Our Game

Printable pdf for beginner game

Description: Students will learn about famous sites, the different tools used in archaeology, and pick a prompt card to match the shown artifact. We reccomend this game for 2nd or 3rd graders.

Print:

 1 copy of pages 1-7

A copy of pages  8-9 for each player (double sided)

A copy of pages 10-11 for each group

4 copies of pages 12-13

1 copy of page 14

Assembly: 

1. You may use page 1 to decorate your storage box (optional)

2. Put each flyer at the corresponding station (pages 2-5)

3. Separate the site manager cards, and place them at the corresponding station (pages 6-7)

4. Give each student an archaeology field journal (pages 8-9)

5. Cut out pages 10-11 and give a set to each group

6. Cut out pages 12-13 and place a set at each station

7. Cut out page 16 and place each photo at the respective station facedown

How to Play

You and your group are a team of archaeologists exploring famous historical sites. Your goal is to learn about archaeological sites by choosing the correct tools and answering the questions correctly. Don't forget to record your discoveries in your field journal! Work together, think carefully, and dig responsibly!

1. Divide the kids into groups of 2-3. This will be their team for the game. Assign one adult or leader to each station to be the sight manager.

2. Assign one group to each station, where they will start. The extra groups should go in a separate area and work on the field journals. Depending on how many groups there are, you might need to do multiple rotations. 

3. The kids will listen as the sight manager reads off the sight manager card, telling them about the sight. They then read the scenario and the first question about what tool to use. If the group gets the question wrong, the sight manager can help guide them to the right answer. 

4. Once they get the question right, put the photo face up on the table and tell them what the artifact is. When they see what it is, they can use their fill in the blank cards that they carry around to answer the question. Once they get it right, you can collect the fill in the blank card and they can go to the next station.

5. Once they've been to all the stations, they can get a prize if available, otherwise they can feel accomplished.

6. When they aren't at a station, they can fill out the field journals in a separate space. They can choose to fill this out in groups or by themselves. Just make sure they're all engaged!

7. If you have time at the end, you can do a brief reflection. The kids can talk amongst their groups or talk to other groups for this. Ask them to think about questions such as: What tools were hardest to figure out?, What site was your favorite to go to?, What new things did you learn from the game?, Why is archaeology so important?

Printable pdf for advanced game

Description: Students will learn about famous sites, tools used in archaeology, and will use prompt cards to fill in the blanks on a card. We reccomend this version for 4th and 5th graders

Print:

1 copy of pages 1-7

A copy of pages  8-9 for each player (double sided)

1 copy of pages 10-11

A copy of pages 12-13 for each group

4 copies of pages 14-15

1 copy of page 16

Assembly:

1. You may use page 1 to decorate your storage box (optional)

2. Put each flyer at the corresponding station (pages 2-5)

3. Separate the manager cards and place them at the corresponding station. (pages 6-7)

4. Give each student an archaeology field journal (pages 8-9)

5. Cut out pages 10-11 and place the pictures in their respective stations

6. Cut out each section of prompt cards (pages 12-13)

7. Fold each in half horizontally, so that the words line up evenly, and glue or tape together

8. Cut the words out, it should have the effect of being double sided

9. Give one set of prompt cards to each group

10. Cut out pages 14-15 and place a set at each station

11. Cut out page 16 and place each photo at the respective station

How to Play

You and your group are a team of archaeologists exploring famous historical sites. Your goal is to learn about archaeological sites by choosing the correct tools and answering the questions correctly. Don't forget to record your discoveries in your field journal! Work together, think carefully, and dig responsibly!

1. Divide the kids into groups of 2-3. This will be their team for the game. Assign one adult or leader to each station to be the sight manager.

2. Assign one group to each station, where they will start. The extra groups should go in a separate area and work on the field journals. Depending on how many groups there are, you might need to do multiple rotations. 

3. The kids will listen as the sight manager reads off the sight manager card, telling them about the sight. They then read the scenario and the first question about what tool to use. If the group gets the question wrong, the sight manager can help guide them to the right answer. 

4. Once they get the question right, put the photo face up on the table and tell them what the artifact is. When they see what it is, they can use their prompt cards to fill in the blanks in the big fill in the blank card. Once they get it right, you can collect the prompt cards they used and go to the next station.

5. Once they've been to all the stations, they can get a prize if available, otherwise they can feel accomplished.

6. When they aren't at a station, they can fill out the field journals in a separate space. They can choose to fill this out in groups or by themselves. Just make sure they're all engaged!

7. If you have time at the end, you can do a brief reflection. The kids can talk amongst their groups or talk to other groups for this. Ask them to think about questions such as: What tools were hardest to figure out?, What site was your favorite to go to?, What new things did you learn from the game?, Why is archaeology so important?