Archaeology - Process Review

{assignment listed at end} 

In preparation for next week's archaeology mystery party, the kids reviewed their archaeological vocabulary and techniques.  They were reminded that digging is by nature destructive.  Data can be destroyed every time soil is moved or objects are touched.  Archaeologists attempt to minimize this risk through carefully selecting the right tool for the right conditions, and focusing on slow, methodical work.

In class activities:

• Brainstormed activities we have done throughout the elective to include in our party
• Worked on our archaeology notebooks
• Reviewed the steps in the process of archaeology
• Learned some new archaeological vocabulary
• Completed reconstruction of our pots

Optional lesson extension activities:

• Learn more about why GPS coordinates look the way they do.  
• Play online archaeology games to practice your skills for our party.
• Watch an archaeologist demonstrate proper excavation techniques

Assignment:

• Think of one thing that you think that the people of the future would like to know about you.  Find an object that represents this idea and bring it to class to add to your own personal time-capsule. (items will be returned)

Additional notes:

• Please check your pots, you should have gone home with the one you originally created, not the one you reconstructed.  If your name is not written on the bottom, please bring it back to class with you.
• We will hopefully be outside again next week, dress appropriately
• I plan to make a cake to share with the students during our party.  If there are any dietary concerns, please let me know.

Special thanks: Parents, please let your children know how much I appreciate their kindness to one another.  We had no TAs available during our project this week, and all 25 of the kids pitched in to help with hot glue guns, pot re-assembly, and clean-up beautifully.  I am so proud of them!

Archaeology - Pompeii

{Assignment for next week listed at end}

Pompeii was one of the first archaeology sites.  It was first discovered in 1549 while digging for a water channel, after having been buried in ash since 79AD. The site was later pillaged for works of art by the king of Spain.  Excavations have continued growing deeper and more careful over time.  Current archaeological work at Pompeii is focused on layers beneath the time of the catastrophic eruption.

In class activities:

• Learned about excavations at Pompeii
• Discussed changes in the field of archaeology over the past 300 years
• Continued work on our mock dig site using sifters
• Documented discarded artifacts
• Worked to re-assemble pottery sherds
• Discussed the necessity for archaeologists to work together (one piece from each student's pot was placed in a different student's box, along with several pots that were spread throughout the entire class)

Optional lesson extension activities:

• Learn about what is happening at Pompeii today: http://interactive.archaeology.org/pompeii/index.html
• Watch a video showing the current conditions in Pompeii (un-narrated, some reading required)

Assignment:

• We will be outdoors next week.  Please wear appropriate shoes and bring a jacket to class.
• Students will continue restoring their pots next week.  Extra hot-glue guns would be appreciated!
• Take a look at the archaeology field trip details, and let me know if you plan to attend.  

Archaeology Field Trips

Hi friends!  

The archaeology class is planning a field trip to the UNH Open Archaeology Day to view a series of hands-on activities, including stone tool knapping (or flaking), mock excavation, ancient foodway sampling, and atlatl (spear) throwing.  I hope your family will be able to join us!

Friday April 22nd, 2016

1:00 - 4:00

Huddleston Hall Room G16, 73 Main Street, Durham NH. 
e-mail Sheryl if interested in attending
metting location & lunch details to follow

This event is technically only open to college students, so you MUST register.  Please let me know exactly how many members of your family are attending by 4/11.

Additional Events: Did you know that April is Archaeology Month here in NH?  There are many events that are open to the public.  Take a look at the full schedule!

I am going to be attending several events including the dig in Deerfield on 4/14 and the Pompeii presentation on 4/16 with my kids, so if you find one that interests you, pop me an e-mail and we can try to meet up while there!

Archaeology - Rosetta Stone

Before the discovery of the Rosetta Stone, Ancient Egyptian (both hieroglyphic and demotic) writing was a mystery to historians.  The stone was carved in 196 BC, but was torn down and used as a building block for years until its discovery by French soldiers in 1799.  Over the next hundred years, many different people worked to decode the writing on the Rosetta Stone.  Jean-François Champollion is credited with finally discovering the connection between Coptic and the ancient writings, thereby making Egyptian writing understandable to modern scholars.

