Summer SAVY, Session 3 Day 1, “Archeology 101: Unearthing Secrets of the Past” (1st-2nd)
Hello! Happy Monday, archaeologists! We are off to a great start with our learning. We began the morning by getting to know one another and signing our class promise. We played some get-to-know-you games and learned a bit about each other. We received our first field notebooks and discussed the importance of detailed note-keeping and our field notebooks’ role in the archeological world. We learned about systems, drew conclusions, and made connections to the world around us. Ask your young archaeologist what they learned about systems. Some key takeaways were:
- The interactions and outputs of a system change when its inputs, elements, or boundaries change.
- Systems can be productive or dysfunctional.
- Many systems are made up of smaller systems.
- Systems are interdependent.
- All systems have patterns.
Our afternoon continued with an introduction to the problem for the week. “You are a newly hired assistant at a small museum that has just opened in your hometown. It is your second day on the job when you learn that the museum’s archaeologist has resigned. Later that day, the museum receives a call from a local construction site. A backhoe operator recovered numerous artifacts while digging to lay a foundation for a new school. The construction company has stopped while workers wait to hear what should be done next.” We explored the role of stakeholders in this situation, discovered what an archaeologist is, and discussed the work they do. Some misconceptions were debunked as there are no dinosaur bones here! We created a list of all the things that we need to know and learn about to successfully help the museum know what to do next.
Tomorrow, we’ll continue to dive deep into the work of an archaeologist, including mapping a site, taking notes at a site, cataloging a site, and preserving and packing specimens.
Some dinner table questions:
- What systems can you identify around your house?
- What are the elements of the system? Boundaries? Inputs? Outputs? Interactions?
- What does an archaeologist do?
See you tomorrow!
Warmly,
Ms. Courtney and Ms. Andrea