Peanut Butter & Jelly Archaeology
Students will examine the principle of stratigraphy by building an edible archaeological site.
Lesson Created By: MegGaillard
Lesson Partners: South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
Essential Question
How can the layers of an edible archaeological site help us determine the order in which events happened in the past?
Grade(s):
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 8
Subject(s):
Recommended Technology:
Other Instructional Materials or Notes:
- 3 slices of bread (alternative: angel food cake)
- 3 tablespoons of jelly or jam
- 2 tablespoons peanut butter (alternative: cake frosting)
- Raisins
- Chocolate chips
- Chocolate sprinkles
- Broken candy pieces (M&Ms are suggested)
- Oreos
- Frosted Flakes
- Rice Krispies Bars
- Gummy worms
- Pretzel sticks
- 2 paper plates
- Plastic knife
- Plastic spoon
- Large clear straw
- Napkins
Lesson Progression
Lesson
- Give a brief history of Fort Frederick Heritage Preserve. Reference the background information in the resources section.
- Show the Fort Frederick Archaeology documentary film (linked in the resources section).
- Review key archaeology terminology covered in the film (shovel test, cultural material, sterile soil, excavation, artifact, curation, feature, stratigraphy, integrity, analysis).
- Discuss the process of archaeology with the students. Reference the background information in the resources section.
- Talk with the students about the short-term and long-term effects of weather and human activity (i.e., looting) to archaeological sites.
- Guide students in the peanut butter and jelly archaeology activity. Tell students they are going to create an archaeological site like those excavated at Fort Frederick Heritage Preserve. Students will bury their site, excavate it, and then eat it. You can use the following narrative to guide students through the activity. Remember to reinforce archaeological concepts throughout the activity.
- Following the activity, discuss with the students why the preservation of archaeological sites and historic structures like the ones found Fort Frederick Heritage Preserve is important, and what they can do to help with the preservation of cultural resources (i.e., historical structures, archaeological sites) in their own communities.
Narrative:
- "Here is Fort Frederick Heritage Preserve next to the Beaufort River in South Carolina." Lay down a slice of bread.
- "A large flood leaves a layer of mud on the property." Spread the peanut butter.
- "Shortly after the flood, a group of Woodland Period (1000 B.C. to A.D. 1200) Native Americans camp on the preserve. It can get pretty cold at night, so they build a fire. Their fire leaves behind charcoal and rocks that crack from the heat." Arrange pieces of raisins in a circle and fill the circle with crushed Oreos.
These people depart and through time a layer of dirt forms over the campsite. Lay down another slice of bread. - "In the 1700s, the British start to build Fort Frederick using tabby on the edge of the Beaufort River. Inside the fort they built barracks and a powder magazine using brick." Lay down thin layers of Rice Krispies Bars for the walls of Fort Frederick near the edge of the bread, and pieces of pretzel sticks for the outline of the barracks and powder magazine.
- "Within a short time the British abandon the fort as it starts to fall into disrepair and the river begins to move over the eastern wall. Cover the eastern half of the fort with jelly.
- "In 1785, the property becomes part of a plantation. Many people live on the plantation, build houses, plant fields, and deposit trash." Use pretzel sticks to make the outline of a small structure." Deposit a small pile to M&Ms (representing ceramics), Frosted Flakes (representing oyster shells) in a trash pile near the small structure.
- "Over the next 200 years the structures associated with the plantation are destroyed and buried." Lay down a slice of bread (cut away at least ¼ of the bread to allow the fort to remain on the surface).
- "In 1949, the U.S. Naval Hospital builds housing near the property, and builds a road and boat ramp next to Fort Frederick." Use the knife to spread a line of peanut butter across the bread to represent the road.
- "In 1997, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources acquires the property, naming it Fort Frederick Heritage Preserve. In 2014, they begin archaeological investigations of the property." Students can start systematic shovel testing of their model sites by pushing the large straws through their sandwiches.
- "What areas during testing produced the most artifacts or features? Go back to your site and using your knife, cut in larger excavation units to reveal more of your site." Students can eat their sites (all together or layer by layer) following a discussion of the archaeological process they just modeled.
Teacher Notes
Differentiation: Instead of using a single "digging site," provide students with a larger area (tray or pan) and have them create a mini archaeological dig with multiple layers representing different periods scattered around the space. Students can then "excavate" using tools like spoons and paintbrushes, uncovering various artifacts throughout the area.
Extension: Research a specific artifact from each period and have students create edible replicas using different ingredients and techniques. OR Introduce the concept of "missing layers" in the stratigraphy. Ask students to identify areas where layers might be missing due to erosion or disturbances and discuss the impact on historical understanding.
Fort Frederick Archaeology
Come along as a team of archaeologists conducts a month-long expedition at Fort Frederick Heritage Preserve uncovering occupations from pre-historic times through the 19th century. Discover the methods and techniques of a dig.
View ResourceStandards
- Earth Science: Earth’s History and Diversity of Life
- 4.1.CO Compare the interactions among cultural groups as a result of European colonization.
- 6.3.CO Compare European motivations for exploration and settlement.
- This indicator was developed to encourage inquiry into European motivations for exploration and settlement as a result of the closing of the Silk Road. This indicator was also written to foster inquiry into the development of the Atlantic World, and the resulting economic, political, and social transformations in European, American, and African societies.
- 8.1.CO Compare the three British North American colonial regions economically, politically, socially, and in regard to labor development.
- This indicator was developed to encourage inquiry into how the three British colonial regions developed in terms of their culture, economies, geography, and labor. The indicator was also developed to encourage inquiry into the unique story of the development of South Carolina.
- 5-ESS3-1. Evaluate potential solutions to problems that individual communities face in protecting the Earths resources and environment.
Assessments
Informal assessment - class discussion about why the preservation of archaeological sites and historic structures like the ones found at Fort Frederick Heritage Preserve is important. Ask what they can do to help with the preservation of cultural resources (i.e., historical structures, archaeological sites) in their own communities.
