Archaeological Opportunity
Who: Interested homeschoolers age 9 and older who would like to participate (if you have a very interested younger student, please let me know and I’ll see what we can do) This opportunity may be limited to about 10 students.
When: Four Monday’s (the plan will be for Day 2-4 to be inconsecutive weeks)
Day 1: Archealogical dig (north of Plattsburgh) – this will happen in Sept./Oct.
Day 2: SUNY Lab working on artifacts (research and interpretation) of what is found
Day 3: At SUNY discussing exhibits and exhibits labels *afterwards students would work on one label at home.
Day 4: Design exhibit panel. Written labels will be used for interpretive panel, brochure or actual exhibit.
Note: Those interested in doing more can actually help finalize the project, including the installation of the exhibit
Please email tamneureuther@yahoo.com with questions or interest. Please tell me your student’s name and age. I will put you on an email list for additional information.
Here are more details…
Project Summary
Local students will work closely with Jan McCormick, Museum Curator and Educator for the Samuel de Champlain History Center and Andrew Black, SUNY Plattsburgh Adjunct Professor and professional Archeaologist; The students will spend a day working an actual historic dig site, learn to research and interpret the artifacts, and finally learn how to put the story together. Local students will work closely with SUNY students as mentors at the dig site and researching artifacts at the Plattsburgh SUNY lab. This historic site is located on Mr. Black’s property and dates around the 1800s, when an increased wave of immigrants arrived as families from New England and further south in New York State moved in to build new lives and new opportunities on old Canadian Refugee land tracts of Champlain Valley. Many of these early settlers bought land and sought to establish small family farms in what was then still wilderness. The most valuable lots, of course, were ones next to the major water sources (such as the Great Chazy River or Lake Champlain). This site offers a rare opportunity for students to understand how the Champlain Valley was settled.
Jan McCormick, will assist teaching local students how to research and interpret the artifacts at the Plattsburgh SUNY Lab, as well as how to create an exhibit and interpretive panels from the information and artifacts discovered at the dig site. The exhibit will be duplicated for the Samuel de Champlain History Center and the Anthropology department at SUNY, Plattsburgh. An educational brochure will also be produced for visitors at the Samuel de Champlain History Center and SUNY Plattsburgh.