I bought this book to learn how to prepare, proceed and process a dig. Not a huge one mind you, but more for my own enjoyment in my own backyard! The explanations given in this book are spot-on for a beginner or a classroom situation. I've decided to take a small location on my 22 acres and proceed with my own excavation, not expecting much but wanting to learn how to do it properly (and of course, if something turns up, hand it off to the professionals). But the dream of being on a dig has been with me since I was young. And what better way to learn about something than by educators themselves! So with regards to this being an excellent book for teachers and students, I could not agree more. My son looked through it and was fascinated. Have fun!

I am not a teacher, but I am a parent. That said, this book lays out very specific and detailed instructions for building a curriculum around hands-on archaeology.

Given the activities, and the culminating trip to a real dig outdoors, this seems well-suited for older students -- perhaps fifth grade and up. It goes into real depth on techniques, theory, and vocabulary, and is more than a casual sampler.

The book would be useful for implementing in a classroom over a term or year, and not just to raid for a few ideas during an Indiana Jones-themed tie-in lesson in a different course. ( )

Very good for teaching kids about Archaeology. I even found this book very interesting to look through myself. Had good real life application possibilities. Just a very good resource in general for teachers. ( )

Really good directions on how to create an archaeology dig for students. It has helpful worksheets. There are questions to ask. Examples to use in the real world. ( )

A comprehensive book on starting an archaeology project for schools. Dr. John White, who died some years ago, had written an excellent resource in introducing children to the field of archaeology, and cross fields of geography, geology, language skills, map reading, art and many other disciplines. This updated revision also includes the outline of how to handle a dig, The first part is an introduction to archaeology, the second is preparing for fieldwork, preparing for a dig, and the last section is on post-fieldwork activities. The book is filled with good tips on handling an excavation, the students, and keeping sure the work flows in an orderly and rigorous method.
However, doing these projects seem to be extensive work and time. Middle schools need to be sure the students can spend enough time in preparation, activity, and most important, handling the paperwork and record keeping that is most highly indicated for a successful dig.
Recommended for gifted and talented students, as well as those middle school students with a scientific bend towards methodology and precision. Students who want to go out to a site, dig a few shovel fulls of dirt, and find a lost city filled with gold will be disappointed, and annoyed by the processes of handling, describing, interpreting and documenting the artifacts found. This really is an introduction to the science, and requires adherence to protocols and methods. I liked it. ( )

This book really is set up to be as 'grab & go' as possible for a teacher, which is fantastic! It covers everything from finding an appropriate site (abandoned lots work great.) all the way through to sharing your finds as a museum type display. A total of 43 activities really enables children to get a good idea what archaeology is. The wealth of knowledge covered cross curriculum makes this a book that any teacher should be excited to utilize. Some activities would need to be adjusted in order to fulfill a single family home school unit, however, it would make a perfect unit study for a home school group.

I received a free copy of this book. ( )

Perhaps the best thing about this material is that it can be used in so many subjects, such as social studies, language arts, science, and math. It does require some prep work for the teacher, but I believe that students would really enjoy the hands-on learning experience that these lessons would provide. ( )