Anthropology Teacher Resources

Could geography really be the most logical explanation for the success rate of any given population? Jared Diamond makes his anthropological contention in his 1997 publication Guns, Germs, and Steel. A short explores his main points and...

Skeletons may not be able to speak, but they can still tell us a lot. High schoolers watch a short video about the ways biological anthropologists can use a skeleton's bone structure to determine age, gender, place of birth, and social...

Do traditional customs of Islam contradict western feminism? Explore this and more using a video summary of Saba Mahmood's Politics of Piety, part of an extensive playlist about the world's greatest ideas. It addresses a common...

Scholars join a field expedition team to unearth a plethora of treasures from Central America. Artifacts listed in alphabetical order come with an informational blurb and a picture designed for participants to color. Activity pages...

There is a lot to this Native American exploration plan, delve into it! A WebQuest focuses research with 3 expeditions (printable if resources dictate). Scholars keep track of findings on a KWL chart (consider a more note-taking specific...

Help middle schoolers conduct Internet research and develop a working definition for the discipline of social studies. From a list of websites, they develop classification skills and differentiate between primary and secondary sources....

Give learners a chance to understand the practices and beliefs associated with witchcraft through an anthropological lens. Like any other belief system, witchcraft stems from specific sociological needs. This practice is well-defined in...

"Is this a good evolutionary adaptation, or is it going to lead us to being the shortest lived hominid species on planet earth?" Listen as Kenyan paleontologist Louise Leakey discusses our evolution from common ancestry and her work in...

A good start to a larger discussion, this presentation address the qualities and characteristics of a civilization. It briefly discusses the earliest civilizations, leaving your lecture as the next logical step in a world history or...

Is the progression of human complexity due to eating meat? The 14th video in a 16-part series attempts to answer this and other thought-provoking questions. It relates the process of human evolution and innovation to our ability to learn...

Sixth graders take an Internet trip back in time to explore ancient cultures. Working in teams, they assume the roles of theologian, cartographer, economist, political analyst, and anthropologist. The same groups then create time...

Students navigate an obstacle course through the school on which they must walk and crawl on hands and knees. They distinguish characteristics of humans and animals.

The introduction of this lesson requires reading a from The Maya by Jaqueline Dembar Greene. Learners sketch a Mayan during the reading. Teaching strategies include direct instruction, grouping the students for discussions, reasearch,...

What is culture? Define culture, artifacts, subcultures, and multiculturalism with your class. This presentation provides a definition, example, and image of each facet of culture. 

The excavation of a cache of artifacts found on San Nicolas Island, a part of the Channel Island chain, is the focus of a documentary that shows how archaeologists uncover artifacts and use these finds to attempt to understand the past....

Is aggression part of human nature? What about warfare? Crash Course World History takes high schoolers through the anthropological perspective of war, as well as the philosophical and biological points of view, and explores whether or...

Learning begins with observation. A video summary of Lave and Wegner's Situated Learning discusses the importance of observation and apprenticeship in learning as part of a larger playlist on the world's greatest ideas. The video...

The American Museum of Natural History offers a website sure to engage young anthropologists. Learners can dig into a site that offers an explanation of the field of archaeology, the kinds of questions archaeologists ask that launch...

A 10-question interactive permits young anthropologists to study the field of archaeology and the tools archaeologists use to dig into history.

Archaeologist David Hurst Thomas details his search for a lost Spanish Mission on St. Catherines Island, Georgia. A great way to introduce youngsters to the life of and the tools used by archaeologists.

David Hurst Thomas loves the children's book The Cat in the Hat and Rocky Road ice cream. He's also loves being an archaeologist. Thomas shares his passion for studying old things in a short video where he answers questions posed by...

Young archaeologists practice their mapping skills by creating a detailed site map of their room or another room in their home. After indicating walls, windows, doors, and closets, they add furniture and objects, labeling each item.

Many are aware of the mummies found in the tombs of Egypt. But in addition to the mummified bodies of the ancient pharaohs like King Tut, archaeologists also found cat mummies, dog mummies, and alligator mummies. In a video interview,...

Learners analyze anthropological case studies. In this specific Ethical Dilemmas lesson, students make ethical judgments based on the case study analysis. Learners work cooperatively in small groups to reach their conclusions.