As well as an appreciation of archaeology, this science lesson is designed to put KS3 biology (food tests), chemistry (fermentation and production of ethanol) and physics (atomic structure and isotopes) into a fascinating real world context to improve kinesthetic learning opportunities and raise engagement.
Students will construct a layer cake that represents a dig site and learn about how to plan and map a dig. They will carry out chemical food tests with an archaeological theme and prepare their own sample of ethanol in a simulation of an experiment carried out to resurrect ancient Andean yeast cells.
An independent learning investigation of carbon-14 dating will lead to a deeper understanding of atomic structure and the half-life of radioactive isotopes.
