Summer 2023 was a great one for K-12 educator workshops across the country!
National program staff, network members, and state coordinators held workshops in Kansas, Nevada, Colorado, and Minnesota this year, where 41 educators and heritage education professionals left equipped to successfully lead Project Archaeology investigations and activities in their classrooms and informal learning environments. Read on to learn more about each of these workshops and get inspired to lead or attend a workshop of your own in 2024!
Little House on the Prairie in Minnesota, July 2023
In July, eight educators from Minnesota, Texas, California, Michigan, and Florida traveled to the prairies of Minnesota for a two-day summer workshop led by Courtney Agenten and Samantha Kirkley. Teachers connected literature to the past through a Project Archaeology shelter investigation of the Tinsley Farmhouse in the historical setting of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s book series: Mankato and Walnut Grove, MN.
Educators visited the Blue Earth County History Center, where they learned about shelter and how archaeologists study the past, traveled to the Ingalls Dugout home site near Walnut Grove, and explored the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum – all while engaging in hands-on learning experiences that opened their eyes to the power of archaeological inquiry in engaging with the past. And, no workshop would be complete without a delicious cast iron meal of BBQ chicken, potatoes, and peach cobbler cooked over an open fire!
A hot topic of discussion at the workshop was the censorship of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books in some of the school districts. The workshop’s guest speaker, Dean Jean Boreen, PhD from Southern Utah University, shared some insight into how to approach the literary themes and challenges of Wilder’s books, noting that student’s feeling tension in a book is a good teachable moment. Boreen noted that “We don’t need to give up reading these wonderful books, but we do need to contextualize these stories within the events occurring during the time period; the charm of the books and Laura’s view of her world are important for our students to experience today.”
Thank you to the Institute for Heritage Education for helping fund the workshop.
Archaeology of Shelter and Migration in Kansas, June 2023
The Archaeology of Shelter and Migration in Kansas, hosted by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks and the Kansas Anthropological Association, took place on June 12-13, 2023 at the Historic Lake Scott State Park west of Scott City, Kansas. The workshop, led by Jann Rudkin, Virginia Wulfkuhle, and Gail Lundeen, introduced six informal educators to the Project Archaeology: Investigating a Pawnee Earthlodge curriculum, as well as the Investigating A Midwestern Wickiup, Great Basin Wickiup, and supplemental resources. Participants also had the opportunity to interact with the Kansas-specific migration unit, Migration of Pueblo People to El Cuartelejo.
Educators also had the unique opportunity to hear from guest speaker Mike Wallen, who shared a different perspective from that featured in the Migration of Pueblo People to El Cuartelejo, and tour both the archaeological site of El Cuartelejo
This workshop connected to the past through a shelter investigation of an historic farmhouse in the prairie setting of Mankato and Walnut Grove, MN. Thank you Institute for Heritage Education Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum for a great workshop!
Teachers enjoyed learning about a historic farmhouse in Mankato and Walnut Grove, Minnesota!
“Thank you for another amazing project archeology class!…Being in the class for a third time has really solidified my understanding in how to better facilitate the information to the students, and I create new ideas each time I have been able to collaborate with other educators. The outing to Walnut Grove and learning about the archeology that is involved in a more modern time in history fascinated me just as much as the Native American curriculum.” - Texas Teacher
We analyzed artifacts and historic photos at the Blue Earth County History Society. We ate food cooked over a campfire on a river ravine. We explored the banks of Plum Creek to discover the Ingalls dugout house. Thank you Institute for Heritage EducationLaura Ingalls Wilder Museum for a great workshop!
This two-day workshop for teachers of grades 3-8 connected you to the past through a Project Archaeology shelter investigation of an historic farmhouse in the prairie setting of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s book series: Mankato and Walnut Grove, MN.
The first day of the workshop took place at the Blue Earth County History Center in Mankato, MN with lessons and exhibits to enhance our learning of archaeology, historic photographs, and culture. On the second day we “uncovered” a farmhouse archaeological site exploring the geography, history, and artifacts of a real house on the prairie. Our investigation concluded with a field trip to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and Ingalls Dugout archaeological site. Teachers also had the option to stay that evening in Walnut Grove to watch the famous Wilder Pageant.
