“Archaeology is about facts….Forget any ideas you’ve got about lost cities, exotic travel and digging up the world. We do not follow maps to buried treasure, and X never, ever marks the spot.” – Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones Jr., fictional archaeologist 

 When we think about archaeology most of us think about people digging up lost cities in remote places. Aerial Archaeology offers another way to uncover the mysteries of the past by using photos and data taken from the sky. Combining different sets of data from the air allows archaeologists to study sites without disturbing the lands around them. In this STEM in 30 we team up with the Jamestown Rediscovery archaeologists at Historic Jamestown to take a look at the importance of archaeology from both the ground and from above.

 

Learning Standards

NGSS Standards

  • MS-PS4-2 Waves and their Applications in Technologies for Information Transfer: Develop and use a model to describe that waves are reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials.
  • MS-ESS3-3 Earth and Human Activity: Apply scientific principles to design a method for monitoring and minimizing a human impact on the environment.

Social Studies Standards: 

  • D2.Geo.2.6-8. Use maps, satellite images, photographs, and other representations to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions, and changes in their environmental characteristics.
  • D2.His.10.6-8. Detect possible limitations in the historical record based on evidence collected from different kinds of historical sources
  • D2.His.16.6-8. Organize applicable evidence into a coherent argument about the past.

Teacher Tips

About STEM in 30

STEM in 30 is an Emmy-nominated program for middle school students produced by the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. These 30 minute episodes are great for classroom use. New episodes are released every month, featuring hands-on activities, explanations of aviation and space topics aligned with national standards, and interviews with experts from the Museum and beyond.

STEM in 30 is made possible by Amazon, Boeing, and Hexcel.
 

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