Bones and Forensic Anthropology

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History

Introduction

National Middle School Science Standards

Life Science, Physical Science

National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies

Key Terms

forensic anthropology, archaeology, skeletal analysis, antemortem, perimortem, postmortem

Key Concepts

Skeletal analysis for age, sex, ancestry, and health
Process of identifying cause of death
Human skeletal development over a lifespan
Culture of Jamestown and other colonies
Technology used by forensic anthropologists

Resource Types

Videos and Webcasts

Forensic Anthropology - Bone Whispering with Smithsonian Anthropologist Kari Bruwelheide on Smithsonian Science How
Reading the Remains National Museum of Natural History (NMNH)
What Can Science Tell Us About American History? Smithsonian Institution
Finding Remains National Museum of Natural History (NMNH)
Smithsonian's Own Crime Scene Investigator Smithsonian Magazine

Printable Lessons

Decoding the Past: The Work of Archaeologists Smithsonian Learning Lab

Science Literacy Resources

Middle School Level

Gettysburg Skull Turns Out to be That of a Southwest Native American 700 Years Old Washington Post

High School Level

Jamestown Skeletons Identified as Colony Leaders Smithsonian Insider
The Kennewick Man Finally Freed to Share His Secrets Smithsonian Magazine
To Discover What Life Was Like in 19th Century D.C., a Smithsonian Scientist Investigates a Tomb Smithsonian Magazine
Solving a 17th-Century Crime Smithsonian Magazine

Advanced Reading Level

Researchers Identify Four Skeletons from Jamestown Science Shots from AAAS
Starving Settlers in Jamestown Colony Resorted to Cannibalism Smithsonian Magazine

Subject Guides

Anthropology Subject Guide Smithsonian Libraries

Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)

The Forensic Anthropology teaching resources support students in meeting the following middle school NGSS Performance Expectations.

Life Science

MS-LS 1 From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

MS-LS1-1 Conduct an investigation to provide evidence that living things are made of cells, either one cell or many different numbers and types of cells.
MS-LS1-5 Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth of organisms.

Physical Science

MS-PS1 Matter and Its Interactions

MS-PS1-2 Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.

National Curriculum Standards For Social Studies (NCSS)

The Forensic Anthropology resources align with the following Social Studies standards listed below that integrate anthropology concepts with anthropology skills.

Time, Continuity, and Change

Studying the past makes it possible for us to understand the human story across time.
Knowledge and understanding of the past enable us to analyze the causes and consequences of events and developments, and to place these in the context of the institutions, values and beliefs of the periods in which they took place.
Knowing how to read, reconstruct and interpret the past allows us to answer questions such as: How do we learn about the past? How can we evaluate the usefulness and degree of reliability of different historical sources?

People, Places, and Environments

The study of people, places, and environments enables us to understand the relationship between human populations and the physical world.
During their studies, learners develop an understanding of spatial perspectives, and examine changes in the relationship between peoples, places and environments.

Resource Type