George Mason University

Graduate School of Education

Form D
Mandatory

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION PROGRAM

LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Intern: _________Katherine Hogan___________ Grade Level: ___________4th_____________
Title: _L5 Archaeologists Recovered Evidence at Werowocomoco and Jamestown_ Date: ___
I.

II.

Objectives
SOL: VS.2f The student will demonstrate knowledge of the physical
geography and native peoples, past and present, of Virginia by
Key Concepts include: f) describing how archaeologists have recovered new
material evidence at sites including Werowocomoco and Jamestown
o K: The students will know what Werowocomoco and Jamestown are.
o U: The students will understand that archaeology is a way for people
to better understand the past.
o D: The students will be able to identify what archaeologists found, and
how these artifacts were used in the past.

SOL Science: 4.1b The student will demonstrate an understanding of

scientific reasoning, logic, and the nature of science by planning and
conducting investigations which
Key Concept includes: b) objects or events are classified and arranged
according to characteristics or properties.

SOL Math: 4.7a The student will estimate and measure length, and describe
the result in both metric and U.S. Customary units
* This standard applies to the extension activity*

Materials for Learning Activities

For Students
o Highlighter
o Pencil
o Copy of the article: Artifacts From Werowocomoco, Powhatan
Capital City, on View at Jamestown Settlement :
http://www.historyisfun.org/wpcontent/uploads/2014/07/Spring2010DISPATCHlores.pdf
o Post-it
o Possible extension activity
Paper
Crayons
Rulers

 Paper squares (for measurement use)

Scissors
o Materials for Archaeological Dig
Clipboards
Archaeological Dig Sheet
Tubs of sand (or potting soil)
Latex-free gloves (if students want them)
Hand shovels/hand tools for the yard
Plastic bags

III.

For Teachers
o Smart board
o Plastic tubs with lids to put the sand (or potting soil) in (set this up
ahead of time put in the different objects)
I would recommend putting in things that are safe for kids to
touch like empty water bottles or things in the classroom that
are easy to clean or that you can throw out afterwards.
o 1 copy of the article for each student
o Materials for Extension activity

Procedures for Learning Activities

Introduction:
o Gather students to the carpet. Say, What is an artifact? Turn and
talk to a friend and discuss that for a minute. Give time for thinking
and talking.
Go over what an artifact is if no one gives you the answer
youre looking for. If someone does give you the answer
youre looking for say What kind of person searches for
artifacts? There is a name for them? Raise your hand if you
can tell me. Wait for think and response time.
o Say, Wonderful. Thats right. Weve been talking about the Indians,
where they lived, and how they adapted to their environment. Weve
also talked about Native Americans that are still around in Virginia
today. Today were going to talk about archaeologists and what
evidence they found at two sites in Virginia.
Instruction:
o Show them the first picture on the power point then say, The two
sights in Virginia that archaeologists found evidence at was
Werowocomoco and Jamestown. Have them repeat the tricky name
after you say it again.
o Flip to the next slide and say, Werowocomoco is right here on our
map of Virginia. See that little red dot. Thats where it was. That
location is known today as Gloucester County.

