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LESSON PLAN
Subject: Social
Grade: 4/5/6
Date: March 17
Critical Inquiry Question: How have stories most shaped how people see Canada?
Lesson: Anthropology and Archeology
Time: 80 min
SLOs: From the Program of Studies
5.2.2 examine, critically, the ways of life of Aboriginal peoples in Canada by
exploring and reflecting upon the following questions and issues:
5.2.2.E In what ways do anthropology and archaeology contribute to our understanding
of First Nations, Mtis and Inuit peoples? (CC, LPP, TCC)

Instructional Objectives: (Not outcomes, but lesson objectives. Not a description of

lesson procedure, but an indication of what students will know or be able to do by the
end of the lesson).
Knowledge:
Students will describe what Anthropology is.
Students will identify the purpose of Anthropology.
Students will define archeology.
Student will explain how archeology and anthropology shape how we see other cultures.
Key Questions:
What is the focus question for this lesson? What are some related questions?
Focus question: What do the things you leave behind say about you?
How does anthropology shape how we see other cultures?
What is the purpose of anthropology?
What is archeology?
What is anthropology?
How do anthropology and archeology shape the way we see other cultures?
Materials:
Pictures of First Nations
Pudding cups with artifacts buried
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/sscnir/index.html?movie=history_americas
Preparation:
Print off pictures of First Nations from primary source textbook
Open http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/sscnir/index.html?movie=history_americas
Username Lps24
Password 4095
Adaptations:
If the German students are back by this time Bring Willie (dark hair) over to
Logans table for the lesson. Ask Logan and (Charlie?) to include Willie in their

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discussion. The hope is in doing so Willie will participate more by himself and I wont
have to hold his hand as much.
I will also put Ethan with Lucass table if the German students are not back yet I
may try putting Ethan with Logan and see how that goes. Ethan and Lucas seem to get
along well, the biggest issue with this is that Lucas does get off task sometimes, but I
dont know who else I could put Ethan with that he would actually participate with. The
biggest thing is I will just have to keep an eye on their table and make sure they are on
task.
Be careful in how I address (Hayley?) when she questions or challenges me. She
loves to show how much she knows and contradict me and I need to be careful. This can
be turn into something positive by making it clear that she needs to put her hand up if she
has something to contribute, but it also important to stay positive about it as well. If she is
right acknowledge it. If she is wrong, phrase it in a positive way. If I dont know or think
she may be wrong, tell her I will have to look it up. Above all try not to outright say
youre wrong
Finally, David and Willy I am not sure what I will do with these two. I know they
can do work together, as they have before, and I think for now the best option is to let
them work together but also make it clear that they are accountable for their work as well.
I will also have to strategize with Cara and Lori and see if they have any suggestions as
well.

Lesson Procedure:
(Use numbered or bulleted steps. Indicate lesson introduction, development and
conclusion to clarify the flow of the lesson. Write it with enough detail that a substitute
teacher could teach the lesson.)
Introduction (10min)
1. Introduce the focus question for this lesson- What do the things you leave behind
say about you?
a. Tell the students that we will be looking at archeology and anthropology
today.
b. Ask if anyone knows what anthropology is? What about archeology?
c. Write the definitions on the board when they answer
d. Ask them why they think that this is important to learn about when we are
looking at aboriginal cultures in the past?
e. Tell them that we are looking at this because most of the information that I
present to them has been gained through the work of anthropologists and
archeologists. However, this does not mean that the work is infallible-that
it can never be proved wrong. Many people believe many different things
and this is just one way of looking at it.
f. Anthropology and archeology are very good examples of this because a lot
of their work is based in interpretation. So different people can look at the
same objects as an anthropologist and have a very different interpretation
of what it means.

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g. Show them some objects that I have brought in from other countries and
explain their significance.
Body
2. (10min) For the first part of this lesson we will be looking at a photograph taken
of a First Nation tribe. I would like students to look at and note the things they
notice.
a. For example-Students may look at the picture and note that they see
teepees, but they will not interpret it. For instance, they will not look at the
photograph and say they see and American flag, therefore it must be in the
U.S. (there will be a spot on their worksheet to write what they observe on
it)
b. I will ask them to do this part silently and by themselves.
c. I will also bring a large picture up on the screen at the front.
d. While I am describing what is expected of them I will also be having a
student hand out a worksheet with the picture that we are looking at on it.
3. (10min) Then I will ask students to provide some interpretation for what they
have seen. For this they will be discussing it in groups.
a. Their discussions should go something like this The American flag in the
background tells me this picture was most likely taken in the United
States
b. The whole idea is that they will take evidence they have noticed and
then use that to back up their interpretation.
c. Emphasize that I will be taking their worksheets in to look at and
while it is okay to borrow ideas from other people, they must write
them in their own words.
4. After they are done discussing the picture in their groups I will bring it back to the
entire class and ask them to tell me some of the conclusions they have come up
with and the evidence they used to support these conclusions.
5. Tell students that this whole idea of looking at something, like an object that has
been found, and trying to draw conclusions based upon what they see is
something that anthropologists do a lot.
Transition
6. Now students will be take on the role of archeologists.
7. Briefly go through what Archeologists do and how they do it. (15min)
a. Tell students that for their next activity they are going to be archeologists
digging for clues.
b. Emphasize that this is a fictional world that we are looking at so some
objects may seem unusual.
c. They will be told that each group will be given one bowl of pudding, and
in this pudding there will be some buried objects.
d. It is up to them to carefully sift through the pudding, layer by layer, and
try to find the buried objects.
e. Use one set aside for me to demonstrate how to do this.
f. Tell them that it is very important that they are very careful about how
they do this because some of the objects are very small and easy to miss if
they dont take their time.

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g. For the purposes of this activity, one person will be in charge of doing the
digging one person will sift through the dirt they unearth and a third
person will draw a diagram of where all the objects were found..
h. Tell them that the role of the third person is very important because soil
accumulates over time. Ask them what conclusions can you draw about
objects that are on higher layers? (these objects are more recent)
8. (10min) Once they have excavated their artifacts tell students that I would like
them to look at the objects and see what kinds of hypothesis they can draw from
them
a. Emphasize that as long as there is evidence to back up their conclusions
there is no right or wrong answer.
9. Once they are done, go around the groups and see what kinds of conclusions they
drew based upon the artifacts they found
10. SPONGE-First Nations Fortune Teller and Video from CBC-Explaining how
theories about who the first people to come to Canada is changing.
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/sscnir/index.html?movie=history_americas
15min long
Conclusion (5min)
11. Three-two-one exit slip
a. Students will write three things they found interesting, two things they
want to know more about and one question they still have. MUST BE
COMPLETED ALONE
Assessment:
How will you know if students met your lesson objectives? What assessment tool or
strategy are you using? What are you looking for in this formative assessment?
I will take in the worksheets that they have been working on to see what they have
come up with and whether or not students understood the lesson. I will be looking to see
how in-depth their thought is, whether or not they simply copied from someone else and
if they grasped how to use evidence to back up their conclusions.
I will also have students complete a 3-2-1 exit slip and I will use this to determine
what they took away from the lesson, what they found interesting and what I didnt cover
very well. Ideally students will mention the role and purpose of archeology and
anthropology and explain that it can be very relative and that the evidence is as important
as the conclusions we draw from it.

Lesson Reflection:
This is a space for notes after youve taught the lesson

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Digging for Clues

Evidence
Who

When

Where

What

Why

Inference