What is Dig it!?

Multimedia software - Dig it! is a multimedia software package designed to introduce fifth graders to archeology and the pre-Columbian world of the Maya, Aztecs, and Incas.

Art appreciation - The software uses text, audio, colorful graphics, animation, and photographs of objects in the Mint Museum of Art’s, Charlotte, NC, pre-Columbian collection to make the ancient world come to life.

Cultural exploration - In Dig it!, students explore ancient tombs, reconstruct pottery fragments to learn about the past, attend a pre-Columbian fashion show, study maps, compare the past to the present, go on a jaguar hunt, and search for visual clues from Maya ceramics.

What does Dig it! do?

Provides a rich, cross-cultural, cross-curriculum learning experience — Dig it! is a multimedia experience to help students in the fifth grade and up explore archeology and the pre-Columbian world of the Maya, Aztecs, and Incas

Reinforces classroom teaching — The teaching of ancient Latin American history and geography is part of the social studies curriculum for all fifth graders in North Carolina. The Dig it! software supplements the textbook and classroom activities and visits to the Mint Museum of Art.

Introduces young learners to pre-Columbian art — The Dig it! program features 14 works from the Mint Museum of Art’s exceptional pre-Columbian collection. These ancient works are from all over Central and South America.

How does Dig it! work?

The Dig it! software is made up of interactive activities to help the user explore pre-Columbian civilizations. Dig it! offers learners the following types of educational activities:

Time Line Study - Users can see the rise and fall of the pre-Columbian empires.

Map Study - Users can compare and contrast the geography of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca empires and Latin America today.

Culture Study - Learners can explore the following topics: Archaeology, Ancient Clothing, Eating Habits , Religion, Burial Practices, and Communication.

Who is the primary audience for Dig it!?

Dig it! is for anyone who wants to learn about the ancient Maya, Aztec, and Inca world and have fun.

This program was designed to enhance the North Carolina Social Studies curriculum for fifth graders. In the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, NC school system all fifth graders travel to the Mint Museumof Art to tour the pre-Columbian collection. The Dig it! software was developed to help students make connections between classroom social studies experiences and the visit to the Mint Museum of Art.

Who made the Dig it! software?

The Dig it! software project is a collaborative venture between the Mint Museum of Art and Interactive Knowledge, Inc., a Charlotte multimedia development company.

The software was developed as part of the Mint’s D.I.G.S.: Deciphering & Investigating Great Societies project. The D.I.G.S. Project was funded by the Institute of Museum Services, a federal agency, through Museum Leadership Initiative Grants in 1994 and 1995.

Interactive Knowledge, Inc. developed the software using Macromedia’s Authorware Professional. Interactive Knowledge specializes in the design and production of educational multimedia and Internet based programs.

How can I get the Dig it! program?

The Dig it! program is free and you can get it from this web site. The program is available in three versions. You can download the Macintosh or the Windows version of the software to run on your computer. Or you can view a Shockwave version over the Internet if you have the Shockwave for Authorware plugin.

For more information

Contact:

Jill Shuford - Mint Museum of Art (704-337-2033)

Chuck Barger - Interactive Knowledge (704-344-0055)