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Learners create their own piece of history by decorating, shattering, and piecing together a flowerpot "artifact". Use this activity to introduce learners to archaeology and how archaeologists use fragments of pottery to "piece together" an understanding of history. This activity has several suggestions for extensions - exchanging broken pots with other students, mixing pieces from multiple pots, and removing some pieces before attempting re-assembly.
- Under 5 minutes
- 1 to 2 hours
- $5 - $10 per student
- Ages 6 - 14
- Activity, Simulation
- English
Quick Guide
Materials List (per student)
- Ceramic flowerpot (made of clay or terracotta)
- paint or markers
- piece of paper and a pencil
- stencils of different designs (optional)
- an old pillowcase
- rubber band
- hammer
- newspaper
- scotch Tape
Subjects
-
Earth and Space Science
-
Earth's History
- Archeology
-
Earth's History
-
Life Sciences
-
Evolution
- History of Life
-
Evolution
-
Physical Sciences
- Structure and Properties of Matter
-
The Nature of Science
-
The Scientific Process
- Asking Questions
- Conducting Investigations
- Science as a Career
-
The Scientific Process
Informal Categories
- Arts and Crafts
Audience
To use this activity, learners need to:
- see
- see color
- touch
Learning styles supported:
- Links STEM to other topics of interest such as arts and humanities
- Involves hands-on or lab activities
Other
This resource is part of:
Access Rights:
- Free access
By:
Source Collection
- Ology
Rights:
- All rights reserved, American Museum of Natural History,