In class activities:

• Watched portions of Ancient Mysteries of the Rosetta Stone
• Discussed how not all archaeological discoveries are made by archaeologists
• Reviewed the difference between pictographs and phonetic writing
• Learned about the importance of ancient writings to understanding history
• Excavated multiple layers in our dig site
• Compared our discoveries to existing documents to try to decode the meaning of a tablet we discovered
• Documented results

Optional lesson extension activities:

• Finish watching Ancient Mysteries of the Rosetta Stone
• Type up several phrases in a simple hieroglyph translator, and see if you can come up with a complete alphabet (without typing the alphabet letter for letter).  Notice how several sounds are represented by one symbol, and several symbols can be used for a single sound.  How would this impact translation attempts?
• Make a list of all the archaeological tools and systems you have learned.  Try to write an instruction manual for future students.  

Assignment:

• We will be working on artifact restoration next week.  If anyone has a hot glue gun, please bring it with you!  

Archaeology - Terra Cotta Warriors

The first emperor of China, Qin (Chin) Shi Huang Di, wanted to live forever, and take his army with him.  Rather than kill all of his officers upon his death, as previous leaders had done in his area, he decided to build a massive life size army out of clay.  Each soldier was crafted differently, and placed by rank with the appropriate arms and supplies.

This massive army was unknown until a farmer, working near the known grave of Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di, attempted to dig a well, and accidentally discovered the ancient pottery.

In class activities:

• Learned about religion during the warring states period
• Discussed the major advances made by Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di
• Discussed the impact of replacing killing soldiers with building clay soldiers
• Looked at images of terra cotta soldiers and hypothesized about the many missing weapons
• Read portions of an archaeological field manual
• Learned how to properly label both clay and other items
• Worked on our own dig sites, uncovering pottery and intrusive items
• Documented our finds

Optional lesson extension activities:

• Read more from an archaeological field manual 
• Watch a documentary about the Terra Cotta Warriors
• Sculpt your own Terra Cotta Soldier or Horse out of clay 

Archaeology - Mt Lassois Fort & Vix Grave

Mont Lassois is a Celtic hill fort from the late Iron Age in Britain (approx. 520 BC) consisting of several large banks of earth protecting a settlement at the top of the hill.  The discovery of archaeological material in the area of Mont Lassois began in April 1930 by amateur treasure seekers. Progressively systematic work over the following years revealed a variety of both small finds, and large building remnants including post houses, pit dwellings, hearths and storage areas.

The nearby Vix burial mound was excavated in early 1953 by René Jouffroi. He discovered the untouched grave of a woman wearing a crown.  Her tomb contained many valuable items including a chariot and an enormous metal krater (wine urn) which was obviously made in Greece, indicating trade between the two areas.

In class activities:

• Learned about hill forts and discussed the advantages that height provides
• Looked at images of archaeological sites, paying attention to how changes in soil color and compaction can indicate buildings
• Noted the Lady of Vix's crown and discussed the changes in social heirarchy that happened as people settled together
• Discussed how trade impacts the items that archaeologists find
• Learned about Sir Mortimer Wheeler and the Wheeler method of a grid system for systematically digging while preserving a nearby vertical cross-section of undisturbed strata.  We compared this to the way that layers can be seen when the kids dig straight down while playing Minecraft.
• Excavated our indoor dig-site and documented the discovery of gems.

Optional lesson extension activities:

• Learn how archaeologists use geometry as they set up their grid squares: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNdFDzQzqPk
• Try using your archaeological knowledge in Minecraft!  Create a new world in creative mode, and dig a test pit following all the rules you have learned.  Make sure to leave a section so that you can see the strata.  Pull out the archaeologist's favorite tool, a pencil, and draw the layers that you see.  Make a hypothesis about whether the layers will be the same if you dig another pit several blocks away.  Dig the second pit.  What did you discover?

