More About This Resource...

• This activity, available as a one-page printed handout, was created to complement the Museum's Hall of South American Peoples. A series of questions and activities lead students to six locations:

  • Gold display case in the Hall of Mexico and Central America
  • Sipán tomb excavation
  • Chavin case
  • Properties of Minerals display
  • Mining and Smelting/Andean Copper Miner case
  • Tools case in Amazonia room

• Completion Time

  Less than 1 period

• Teacher Tip

  Supplement a study of history or geography with a classroom activity drawn from this student handout created for the Museum's Hall of South American Peoples.

  1. Ask students: Why is gold considered a precious metal. What are some of the ways different cultures and civilizations have used it?
  2. Give copies of the activity to students. Working individually or in pairs, have students explore the exhibit and complete the six investigations.
  3. Back in the classroom, discuss students' answers to the question about possible reasons that Amazonian Indians did not use metal tools until Europeans introduced them in the 16th century.

• Topic

  Earth Science

• Subtopic

  Minerals and Resources