Social Scientist Exemplar – Mr. Rodriguez
Quarter 1 Writing Piece – 6th Grade
Subject: Social Studies
The social scientist I have chosen to write about is an archaeologist. Archaeologists
dig up the past to make sense of the present. The artifacts they find give us an
understanding of how people lived. Some artifacts that archaeologists have found
such as pottery and dishes tell us that people in the past had an appreciation for
beauty and cooked their food. The same is true today. One day someone will dig up
our museums, for example, and discover that we had an appreciation for culture and
fine art.
Archaeologists have made many amazing discoveries of early hominids such as
Lucy, Handy Man, Homo erectus, and Homo sapiens sapiens. Some famous
archaeologists are Mary Leakey and Donald Johanson. These archeological
discoveries have given us tremendous insight into human origins. We know that
Lucy was a prehistoric female who had well-developed hands so she could carry her
young.
Through their discoveries, archaeologists have taught us that that early humans
used tools, walked on two feet, and progressed from hunter-gatherers to farmers.
Archaeologists have taught us that early man eventually settled down in homes and
farms, which set the stage for civilization-building.
The accomplishments of archaeologists are like a time machine because they take us
to exotic time periods where humans hunted, built things, and had families. If I could
have another job, I’d be an archaeologist because it blends science and history very
well. What’s interesting about archaeology is that it provides physical evidence that
historical events actually took place.
In conclusion, archaeologists continue to make discoveries that enhance our
understanding of past events. A recent archaeological discovery has been made
about Mesopotamia, which is located in the Middle Eastern country of Iraq.
Archaeologists have discovered clues to a lost prehistoric code. What they found
was a code sealed inside clay balls that may represent the world's first data storage
system. (Source: http://news.discovery.com/history/archaeology/clues-toprehistoric-code-foundin-mesopotamia-131011.htm)