FUNgineers

Digging up the Past!

This is a little collection of primary school-level activity videos developed during lockdown from Wester Hailes Library’s (City of Edinburgh Council) STEM club, FUNgineers.

Each video examines a different aspect or period of archaeology with a STEM or higher order thinking skills activity. The main themes connecting them are the importance of interpretation and the value which archaeological burials can bring by providing insight into specific individuals from the past, and what they tell us about past societies and their belief systems. The activity videos are aimed for use by everyone.

Content in each video can be expanded and allows for differentiation to support Curriculum for Excellence.

FUNgineers STEM activities on Facebook every Friday at 3pm. See below for contact details.

Session 1: Interpretation in Archaeology

FUNgineers Digging Up the Past!: Interpretation in Archaeology – Session Video

About: What is archaeology and how do archaeologists interpret artefacts? This activity video uses the National Trust for Scotland’s ‘The Lost Luggage’ game from ‘Archaeology for Schools – Would You Make A Good Archaeologist?’

Sources:

Jackson, Debbie; Alexander, Derek. ‘Archaeology for Schools – Would You Make A Good Archaeologist?’, The National Trust for Scotland.

Session 2: Viking Age

FUNgineers: Digging Up the Past!: Viking – Session Video

Discover one of the Viking Age’s best-preserved ship burials, Oseberg, using the Museum of Cultural History, The Viking Ship Museum’s (Oslo, Norway) 360° exhibition. Then design your own longship with junk modelling.

Sources:

BBC Bitesize, KS2 Vikings

BBC History, Hands on History and ‘Make a Viking longship’ –the inspiration for the Viking ship build and a template

Google Maps

Graham-Campbell, James (2001) ‘The Viking World’, Frances Lincoln Limited.

UiO: Museum of Cultural History, Oslo, Norway

The Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde, Denmark

Session 3: Ancient Egypt

FUNgineers: Digging Up the Past!: Ancient Egypt -Session video

Conduct your own science experiment to test whether a tomato can be mummified. This video uses WhizzPopBang!’s ‘Mummify a Tomato’ activity idea.

Sources:

BBC Bitesize KS2, Ancient Egypt

BBC History, Ancient Egyptians

Malam, John (2020) ‘Mummies: Riveting Reads for Curious Kids (Mega Bites)‘, DK Dorling Kindersley Limited (Kindle edition)

Session 4: Neolithic

FUNgineers: Digging Up the Past!: Neolithic – Session Video

Learn about the Calanais Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis using Google Earth, and make homemade playdough to design your own stone circle. Be a Neolithic builder!