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K-State Today

February 12, 2013

Discovering Archaeology in the Flint Hills teacher workshop

Submitted by Ritterbush, Lauren W.

Lauren W. Ritterbush, associate professor of archaeology in the department of sociology, anthropology and social work in the College of Arts and Sciences, and Brad Burenheide, associate professor of curriculum and instruction in the College of Education, recently led the second of two interactive teacher workshops at the Flint Hills Discovery Center in Manhattan. 

These workshops introduced K-12 teachers from the Flint Hills region and beyond to two Kansas Project Archaeology curricula and exhibits of the Flint Hills Discovery Center. Project Archaeology is a national heritage education program that engages students in reading, writing, science, geography, history and other common core standards through local archaeology. Kansas has served as a leader in expanding Project Archaeology not only through the national program, but also through unique curricula designed specifically for our state through the efforts of the Kansas Historical Society.

The recent Discovering Archaeology in the Flint Hills teacher workshops were funded through a Historic Preservation Fund grant provided by the National Park Service and administered by the Kansas Historical Society. Matching funds and services were provided by the Flint Hills Discovery Center and a fundraiser by Gaia Salon. Teachers who participated in the workshop not only became intimately familiar with the curriculum, its content and pedagogy, but also gained free classroom materials and entrance for their classes to the new Flint Hills Discovery Center.