Archaeology - Tutankhamun

British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the Tomb of Tutankhamun in 1922 in the Valley of The Kings, Thebes, Egypt.  The tomb had remained virtually undisturbed for over 3000 years.  The intact setting allowed archaeologists to not only view priceless treasures and significant artifacts, but to examine the mummy in its multiple coffins.  Modern scientific research is still being conducted on this remarkable find today.

In class activities:

• Learned about Howard Carter's profession as an archaeological artist
• Discussed Edwardian society, and how Lord Carnarvon was a necessary funding source for the excavation of King Tut's tomb
• Discussed clustering and how the Valley of the Kings pervious tombs gave archaeologists clues about where to dig for future discoveries
• Conducted a playground sweep.  Searched for topical clues (milk jug "stone blocks" and different colored sand) that would indicate where we would most likely find artifacts.  Excavated and documented our finds.

Optional lesson extension activities:

• Watch how archaeologists do a surface survey to determine where they will dig next:  http://youtu.be/dniEIFYIJ10
• Learn more about test pits:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppM-yiGfFOI

March 1, Art-Younger group: The last two weeks of class we:
-Did some drawing exercises from "Drawing with Children"
-Talked about silence being helpful in the creative process
-Learned how to prepare a watercolor wet on wet paper
-began our books on the days of creation by creating the first four pages
     The watercolor techniques we used: preparing the paper by wetting it and "stretching" it, layering colors to create a desired look, using a clean, dry brush to separate two colors of paint, dry-brushing to make a desired effect.
-Did some more drawing exercises from "Drawing Textbook" McIntyre.

Archaeology - Stonehenge

Archaeology is the study of our past through systematic recovery and study of material items.  These items are often found through a complex process of digging.  In order to stay on top of everything that is going on, and to help ensure that a minimal number of subtle clues are missed, archaeologists take voluminous notes.  When they need to later write a report or examine data, their journal becomes an important tool.  

Stonehenge is the first archaeological site we studied.  It was built in the late Stone Age during the Neolithic period.  Because this site is part of pre-history (before our written records begin) we know very little about why it was built, but the excavation of cremated bones of adult men within the site has led archaeologists to question whether it was a burial site for respected leaders.  

In class activities:

• defined the word archaeology and discussed what the job of an archaeologist is
• learned about the most recent excavations of Stonehenge
• viewed images of Stonehenge & discussed the late stone age/early bronze age
• learned that druids were not the builders of Stonehenge
• set up our own field notes (journals)
• drew our first dig site grid, labeled locations of finds, and cardinal directions
• It was beautiful outside, so we ran around the building playing a cardinal directions game 
• learned about the importance of context & observations in archaeology

Lesson extension activities:

These are great sites, and your child may enjoy checking them weekly for new information.

• ArchNet: index of quality archaeological sites. Check the "new and uncategorized" section for recent additions

• Anthropology in the News: The latest finds, discoveries, and controversies. Updated frequently. Great for getting the real story behind a vague facebook posting.

Stonehenge activities

• Activity Village offers many printable about Stonehenge
• Build your own Stonehenge out of Rice Cereal Treats
• Ask your child to draw their home and, using a compass, indicate which way is north.

Suggestions for older students:

• I will not assign any writing, but I highly recommend that older students write at least one paper during the course of this term.  The sites listed above offer plenty of inspiration and resources for research.
• The following two mysteries offer a humorous way to study the academics of archaeology.  Though not true stories or set in ancient times, they have been recommended to me because of their approachability.  Note: I HAVE NOT pre-read these books, but will be going through the first one with my children during the semester, and will notify you if I find anything inappropriate for young children.   UPDATE: These books contain some inappropriate language and innuendo.  Due to that and the dense vocabulary, I would not assign them to anyone younger than high-school.  However, I found that I was able to quickly edit anything inappropriate during our read-aloud time, so if you are interested in working through the books together these may be a good fit for your family.