Thank you to all the teachers who came to learn more about the archaeology of farm life and all who made this once in a lifetime event happen
Campfire Cooking
Learning how to take care of cast iron cookware
eating BBQ chicken, potatoes, and peach cobbler
Dean Jean Boreen from Southern Utah University presenting on themes and censorship of Laura Ingalls Wilder book series
Every Picture Tells a Story – Lesson 7 Investigating Shelter
Every Picture Tells a Story –
Knowing Shelter—Knowing People
Giant classroom floor map of a real archaeological sites- reverse archaeology
Investigating the Tinsley House archaeological site map
Making inferences about artifacts placed back in context
Lesson Five from Investigating Shelter – Classification of artifacts
On the Banks of Plum Creek on a hot July day
visit Laura Ingalls Wilder museum in Walnut Grove, MN
In 1990, a team of archaeologists and educators distributed the first version of the educational materials that would eventually become the national Project Archaeology program. The first draft included a series of lessons on rock art; what it might mean, why it is important to protect it, and the fact that it is often damaged by modern graffiti, chalk tracing, bullet holes, and attempts to remove it from the stone walls.
"Intrigue of the Past" curriculum guide.
About a year later we received some brief assessments from elementary students who had experienced some of these lessons. One of the questions we asked students was, “What will you remember about archaeology a year from now”? Many of the students answered, “Vandalism of rock art hurts the living descendants of the people who made it.” When I saw those answers, I thought, “We have something here.” The kids made the connection between the past and present and between thoughtless vandalism and the feelings of living descendants. They achieved cultural understanding at a deep conceptual level. I knew then that cultural heritage education would be my life’s work and I have never looked back.
Project Archaeology is a national archaeology education program founded by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 1992 for educators and their students. It was developed in the early 1990s for three purposes: to develop awareness of our nation’s diverse and fragile archaeological sites, to instill a sense of personal responsibility for stewardship of these sites, and to enhance scientific and historical literacy and cultural understanding through the study of archaeology. Educational materials and professional development are distributed through a network of state and regional programs. Since 1992, programs have been established in 40 states; 30 programs remain active and new programs are currently under development across the nation.
Jeanne Moe conducting Hula Hoop Mapping lesson with 5th graders at Fort Parker in Montana.
Network of State Project Archaeology Programs from 2019 Annual Report. Since 1990 we have trained 18,700 educators through 1,052 professional development workshops. These educators have used Project Archaeology materials to instruct an estimated 375,000 students and learners of all ages annually.
The National Project Archaeology Program resided at Montana State University from 2001 to 2022. Headquarters and operations were transferred to Southern Utah University (SUU) in Cedar City in November 2022. The program now operates under a four-way partnership between SUU (College of Humanities and Social Sciences), the Institute for Heritage Education (IHE), the Project Archaeology Leadership Team, and the BLM.
Despite a challenging transition in leadership and institutional support, our Network Coordinators and Master Teachers have continued to provide professional development events and to distribute materials over the last few years. With a solid base of support and new leadership, we are confident that Project Archaeology will continue to expand in breadth and depth in the coming years.
Teachers from across the nation visiting Parowan Gap in Utah during the Voices
Project Archaeology is a national archaeology education program founded by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) for educators and their students. It was developed in the early 1990s for three purposes: to develop awareness of our nation’s diverse and fragile archaeological sites, to instill a sense of personal responsibility for stewardship of these sites, and to enhance science literacy and cultural understanding through the study of archaeology. The program began in Utah in 1990 as a statewide project to combat the vandalism and looting of archaeological sites.
by Courtney Agenten, Leadership Team Chair
“Seeds are a phenomenon to me. Tiny forms of life that, when watered and exposed to rays of light, reach up, break through the soil, and grasp onto life. In steady persistence, their roots spread and anchor as they grow into towering trees, strong enough to climb.” – Sarah Dubbeldam, Darling Founder
SAMANTHA KIRKLEY, Operations/Professional Development Director | JEANNE MOE, Curriculum Director | COURTNEY AGENTEN, Network Director
Project Archaeology can be compared to a towering oak tree—once a tiny seed planted in rich soil, watered, and lit by a network of visionary archaeology educators. The soil was prepared in the late 1980s by an interagency group of archaeologists who recognized that education was the best way to protect cultural heritage over the long-term; law enforcement simply wasn’t enough. Project Archaeology was born; nourished by the knowledge, experience, and drive of thousands of archaeologists, indigenous community members, formal and informal educators, historic preservationists, museum educators, and many others who worked together to deliver high-quality, award-winning educational materials and professional development to teachers. It has sustained the passion to pursue a world in which all people understand and appreciate their own culture and history, and that of others for more than 30 years.
