Archaeologists+Dig

=Archaeologists Dig!= D. Doherty

In April, Hofstra University students from Professor Christopher Matthews’ Imagining Archeology course visited the Northern Parkway School library. Professor Matthews, his students and Northern Parkway’s librarians coordinated to prepare fourth graders for a hands-on introduction to the archaeological process.

Students took part in a mock dig and used a large screen to sift through sand and dirt to uncover artifacts. The college students used sand art to explain stratigraphy and show how different layers of earth have formed beneath our feet. Together, Hofstra’s students and our fourth graders pieced together broken pieces of pottery. This demonstrated how archaeologists work collaboratively to rebuild objects used by people of the past. The fourth grade boys and girls truly enjoyed working and thinking like an archeologist. We hope to continue our relationship with Hofstra University and host similar programs in the future.

The Archaeological Institute of America/Long Island Society recognized the efforts of school library media specialists Deirdre Doherty and Dolores Saliba by awarding them the Long Island Society 2007 Tribute Fund Grant. This award will make it possible for the librarians to continue to encourage students to better understand the field of archaeology and further enhance their understanding of world history and culture.