• Death by Theory: A Tale of Mystery and Archaeological Theory
• Dug to Death: A Tale of Archaeological Method and Mayhem

Assignment:

• Bring one measuring implement to class, and begin thinking about why this is one of the most important tools in the field.  Archaeologists are famous for their use of metal tape measures, but any ruler do.  The kids will be leaving these in their dig-kits for the next few weeks, so please label it appropriately.  I want to make sure everyone's items make it home.

Parents - This class is much larger than I originally expected.  In order to keep our projects fun and hands-on, I'm going to need some help with clean up.  If you are available for 5-10 minutes after class to either sweep or fold tables & chairs, please let me know.

Update 2/8/16: I was just looking at the March/April copy of British Archaeology (yeah, I know it is only the beginning of February, but magazines hate to look outdated) and they shared information about new finds that contradict what I spoke to your kids about in class.  There were, in fact, several women found among the cremated remains in Stonehenge, which will change how the data about this society is interpreted.  As always, history is constantly being revealed!  

Summaries for Explorers and Trailblazers: Last two weeks of first semester: Both classes worked on drawings the week before last. They were considering entering the HSLDA contest.
 This week, only the Trailblazers continued in this endeavor. We experimented in making beautiful skies with watercolor. They all did wonderfully!
The Pathfinders saw pictures of all types of Ancient Jewelry. Then they created their own bobbles to be strung into a piece of jewelry. If you are lucky and they follow through, you will receive a lovely piece of art for Valentines day!

Split of Rome - History 1&2, Explorers & Trailblazers

By 285 CE the Roman Empirehad grown so large that it was unable to govern all the provinces from Rome. The Emperor Diocletian divided the empire into halves with two emperors who would work together but rule separately. The Eastern Empire was governed out of Byzantium and the Western Empire from Rome.

On June 19, 325 Constantine, the first Christian Emperor of Western Rome, summoned church leaders from around the world to his home in Nicea. His goal was to resolve a growing conflict among religious leaders that threatened civil war in his empire. The two halves of the empire continued to prosper equally until the reign of the Emperor Theodosius I (379 – 395 CE).

In class activities:

• Played a game in which we tried to protect our property from invaders when it was kept in a small area vs. large, and discussed the similarity with Rome 
• Learned about the split of the Roman Empire
• Discussed constantine and the 1st Council of Nicea 
• Made cross bookmarks
• Reviewed the events that we have covered over the course of the year
• Completed our Ancient History Notebooks

Optional lesson extension activities:

• Roman empire interactive timeline
• Division of the roman empire interactive map
• Read about Rome - I highly recommend the fiction series Detectives in Togas for this age group.  It is fantastically fun, and can spark a greater interest in this time period.

Next week the kids will begin their electives.  I have truly enjoyed teaching this crew and appreciate their thoughtful questions and spirit of cooperation in class.  Each child created a notebook during our class.  I encourage you to sit with your child and flip through their work as a review activity (and just for fun).   Please keep this in a safe place. During our year-end program the children are invited to bring in examples of their work to display.

Ancients Timeline - FINAL

This is the final version of the Ancients Timeline, inclusive of all elements. Keep practicing!

Pompeii - History 1&2 Explorers and Trailblazers

The eruption of Vesuvius in AD/CE 79 destroyed the Roman city of Pompeii.  In 24 hours the city was buried in seven and a half feet of volcanic ash, and over time this increased to over 30 feet.  It remained buried and forgotten for almost 1700 years. We  learn about Pompeii today from the words of 18 year old Pliny the Younger and from archaeological discoveries.

In class activities:

• Created a chart about Pompeii including our current knowledge, our questions, and what we learned in class
• Read 1st person account the final hours of Pompeii written by Pliny the Younger
• Created chalk pastel images of volcanic ash
• Learned about how archeologists filled voids in the ash to create casts
• Several children mentioned having visited a MOS exhibit on Pompeii and shared about what they learned
• Discussed how the excavation of Pompeii gives us insight into the lives of Romans

Optional lesson extension activities:

• View images the casts from Pompeii and learn about their restoration (warning for sensitive children: these are actual artifacts, so some skeletal remains are visible)
• Enjoy several online activities at Mr. Donn
• Watch a detailed video of Pompeii's final day.  Historical fiction.  Please pre-view, this may not be suitable for all children.

