Classroom teacher and cooperation of the principal, custodian or grounds keeper. The Illinois State Museum in Springfield has a listing of all archaeological digs that are currently active and a listing of archaeologists in the state. Northwestern's Anthropology Department shares information. This program for developing and understanding created cultures promotes elements of critical thinking, including understanding, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation skills.
Students form teams to create secret cultures.
Artifacts are made to reflect these cultures. Each team buries its artifacts for another team to excavate, reconstruct, and analyze. In the analysis process, students become archaeologists and use the scientific method to try to decipher the language, mathematical system, beliefs, and way of life. All aspects of a civilization can be developed and discovered. Some of the cultures left behind cave drawings, scrolls, diaries, and the archaeologists were compelled to try to decipher these writings and gain insight into the unknown culture.