How do we learn about people who lived long before us? In this lesson, students explored the important role archaeology plays in helping us understand the past. After learning about archaeologists and the study of human history, students took on the role of archaeologists themselves through a hands-on “Cookie Excavation” activity. Using toothpicks as their excavation tools, students carefully mapped and excavated chocolate chips from cookies, treating each “artifact” as evidence from an archaeological site. Through this activity, students discovered that archaeological excavation requires careful observation, precise documentation, and scientific methods.The experience helped students begin thinking like historians and archaeologists as they considered how evidence from the past helps us understand the people, cultures, and societies that came before us.
