Antonio J. Waring, Jr. Archaeological Laboratory

Comments about the Program

Introduction to the Program

The Waring Laboratory has an active Educational Outreach Program, made possible with a grant from the Student Assisted Research Program (SRAP), and created by Anthropology Undergraduates at the University of West Georgia. This program is available for elementary school to college-level students and includes:

• Two Archaeological Teaching Trunks
• A Guided Tour of the Laboratory
• An On-Site Mock Excavation Pit

The Teaching Trunks are intended for use in Grades 3-8 and contain various activities to teach Math, Language Arts, etc. using archaeological concepts. The Guided Tour shows exactly how the facility is operated. The On-Site Mock Excavation Pit is used to teach the importance of preserving an archaeological site by performing a mock archaeological dig. Additionally, the activities are developed around Georgia's Performance Standards (GPS) and can be adapted for use with students in all grades. The Educational Outreach Program is currently available for Teachers and Educators of public, private, and home schools, as well as civic education programs such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, within traveling distance to the Waring Laboratory.

Teaching Trunks

Currently the Waring Laboratory has two Traveling Teaching Trunks.  "What is Archaeology" introduces students to general archaeology, archaeology of Georgia, and archaeology of the surrounding areas.  "Archaeological Excavation Exercises" teaches students about how archaeologists 'dig' and record artifacts, and may be used in conjunction with the optional On-site Mock Excavation.  Each Trunk includes a Teacher's guide of frequently asked questions, vocabulary, multiple classroom/outdoor activities, online activities, and a suggested reading list.  Each activity comes with learning objectives, an introduction, and instructions.  The Teacher is welcome to modify any activity for his/her needs.  Most of the activities can be adapted to any age group, however, it is specifically designed to correlate with Grades 3-8 GPS requirements. Note: The Trunks cannot be shipped at this time.

Guided Tour

During the Guided Tour, students learn what comprises an archaeological laboratory, how to care for artifacts, and see parts of their cultural heritage.  The tour is given by staff and volunteers of the Waring Laboratory.  The maximum capacity for the Guided Tour is 50 students at a time. The Tour is made flexible to meet many classroom needs, and the Educator is encouraged to identify topic(s) for the Waring Lab to concentrate on during the session. The recommended length of the tour is 20 minutes, but this depends on the number of topics chosen by the Educator and the group's time requirement.

On-Site Mock Excavation

The On-site Mock Excavation is a field trip to the Waring Laboratory that provides for students to learn about archaeology by actually excavating at an archaeological site especially created for their instruction. The activities are designed to work in conjunction with "Archaeological Excavation Exercises" Teaching Trunk before and after the excavation; however, any of the activities can be used stand-alone. The On-site Mock Excavation gives the students exposure to field archaeology while using mathematics, language arts, critical thinking, science, and many other skills required by the GPS. The maximum capacity for the On-site Mock Excavation is 20 students. All materials are provided by the Waring Laboratory. Each student will get a chance to excavate, sift, record, and identify artifacts. Staff and volunteers of the Waring Laboratory will be on-site to assist students with the On-site Mock Excavation.

How to Participate in the Educational Program

Are you interested in using the Educational Program? If so, read more on how to make Reservations and complete the Reservation Form. We encourage you to invite archaeology into your classroom!