Students will learn about the process of making pre-Columbian ceramics and the history surrounding the collection that this lesson plan is based on. Students will also create their ceramics which will bridge the gap between basic understanding while incorporating a hands-on activity. The purpose of this lesson is to teach the students about a different culture that they would have otherwise not been exposed to at a young age. By examining pre-Columbian ceramics and creating their own ceramics, students will develop skills on how to appreciate and better understand the traditions of cultures besides their own while learning about fields of study that may be of interest to them in the future.

Nichole Doub, Head Conservator, and Alice Merkel, Collections Assistant, at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory, walk through the use of silica gel in buffered microenvironments and the process of regenerating used gel. NOTE: Sound quality is lower than normal--captions have been provided. Additional references can be found online with CCI's Technical Bulletin 33 and Steve Weintraub's "Demystifying Silica Gel." The Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC Lab) standards and guidelines for preparing artifact collections and their associated records, for permanent curation at the lab can be found at https://jefpat.maryland.gov/Documents/mac-lab/technical-update-no1-collections-and-conservation-standards.pdf

The MAC Lab is a state-of-the-art archaeological research, conservation, and curation facility located at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum, the State Museum of Archaeology. The MAC Lab serves as the primary repository for archaeological collections recovered from land-based and underwater projects conducted by state and federal agencies throughout Maryland.

This resource is part of Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum’s open educational resources project to provide history, ecology, archaeology, and conservation resources related to our 560 acre public park. JPPM is a part of the Maryland Historical Trust under the Maryland Department of Planning. If you evaluate or use this resource, please respond to this short (4 question!) survey at bit.ly/329QvZ5

Short Description:
This resource will explore the validity of arguments and/or conclusions in dinosaur research through evaluating the scientific evidence. Students using this resource will read, experiment, and evaluate scientific literature surrounding dinosaurs. Students will have the opportunity to work with others to evaluate the plausibility of the dinosaur concepts and theories, and engage in hands-on experiments to add additional information to their interpretations. Students will learn to participate in evaluation mechanisms to assess critical thinking and science literacy.

Long Description:
This resource will explore the validity of arguments and/or conclusions in dinosaur research through evaluating the scientific evidence. Students using this resource will read, experiment, and evaluate scientific literature surrounding dinosaurs. Students will have the opportunity to work with others to evaluate the plausibility of the dinosaur concepts and theories, and engage in hands-on experiments to add additional information to their interpretations. Students will learn to participate in evaluation mechanisms to assess critical thinking and science literacy. Goals

This course is intended to engage students in science and the fossil record through the study of dinosaurs. It is intended that students will develop ideas, evaluate existing theories, and explore evidence to support or refute dinosaur interpretations. Through this course it is intended that students develop scientific fluency and critical thinking skills. Objectives Explore the scientific method and how science is conducted, communicated, and synthesized in dinosaur research. Develop theories behind dinosaur morphology and behavior and assess how these theories are supported or refuted by evidence from the fossil record. Evaluate the usefulness of modern analogues in dinosaur morphology and behavior.

Word Count: 4855

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This is an introductory laboratory excercise that familiarizes students with the general appearance of fossils and the multiple modes of preservation that are possible.

This visualization graphically displays temperature and CO2 concentration in the atmosphere as derived from ice core data from 400,000 years ago to 1950. The data originates from UNEP GRID Arendal's graphic library of CO2 levels from Vostok ice core.

This OLogy activity offers kids a fun way to get firsthand knowledge of how archaeologists find lost sites. In Tools of the Trade, kids are given six cartoon frames, each illustrating a problem the archaeology team faced in locating a lost mission on St. Catherines Island. When kids select a frame, they are given details about the problem; they are then asked to pick which tool they think helped the team solve the problem. Each time they correctly identify a tool, they are given additional details of the story and the cartoon frame is "colored in." After correctly identifying the tools for all six cartoon frames, they have the option of printing a PDF of the full-color cartoon.

This video profiles glaciologist Lonnie Thompson and his research into tropical mountain glaciers as a way to understand climate history. Beginning in the 1970s, Thompson recognized that tropical ice cores contain information relating to tropical climate phenomena, including El NiÃo events and monsoons. These phenomena are not archived in ice from polar regions. Thompson explains that his archive of ice cores is full of clues that, taken together with records collected from around the world, can help scientists create a timeline that tells Earth's climate story.