Assignment:

• Read history cards NT 29-31 (these are the final cards we will cover before electives.  Save card 32 for next year)
• Practice your timeline

Persecution of Christians - History 1&2, Explorers and Trailblazers

Romans tolerated Christians, for a while, as worshipers of just one more among the long list of gods.  Eventually, however, Christians’ insistence on following Jesus alone made both religious and political leaders feel threatened.  One Roman Emperor, Nero, unjustly blamed the Christians for starting a fire that destroyed nearly 2/3 of the city of Rome in 64AD/CE.  He ordered that many be put to death.  One form of persecution took place in large stadiums such as the Colosseum where citizens gathered to watch vicious battles.  This type of persecution continued until 312 AD/CE.  

In class activities:

• Viewed our stop motion animation of the life of Jesus

• Learned who was allowed to wear a toga

• Played a game placing ourselves in the social classes in Rome, and found where we would sit in the colosseum. 

• Reviewed the meaning of the word Persecution & learned reasons why the Christians threatened Rome
• Briefly discussed persecution in our time and prayed for Christians around the world

Optional lesson extension activities

• Watch A Gladiator's Story

• Learn more about the Gladiators at http://www.learningthroughhistory.com/newsletter/archives/62005.php

Assignment:

• Read history card #NT28

• Practice your timeline

The Life of Jesus - History 1&2, Explorers & Trailblazers

In 31 BCE Rome changed from a republic to an empire, beginning the rule of Emperors.  During the reign of Caesar Augustus there was a time of peace called the Pax Romana.  God chose this as the perfect time for his son to live on earth (around 4 AD/CE). Jesus Christ began His earthly ministry at the age of 30, angering many religious leaders who rejected him as the Messiah.  They plotted to have him killed.  Christ’s death and resurrection form the foundation of our salvation as Christians.

The kids know this story well, so rather than re-teach it to them, I allowed them to become the teachers, creating a video that tells others about the life of Jesus.

In class activities:

• Created a storyboard detailing the major points in Jesus' life
• Talked about the terms BC/BCE and AD/CE, and their relationship to Jesus' birth (Jesus wasn't born in year 0)
• Learned about the Pax Romana
• Briefly discussed how to create stop motion animation
• Worked in teams to animate our movie
• Discussed the importance of telling others the story of Jesus

Optional lesson extension activities:

• Download the Lego movie maker app and create your own movies of the life of Jesus 
• Play 12 Apostles online memory game
• Read John 19 and discuss it with your family

Assignment:

• Read cards NT 26-27
• Practice your timeline

History Navigators and Pathfinders 1/5/2016

Pastor Huntley enacted the story of John as told in Luke Chapter 1 and 3. Throughout the story the class took notes and afterward they broke into groups to answer a series of questions based on the enactment as well as some bonus questions on basic Bible knowledge.

The students will create a diorama for next week and come prepared to teach the class about the scripture behind their choice using the diorama as a teaching tool.

History for Navigators and Pathfinders

11/17

Summary:  We looked at the mythological founding of Rome, daily life in ancient Rome and the government of Rome. The application came from an exercise when the students had to choose what qualities they would look for before hiring someone to rule their province or country. The final list from all of the students was long and instructive. I told them, “If you wish to be a leader, make these qualities yours.”

11/10

History has value for us when it provides roots, offers perspective and when it offers concrete lessons we can apply to our lives today. We read about and discussed the reign of King Solomon. We took two facts about the Phoenicians, their control of purple dye and shipbuilding, and learned about economics. We discussed and illustrated scarcity, supply and demand, and using your resources to increase wealth for yourself and others.

