The Waring Laboratory has an active Educational Outreach Program, made possible with a grant from the Student Assisted Research Program (SRAP), and created by Anthropology Undergraduates at the University of West Georgia. The Educational Outreach Program is currently available for Teachers and Educators of elementary school to college-level students in public, private, and home schools, as well as civic education programs such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, within traveling distance to the Waring Laboratory and includes: We encourage you to invite archaeology into your classroom!

The Waring Laboratory has began to integrate an interpretation component to the Education Outreach Program. These projects range from traveling exhibits to smaller interpretive displays.

  • Two Archaeological Teaching Trunks
  • Guided Tour of the Laboratory
  • An On-Site Mock Excavation Pit
  • Exhibits

Available Programs

The Waring Laboratory’s Traveling Teaching Trunks are created with STEM concepts in mind. The trunks are available to teach Science and Social Studies using basic archaeological concepts with fun hands-on activities correlating with the Common Core Georgia Performance Standards (CCGPS).  Each trunk contains real and replica artifacts, an educator’s guide, a student handbook, vocabulary, an assessment worksheet, a jacket and a hat to play the part of an archaeologist, and a visual aide. Cost is $15 for each 2-week period. The Trunks cannot be shipped at this time.

The “What is Archaeology?” trunk is ideal for grades 3-6. to develop a basic understanding of archaeology and how archaeologists uncover the diverse cultures of our past. Although the trunk is intended for social studies and science in grades 3rd- 6th, it can be easily modified to meet the needs of older students and other subject areas.  It is not necessary to know anything about archaeology when working with the activities.  The lessons are taught with a narrative (script) through the ‘trained’ eyes of an archaeologist, “Dr. Trowel” in three units:

  • Unit 1 (What is Archaeology?) – Learn the tools of the trade, how to identify what an artifact is, and be able to divide artifacts into historic and pre-contact periods.
  • Unit 2 (What is Culture?) – Introduces cultural concepts and how archaeologists draw conclusions about people based on artifacts.
  • Unit 3 (Preservation and Conservation) – Teaches students the important role archaeology plays in preserving information about the past for the future.  Students will learn vocabulary associated with looting, explore their values about conservation issues, be introduced to current archaeological laws, and how they can participate in the protection of archaeological sites and artifacts.

The “Journey through Georgia’s Archaeological Timeline” trunk is currently under construction (October 14, 2014) and will be ideal for grades 5-8. Through this trunk, students will be able to explore important cultural time periods in Georgia’s rich history through hands-on activities with artifacts dating from native American prehistory, through the Revolutionary and Civil War, up to the modern day.

A free thirty-minute tour of the Waring Laboratory includes an introduction to different types of archaeology, opportunities to view and handle select artifacts from the collection, explanation of details about curation and safety regulations, and archaeological games. Tours can be tailored to meet specific educational needs or interests. The tour is appropriate for all ages. Advanced reservation required with a 50-person limit.

A 1 1/2-hour mock excavation adventure offers hands-on exploration experience for budding and amateur archaeologists. Excavators receive an introduction to archaeological field work concepts, including layout of a grid, record keeping, documentation, and conservation of archaeological sites in addition to the fun of excavating a prepared site. It is recommended that a teaching trunk be checked out before the mock excavation so the students can learn basic archaeology concepts. For grades 3 and up with advance registration. $5 per digger (teachers and drivers are free). 15-digger limit.