Virtual Ask An Archaeologist for Y3 students!

ASE archaeologist Stephen White recently 'Zoomed' into a year 3 classroom to talk about archaeology! Over to Steve...

Back in October I was asked to give a talk to the year 3 class at St John’s C of E School in Buckhurst Hill, Essex. The children has been learning about the Stone Age during their history class and their teacher, Mrs Tetstill, asked if I would be available to do a Zoom talk with them about archaeology. As anyone who knows me will be aware, getting me to talk about archaeology is not normally a problem, normally the problem is getting me to stop!

We set it up as a question and answer session, with the students all writing down questions and I would do my best to answer them. I have to say that they were some of the best questions that I think I’ve ever had about archaeology! How would you answer these??

• What do you do?
• What tools do you use when you dig?
• How do you dig so far underground?
• How long does it take for you to do a dig?
• How do you know where to dig so you can find stuff?
• How do you know where or how old something is?
• How do you know how much old coins are worth?
• What do you like about being an archaeologist?
• What have you dug up? Settlement, Houses, Cheddar Man, Jewelry, Weapons, Food, Animals, Skeletons, Treasure?
• Were you one of the archaeologists that dug up ‘Archie’ the Amesbury Archer?
• Did you dig up any Dinosaur bones/fossils?
• Have you found anything from the Stone Age?
• What is the rarest item you have ever dug up?
• Have you ever been to Stonehenge?
• Do you know how the rocks got to Stonehenge?

The children were so enthusiastic about archaeology - so enthusiastic in fact, that they did not stop at just the talk. One of them built a 3d model of Stonehenge, and they all put together a history board using some of the photos I sent as well as some worksheets that we provided.

I would just like to say thank you again to Mrs Tetstill for asking me to speak to the children, it was great fun to do, and for permission to share this story and the children's artwork. And maybe I’ll see some of them on one of my sites in a few years’ time!

 

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