South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

Our mission is to serve as the principal advocate for and steward of South Carolina’s natural resources.

Type
Archaeo-Tech: Atlatl Physics
Archaeo-Tech: Atlatl Physics

Lesson

Students learn about the atlatl, a prehistoric throwing tool that uses leverage, then build and test replicas to measure the increase in throwing distance compared to throwing by hand. They discuss...

Archaeo-Tech: Mollusk ID & Coloring Activity
Archaeo-Tech: Mollusk ID & Coloring Activity

Lesson

Students learn about mollusks, their characteristics and habitats, and how their shells provide clues to the diet of ancient hunter-gatherers who lived on the South Carolina coast thousands of years...

Archaeo-Tech: The Barrier Island
Archaeo-Tech: The Barrier Island

Lesson

Students build model beaches and use waves to simulate coastal erosion, observing how it disturbs and destroys archaeological sites. They then explore engineering solutions to reduce erosion and...

Archaeo-Tech: Geophysics
Archaeo-Tech: Geophysics

Lesson

Students design a mock archaeological site and simulate a survey using punch holes to represent shovel test pits. They then discuss the limitations of this method and explore how geophysics offers a...

Archaeo-Tech: Radiocarbon Dating
Archaeo-Tech: Radiocarbon Dating

Lesson

Students explore the concept of radioactive decay and half-life through a penny-flipping activity, then learn how this principle is used in radiocarbon dating to estimate the age of ancient organic...

Archaeo-Tech: LIDAR
Archaeo-Tech: LIDAR

Lesson

Students build a miniature landscape in a sandbox and use tools to measure elevations at various points. By converting these measurements and coloring a graph, they create a 2D elevation model similar...

Archaeo-Tech: Documenting an Archaeological Site
Archaeo-Tech: Documenting an Archaeological Site

Lesson

Students become archaeologists for a day, creating scaled drawings of a mock excavation unit to document its features and artifacts. Through this activity, they explore the importance of accurate...

Civil War Uniforms & Equipment
Civil War Uniforms & Equipment

Lesson

Students delve into Fort Lamar's history and the Civil War through a documentary. Analyzing photographs and recreating a soldier's belongings, they explore how artifacts offer unique insights into the...

Robert Smalls
Robert Smalls

Lesson

This lesson delves into the story of Robert Smalls, a pivotal figure in the Civil War, and explores the changing role of African Americans during the conflict. Students will analyze Smalls' actions...