11/3

We took a tour of Jewish history from the time of the Judges to the divided kingdom. We focused on what David and Solomon did right – David worshipped God and got to know him in the quiet times, wrote psalms and praised God with the same gusto with which he fought and killed his enemies – Solomon prayed for wisdom, built the temple and experienced the visible glory of God filling the temple.

10/27

We reviewed the homework and found lessons for our lives today.

We viewed the treasures of King Tut in two different books We considered the Ten Commandments and emphasized that 8 of them are written as prohibitions. This led to a discussion of God as a person who gives us lots we can do and only restricts what is wrong for us (like the tree in the garden of Eden).

The Navigators looked at life in Ancient Athens and Sparta.

10/13

We discussed how God controls history by preparing people (in this case Moses, Israelites, Pharaoh and Egyptians) to cooperate with his plan. I emphasized the importance of the Exodus in history –the greatest event before the resurrection of Jesus.

We discussed how God controls history by raising up nations – in this case Egypt – to do his will – provide a safe place for his people to grow from 70 to 2 million. We pointed out that God used Joseph to prepare the way for his family to move to Egypt.

We also discussed how God controls history by preparing people (in this case Moses, Israelites, Pharaoh and Egyptians) to cooperate with his plan.

10/6

The Navigators looked at the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. We discussed lessons we can apply to our lives today. 1. Just as Abraham took time to grow in his understanding of God from “He is my personal god” in a polytheistic way, to “he is the only God of the universe,” so we need to update our understanding of God as we mature from childhood to adulthood. 2. God created Egypt so it could provide a safe place for the Israelites to grow from 70 people to a nation. 3. God changed the lives of Jacob and his sons and named the tribes of the nation after them. Joseph, the godly man, did not have a tribe in his name!

The Pathfinders, due to student interest, discussed the Egyptian fascination with death. We compared it with the biblical teaching. We talked about ordinary life in Egypt. The better treatment of women was a special focus since women in the ancient world were not allowed the privileges that the Egyptians considered normal.

Explorers and Trailblazers Art, week 11: We looked at pictures of Roman Architecture and I walked them through how to do a drawing of a  Roman Aqueduct. Then we colored it using pastels. We talked about blending and horizon lines and how to draw using reference lines to help you place things in the picture. The children did some fine work!

Rise of Rome - History 1&2 Explorers and Trailblazers

The founding of Rome by Romulus and Remus is a legend, however historians do believe that Rome began near the Tiber River.  As small villages grew, they merged into one large city.  During the rule of Etruscan kings, a series of roads, aqueducts, and elaborate buildings were built.  This infrastructure, along with a strong military and wise leadership allowed for many military conquests.

In class activities:

• Learned about Rome's acquisition of other cultures
• Built our own Roman roads and discussed their building techniques
• Learned about why the roads were important for evangelism
• Discussed the difference between myth and history as we learned of Romulus and Remus

Optional lesson extension activities:

• Listen to chapter 27 in The Story of the World

• Watch on hulu: http://www.hulu.com/watch/456523
• True & mythical stories: http://study.com/academy/lesson/romes-humble-beginnings-from-a-greek-colony-to-the-formation-of-the-republic.html
• Roman games: http://rome.mrdonn.org/games.html
• Outline of the rise and fall of the roman empire: http://www.studenthandouts.com/01-Web-Pages/001-Pages/09.04.Rise-Fall-Roman-Empire-OUTLINE.htm
• Build your own paper Roman aquaduct; http://papermau.blogspot.com/2013/08/ancient-roman-aqueduct-paper-model-by.html
• Printables: http://amyswandering.com/2013/11/08/roman-history-printable-resources/

Assignment:

• Enjoy your holiday!  Be prepared for class on 1/5 by reading cards NT22-25
• Practice your timeline

Explorers and Trailblazers Art Summary; week 10: Assyrian Art
We looked at some pictures of tiles that were found from Ancient Assyria. The pictures were very interesting with lots of patterns and stylized figures engaged in activities baked in tiles. We did a simpler version of these tiles by coloring in some symbols and figures using colored pencils and gluing them onto the tiles and decoupaging them.