It was hard to watch as Project Archaeology was uprooted from its 20+ year home at Montana State University (MSU) last year. Similarly, while the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the lead federal agency since 1992, is stepping away from managing and administering the program, the agency remains committed to supporting the program. Even though our MSU branch has broken off and BLMs role has changed, other partners have and will be grafted to continue transforming classrooms into communities of student archaeologists who connect culture to their own lives and desire to protect our past.
Rather than seeing years of successful work withered and abandoned, the Project Archaeology Leadership Team advised that the National Program be transplanted to two outstanding, new partners, Southern Utah University (SUU) and the Institute for Heritage Education (IHE), who can revitalize, rebuild, manage, and support the program and its distribution network. The Leadership Team, an advisory board comprised of archeologists, teachers, and indigenous members of our state programs, has expanded its role to direct the program in a proactive effort to maintain the vision, identity, and reputation of Project Archaeology.
Utah Project Archaeology Coordinator and previous Leadership Team member, Samantha Kirkley, enthusiastically
Watch this short video and learn how to teach Lesson Two: By Our Houses You Will Know Us in your classroom.
How can Project Archaeology Investigating Shelter professional development and classroom learning look?
Watch this short video and learn how to teach Lesson Two: By Our Houses You Will Know Us in your classroom. You will be prepared to lead your students through the first phases of archaeological investigation; students begin the process by researching their own homes and the objects (artifacts) that provide clues to human activities within spaces.
This video will help you guide students through the inquiry process from making observations, inferring past human behavior, and using evidence to support their conclusions.
Observation and inference are part of our everyday lives.
Archaeologists hone these skills to study the past. Have you experienced your students mastering these thinking skills when using the Investigating Shelter curricula?
Lesson Six: Observation, Inference, and Evidence shows students the heart of scientific and archaeological inquiry through engaging hands-on activities and cooperative learning. This video will help you guide students through the inquiry process from making observations, inferring past human behavior, and using evidence to support their conclusions.
The Project Archaeology National Program consists of directors and staff, a leadership team, and a diverse network of archaeology educators that provide leadership, guidance, and support.
SAMANTHA KIRKLEY
Operations/Professional Development Director
I worked as an archaeologist for 8 years and I began to lose passion for the profession I had selected. In 2013, I received an email about attending an archaeology education training in Montana offered by Project Archaeology. During that week, I experienced a transformational change that redirected and reignited my passion for archaeology. The artifacts are cool, but the people who made and used the objects, and the land on which they rest, and the descendants who keep the stories are the real treasure of the discipline. Through facilitating numerous workshops and youth programs over the years, I have discovered a profound joy in working with and learning from people from diverse cultures and professions. I love that the Project Archaeology curriculum is inherently interdisciplinary and has promoted cultural empathy, inclusive history, and stewardship of irreplaceable cultural resources for over 30 years. One of my favorite things to hear from teachers following a workshop is, “My kids loved this unit!” I champion this program because I have seen it change perspectives, ignite the fires of inquiry, and connect humanity.
JEANNE MOE
Curriculum Director
In 1990, a team of archaeologists and educators distributed the first version of the educational materials that would eventually become the national Project Archaeology program. The first draft included a series of lessons on rock art; what it might mean, why it is important to protect it, and the fact that it is often damaged by modern graffiti, chalk tracing, bullet holes, and attempts to remove it from the stone walls.
About a year later we received some brief assessments from elementary students who had experienced some of these lessons. One of the questions we asked students was, “What will you remember about archaeology a year from now”? Many of the students answered, “Vandalism of rock art hurts the living descendants of the people who made it.” When I saw those answers, I thought, “We have something here.” The kids made the connection between the past and present and between thoughtless vandalism and the feelings of living descendants. They achieved cultural understanding at a deep conceptual level. I knew then that cultural heritage education would be my life’s work and I have never looked back.
COURTNEY AGENTEN
Network Director
As a teacher, I saw the Project Archaeology hands-on lessons transform my students into investigators of the past. I want all teachers to have the opportunity to experience archaeological sites and to engage their students with tangible, authentic evidence of history. After my first year of teaching in 2009, I attended a workshop on the Plains Tipi at Little Bighorn Battlefield, and I have been involved with Project Archaeology ever since. I have led over twelve professional development institutes which blend my passion for teaching with my love of archaeology. I have had the opportunity to