o Pass out copies of the Read Aloud (you could use this as a shared
reading during the week as well if you wanted to): Artifacts From
Werowocomoco, Powhatan Capital City, on View at Jamestown
Settlement. Say, While Im passing out this article you need a
highlighter and a pencil. The pencil is to write your name at the top of
the article.
o Say, Were going to read this article aloud. If you would like to you
may raise your hand to read aloud. We will take turns. I will start us
off and I will read if we run out of people who would like to read
aloud.
Read aloud asking questions along the way to help scaffold
their thinking on the topic.
o Discuss what they learned from the article about Werowocomoco.
You want them to say something along the lines of
Werowocomoco was a large Indian town used by Indian
leaders before the settlers came and that it was the headquarters
of Powhatan in 1607.
o Ask if they remember what kinds of artifacts archaeologists found.
o Say, Now were going to talk about Jamestown. Jamestown was the
first English settlement in North America. What archaeologists have
done is they have discovered the site where the original fort was.
Show them the picture.
o Say, This is what the original fort looked like. Archaeologists have
found where that original fort was located.
o Say, All of the artifacts that archaeologists find help us better
understand history. The artifacts that archaeologists have found at
Jamestown help them (and us) better understand and give us clues
about the interactions between the English settlers, Indians, and even
the Africans.
o Say, Now, we are going to go on our own archaeological expedition.
Are you ready?
Take the kids outside either have responsible students bring the
bins out or bring them out ahead of time and keep them
covered until youre ready for the activity.
o Say What youre going to do is youre going to dig through these
bins in groups of three and you are going to take these things out of
your bin and put them in your groups plastic bags. Youre going to
pretend that these bins are pieces of land and youre digging up items
from whatever was there in the past. So your sheet asks you where
do you think these items came from? What do you think was originally
on this land? Thats where you put your conclusion like I think this
land came from a kitchen or whatever you think it came from based on
the items in your dig. When you have found everything (tell them
how many items are in their bins) Please be careful with the
dirt/sand make sure youre not digging too fast so that the dirt or sand

goes up in someones face or eyes. To avoid this, PLEASE take turns

digging in the bins."
o Then say, After youve dug all your items up your group needs to
decide how youre going to sort them, this is what archaeologists do,
you need to have a reason for the way that you sorted them. For
example you might sort by material, shape, what the objects are used
for, etc. When your group is done put the lid back on the bin, make
sure your name is on your paper and then wait by the fence/wall and
once everyone is finished we will go inside.
Once everyone is done go back into the classroom. (Decide
beforehand if youre going to leave the bins outside and bring
them in after school, or have responsible students bring them
inside.) When youre back in the room go over some of the
ways that people categorized their items.

Closing:
o Have students take out a post-it note and a pencil get ready for the exit
ticket.
o Exit Ticket Question: Why do you think artifacts help us and
archaeologists better understand what happened in the past?
o Say, Once youve filled out your exit ticket put it on the What Stuck
With You Today poster on your number spot.

IV.

Assessment
Informal/Formative Assessment:
o Exit Ticket: why do you think artifacts help us and archaeologists
better understand what happened in the past?
The exit ticket will give me an idea of whether or not they TRULY
understand the purpose of archaeology. That was the main thing I really
wanted them to get out of this lesson. I think the archaeological dig really
helps emphasize that understanding.
Summative/Formal Assessment: This will be completed after the unit is
taught. More information on this assessment is provided after this last lesson
outline. Since we just did the archaeological dig I am not going to include
that in the summative assessment.

V.

Differentiation
Multiple Intelligences
o Visual/Spatial: Seeing the different artifacts in the article. Will give
them a visual of what an artifact can actually look like; especially for
those ELL students.

o Logical/Mathematical: The expansion activity involves students using

rulers or paper squares to measure the surface area of the Jamestown
Settlement that they build.
o InTERpersonal: Students dont always think of things the same way
their peers do. They gain a peers point of view during any turn and
talk period. The same idea goes for the archaeological dig. Some
kids may think to categorize items one way and some may think to
categorize them in a completely different way (that others may not
have even thought of).
o Naturalist: The kids are going on their own archaeological dig. I have
them classifying and categorizing the things they find in their
archaeological dig. This connects to my science standard that I have
integrated into this lesson.
Student Centeredness/Choice: I dont tell students how to categorize the
objects that they find in their archaeological dig. I give them examples but I
tell them they can do it however they want to.
Extension Activity: Building a diorama of the original Jamestown settlement.
They can build it. They have to calculate the surface area of the settlement
that they built.
ELL Students/ Special Education and/or Special Needs Students
o Give the students a separate sheet of paper with the pictures (after
theyve dug up the items) and they can cut and glue the pictures out
and put them on their paper into the sorts and categories that their
groups put them into.

VI.

Technology Integration
Smart board
o Power point slides
o The article on the board while reading aloud

VII.

Reflection