IN THE CLASSROOM -- Getting to the bottom of ancient cultures

Deirdre Newman

Dressed in khaki vests and safari hats, a group of archeologists

carefully dusted off the fossils they just uncovered.

The excitement was palpable as they tried to figure out what era the

fossils came from.

The archeologists, all sixth-graders from Kaiser Elementary School in

Costa Mesa on a simulated excavation, were part of a three-day

cross-cultural activity. It was also a warmup for a multicultural dig the

students will be participating in at the Skirball Museum this week.

The focus of the sixth-grade social studies curriculum is ancient

civilizations, and the outdoor activity helps spark enthusiasm for the

rest of the year, teacher Debra Muniz explained.

It also offers the experience of looking for clues and forming

hypotheses, Muniz added.

“I like finding out how old the fossils are and [what kind of tools]

they used back then,” student Theresa Sanchez said.

During the three-day activity, the students participated in 12

simulations, including drawing cave art, making Sumerian crafts and

jewelry, and mummifying their hands using chicken bones.

“Digging [the fossils] up is pretty fun, but I’m looking forward to

making a mummied hand,” said Murphy Hitchcock, who compared learning

inside the classroom to “just the facts.”

Kurt Newmeyer’s favorite part of the activity was digging for fossils,

he said.

“I learned that archeology isn’t as easy as I thought it was,” he

added.

Many of the students came dressed in clothing to reflect an ancient

civilization. Alyssa Kinder found a toga and jewelry to reflect her

interest in ancient Egypt after reading about their fashions on the

Internet.

While students were digging outside, Emily Richonne was busy inside

the classroom working on hieroglyphics. While the Sumerians created two

kinds of writing -- cuneiform and pictograph -- Emily said she thought it

would be difficult to be limited to just two types of communication.

“I think it would have been hard to deal with, especially now that I

know about easier things,” Emily said, referring to the popularity of

cellular phones and computers.

Holden Gray Keough said he enjoyed drawing the cave art and believes

ancient people used it to convey their feelings.

“If they drew a rainbow, then maybe it was a happy day,” Holden said.

“Cave art is a letter to someone. They can say they killed an animal,

sort of like bragging.”

Parent Chris Ohlhaver said the students’ excitement over the

activities was contagious.

“The kids are learning a lot, and it’s giving them insight into past

cultures that will help them understand why people are the way they are

today,” Ohlhaver said.

* IN THE CLASSROOM is a weekly feature in which Daily Pilot education

writer Deirdre Newman visits a campus within the Newport-Mesa Unified

School District and writes about her experience.