, and uncovered that there were more than 20 different archaeology specializations.

My next few introductory lessons were devoted to reading excerpts from several books, including Digging into the Past (Scribner's, 1986) by W. John Hackwell and Mummies, Pyramids and Pharaohs (Little, Brown, 2004) by Gail Gibbons. To assess their comprehension, I gave students a multiple-choice test based on what they had read. Only a few students failed the test, but once I spent extra time with them during my lunch hour, they all passed a newly revised examination. The kids' interest in my lessons was immediate, and their transformation was remarkable. Those who were typically silent started to raise their hands, and those who were hesitant to read were now volunteering to read aloud. Even reluctant readers were sounding out unfamiliar words in certain passages.

For our tech component, I moved the lesson to the computer lab and asked kids to study key archaeological words on several sites, including the U.S. National Park Service Web site (www.nps.gov/maca/learnhome/cur_p_glo.htm). This helped introduce them to unfamiliar words like artifacts, excavations, hypotheses, and hieroglyphics, which soon became familiar as we continued our studies. I provided them with a list of other informative sites that contained reports by archaeologists, such as Places of Peace and Power, about the Parthenon and the Acropolis in Athens (www.sacredsites.com/europe/greece/parthenon.html), and the Easter Island Foundation (www.islandheritage.org). I then divided the class into groups of four, with each person assigned to research a different subject: religion, clothing and jewelry, or food. Another member was in charge of organizing the information as a research paper or in PowerPoint format. One group discovered that Yale professor and New Yorker Hiram Bingham discovered the ancient city of Machu Picchu in Peru. Bingham, who married the granddaughter of the founder of Tiffany & Co., used his newly acquired wealth to finance his scientific expeditions.

For our next few lessons, students were actively engaged in their research projects; using print and online resources was mandatory. I taught them how to recognize legitimate Web sites by always making sure that a reputable organization, university, or individual created the site. I also told them how to avoid plagiarizing. Over our next three gatherings, each group was given a maximum of 15 minutes to present their work. It was wonderful to see their excitement over what they had learned. The kids clearly had a much better understanding of how archaeology adds to our knowledge of world history. Moreover, they learned to take pride in their work, knowing that it was essential to their team's success. Afterward, all groups were evaluated by their classmates, and the members of the group with the highest score each received a copy of The City of Rainbows: A Tale from Ancient Sumer (University of Pennsylvania Museum, 1999) by Karen Foster, a 4,000-year-old folktale with illustrations of Sumerian mosaic art. It's nice to know that I've possibly sparked a lifelong interest in archaeology, and several science and social studies teachers have told me that they'll continue the work I started in the library.