Because it is not practical to take students into the field, the kit attempts to bring elements of the field to the students by presenting a scale model of a known shipwreck, representative artifacts or reproductions, and relevant books and newspaper clippings from the time of the wreck. Students use the materials to collect and analyze data, as archaeologists do when beginning to study newly discovered shipwrecks. Hidden Beneath the Waves begins with two introductory videos. The first guides the student briefly through the maritime history of the Cape Fear area, focusing on waterways and shipping. The second presents general methods, techniques and goals of underwater archaeology.
Students complete research at several work stations and collect physical data from the model.
From a list of possible ships, students analyze their research and eliminate shipwrecks based on data and information about the wrecks. Tasks include studying artifacts, map reading, working with scale measurements and studying the workings of a steam engine. When students complete all stations, each team completes a code sheet to analyze possible wrecks. To expose students to local maritime history and underwater archaeology. To instill in students an understanding of the need to protect submerged cultural resources.