Setting up a dig

Topics Year 4/5
This unit is part of Stone Age to Iron Age Britain Introduction to Stone Age to Iron Age

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Objectives

History

Establish clear narratives within and across the periods they study and understand how some of our knowledge of the past is constructed from archaeological excavation.

English

Plan and draft a factual report thinking about the audience and purpose of the writing and using appropriate vocabulary.

Lesson Planning

Children plan, set up, and investigate their own archaeological digs!

Teaching Outcomes:

To set up an archaeological excavation based on a narrative they have written themselves.
To write a report based on the excavations of the other class.

Children will:

Carefully dig and record an archaeological excavation.
Demonstrate an understanding that lower layers are older, and higher layers are younger.
Plan and write a report using appropriate language.

Planning

Provided Resources

How to create an archaeological dig resource sheets
How to dig sheet
Archaeological recording sheet
Archaeological reporting frame

Unit Resources

You Will Need

One or two sand pits, or pallets lined with tarpaulins
10kg bag of clay (not air drying)
Bag of clean sand or gravel (can be sourced from garden centres)
Bag of compost
Bits of wood to make fences, stones or small bricks to make walls
Green material to lay on top as grass

Weblinks

Archaeologist resource pack for schools from nts.org.uk