Science Education via Archaeology: Enriching High School Curricula through Adapted Primary Archaeology Literature 1 Anstey ,
2 Norris ,
1 Renouf &
3 Bell
Robert J. Stephen P. M.A.P. Trevor 1Department of Archaeology, Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland, A1C 5S7 2 Department of Educational Policy Studies, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2G5 3 Department of Geography, Memorial University, St. John’s, Newfoundland, A1C 5S7
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Research Context
Archaeology is rarely discussed in grade school classrooms. Recent research[1,2,3] has demonstrated the utility of adapted primary literature for improving student comprehension of, engagement and interest in science. We present a preliminary overview of related research focused on improving student understanding of archaeology using adapted literature.
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Adaptation: Prehistoric Cultures, Reconstructed
The original paper by Bell and Renouf focuses on the relationship between Maritime Archaic Indian (MAI) site distribution and relative sea level (RSL) in Newfoundland (see supplement 1). They ask two questions: Can RSL history explain the: 1) uneven distribution of late MAI (5500-3000 BP) sites?
2) absence of early MAI (8000-5500 BP) sites?
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[4] Coasts
To make the study easier to follow for students (i.e., non-archaeologists), the original text was paraphrased using non-academic language (see supplement 2). The word count was condensed: original: 5,028 words; adaptation: 2,243 words (not including references). We reduced the number of and enhanced original (Fig. 1) figures with colour (Fig. 2) to make them more visually appealing and easier to follow.
Research Aims
1) to foster better student understanding of archaeology in high schools
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We followed well-established methods for literature adaptations in science[1,2,3]:
o paraphrased and condensed text.
Next Steps
This project is on-going and we plan to:
o selected an archaeology paper with clear reasoning and one which employs scientific methods[4]
o judged critically which concepts and graphics should be clarified and/or maintained in the adaptation
2) citizens better placed to interpret scientific findings and to appreciate their sources of strength as well as their limitations
5) could lead to better integration of archaeological subject matter in high school curricula.
Methods
o the elements of isolated and defined in the paper
1) a deepened grasp of the source of archaeological knowledge and scientific knowledge in general
4) may foster improved interest and engagement in archaeology
2) to develop adaptations of primary archaeology literature for use in high school curricula.
[5] reasoning were
There are several implications of incorporating adaptations of primary archaeology literature into high school curricula. These include:
3) an introduction to “living knowledge” or knowledge in the making instead of knowledge that is already fixed
Our research has two primary aims:
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Implications
1) develop a series of adapted primary literature on Newfoundland MAI and other relevant archaeological topics Figure 1. Original figure showing post-glacial lowstand and late MAI site locations in Newfoundland (Bell and Renouf 2003:356).
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References
[1] Baram-Tsabari, A., and A. Yarden. 2005. Text Genre as a Factor in the Formation of Scientific Literacy. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 42(4):403-428. [2] Norris, S.P., N. Stelnicki, and G. de Vries. In press. Teaching Mathematical Biology in High School Using Adapted Primary Literature. Research in Science Education. [3] Phillips, L., and S.P. Norris. 2009. Bridging the Gap Between the Language of Science and the Language of School Science Through the Use of Adapted Primary Literature. Research in Science Education 39:313-319.
[4] Bell, T., and M.A.P. Renouf. 2003. Prehistoric Cultures, Reconstructed Coasts: Maritime Archaic Indian Site Distribution in Newfoundland. World Archaeology 35(3):350-370. [5] Munson, R., and A. Black. 2011. The Elements of Reasoning. Boston: Wadsworth Publishers.
2) make these series available online including interactive Flash® applets and questions.
Figure 2. Adapted figure.
Acknowledgements We would also like to thank Eric Guiry for the helpful editorial suggestions made on a draft of this poster.
We encourage others to follow suit and develop adaptations in archaeology and other social science subjects.