In this lab exercise, students investigate taphonomic processes operating on a large vertebrate carcass (whitetail deer: Odocoileus virginianus) in a temperate, humid, terrestrial environment (i.e., central Ohio). Prior to the lab, students read the 1991 review article on terrestrial vertebrate accumulations by A. K. Behrensmeyer. Once in the field, they familiarize themselves with the locality and note the state of the carcass and the position of any disarticulated portions of the beast. Using the stake flags they mark the location of all the elements of the carcass. Next, using the Brunton compasses and the measuring tape, create a map of the site. They then reassemble all the elements of the carcass on the tarp and identify all of the skeletal elements. Finally, the students compare the disarticulated skeleton with a control carcass placed in a wire mesh cage designed to exclude any macro-scavengers. In the lab, student synthesize their results and respond to a series of questions related to vertebrate taphonomy and the quality of the fossil record.

Archaeologists use evidence from sites and records to tell the story of peoples’ cultures. In this online activity, students will analyze a virtual "box" with 3D models of mystery artifacts from a specific location and time period to create a story about the people who used them. Encourage students to think about how these items connect to one another and what the artifacts can tell us about the people that used them. This resource is part of Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum’s open educational resources project to provide history, ecology, archaeology, and conservation resources related to our 560 acre public park. More of our content can be found on YouTube and SketchFab. JPPM is a part of the Maryland Historical Trust under the Maryland Department of Planning.

This activity with a lab report instructs students to solve and plot 160,000 years' worth of ice core data from the Vostok ice core using Excel or similar spreadsheets to analyze data. Students learn about ice cores and what they can tell us about past atmospheric conditions and the past atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and CH4.

This OLogy activity tests kids' knowledge about excavation strategies, the tools archaeologists use, and more with an interactive quiz. The 10-question multiple-choice test covers a wide range of topics, from "Why do archaeologists create a map of the site before they dig?" to "Archaeologists look for different soil layers that they identify by color and texture. If the layers haven't been disturbed, what can they tell us?" After making their 10 selections, kids can check their answers with a page that shows them how they did on each question and offers an explanation of the right answers.

This animation starts with a schematic illustration of glacier growth and then introduces six different methods that researchers use when studying ice cores in order to deduce the climate of the past. The research methods that are briefly introduced are ice layering, pollen, oxygen isotopes, ice crystals and gases trapped inside, and other chemistry.

This fun Web article is part of OLogy, where kids can collect virtual trading cards and create projects with them. Here, they learn about Archaeology Piecing Together the Puzzle of History looks at how archaeologists use clues to assemble a picture of the past. Clues to the Past explains that, like all scientists, archaeologists begin with a question they want to explore. Fieldwork Is Where They Dig In explores the challenges of finding a site to excavate. Evidence of an Era has an overview of the many types of evidence archaeologists work with. Recording the Remains looks at the meticulous nature of an excavation. Making Discoveries in the Lab explains the work that begins after the fieldwork. Into the Collections explains the dual role of museum collections as public displays and research libraries.

This article provides links to interactive web sites and lesson plans for teaching about paleontology, dinosaurs, and archaeology in the elementary classroom.

Introduces a simple test to determine when a bag is in need of replacing with Sara Rivers-Cofield, Curator of Federal Collections at the Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory. The MAC Lab requires collections to utilized standard polyethylene bags for storing artifacts, which have a limited lifespan so use this information as a guide to when those bags have reached the end of their life. The Maryland Archaeological Conservation Laboratory (MAC Lab) standards and guidelines for preparing artifact collections and their associated records, for permanent curation at the lab can be found at https://jefpat.maryland.gov/Documents/mac-lab/technical-update-no1-collections-and-conservation-standards.pdf

The MAC Lab is a state-of-the-art archaeological research, conservation, and curation facility located at Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum, the State Museum of Archaeology. The MAC Lab serves as the primary repository for archaeological collections recovered from land-based and underwater projects conducted by state and federal agencies throughout Maryland.

This resource is part of Jefferson Patterson Park and Museum’s open educational resources project to provide history, ecology, archaeology, and conservation resources related to our 560 acre public park. JPPM is a part of the Maryland Historical Trust under the Maryland Department of Planning.

Forensic scientists are recovering buried clues of the lives of early colonists and discovering the stories written in their bones. Using graphics, photos, and online activities, this Webcomic unravels a mystery of historical and scientific importance about the life of a recently discovered 17th century human body along the James River on the Chesapeake Bay. Students can analyze artifacts and examine the skeleton for the tell-tale forensic clues that bring the deceased to life and establish the cause of death. Teacher resources are included. Note: Turn off pop-up blocker to successfully experience all site features.