Many archaeological issues today revolve around how sites and artifacts are to be conserved and used. This lesson gives students an opportunity to examine their own beliefs and values about the past, and to connect archaeology to other conservation issues. It is very important to give students the opportunity to draw together their knowledge and feelings about the past.
Values clarification brings closure to the learning process, and promotes personal responsibility.
The ethical issues surrounding the protection of archaeological resources are similar to conservation issues in general. People often have different opinions about the value of various resources and whether or not they should be protected. Those who do agree on the value of specific resources may disagree on how to protect them. This lesson allows students to explore their values about conservation issues and to make comparisons about the value and protection of archaeological sites and artifacts. Objectives Students will work in groups, using analogies and dilemmas to infer peoples' motivations for using resources, and to decide and justify the best way to deal with the problems of resource depletion.