Educational Resources
SASSAk12 collaborates with research partners to make real data and research methods accessible to educators and students. Through these collaborations, PREP Fellows help translate active research into hands-on learning experiences that connect classrooms and communities.
These projects reflect our mission to connect what happens in research with what happens in society. Some resources offer ready-to-use classroom modules, while others invite educators and learners to explore real research data or build their own materials using open-access tools. Together, they show the many ways curiosity, collaboration, and creativity can bridge science and education.
SASSA in the Classroom Modules
Originally developed and implemented in K–12 classrooms, our SASSA in the Classroom modules connect students with hands-on science and social studies experiences. We are currently refining and standardizing these educator-tested activities to share with the broader public. Meanwhile, new modules are being created by PREP Fellows to expand the series and continue its impact.
Coming soon!
The Hyena or the Hunter Educational Resource Kit
Developed by SASSAk12 in collaboration with the:
National Trust of Australia
University of Minnesota’s Advanced Imaging Service for Objects and Spaces (AISOS)
The Hyena or the Hunter Educational Resource Kit provides educators with open-access imaging data and interpretive materials for exploring one of anthropology’s classic questions: how did early humans acquire meat? This international collaboration transforms 3D scans, RTI files, and printable models into adaptable tools for teaching taphonomy, archaeology, and scientific reasoning.
Coming soon!
Open Workflows for Digital Applications in Anthropology
Created in partnership between SASSAk12 and AMAAZE-labs, this ongoing series of protocols documents the workflows used to generate, manage, and share AMAAZE-labs research methods and data. Each guide, authored by SASSAk12 PREP Fellows with the support of SASSAk12 leadership, translates complex workflows like 3D scanning, image processing, and data sharing into accessible, visual formats that can be used for research, classroom learning, or public exploration.
All materials are shared through AMAAZE consortium, an independent, international network dedicated to ethical, transparent, and reproducible practices in digital research in anthropology. By contributing to the consortium’s growing library, AMAAZE-labs and SASSAk12 are modeling how data sharing can build community and extend the reach of research beyond the academy.
Coming soon!
Publications & Conference Presentations
-
![]()
Yezzi-Woodley, K., Kestly, C., Albrecht, B., Creager, P., Abdella, J., & Hayes, K. (2019). Science and social studies adventures: Using an interdisciplinary approach to inspire school-age children to become knowledge producers. In Public Engagement and Education: Developing and Fostering Stewardship for an Archaeological Future (pp. 45-73). Berghahn Books. (January)
-
![]()
Yezzi-Woodley, K., Abdella, J., & Erdman, K. (2020, March). Beyond" Outreach": Effective Strategies for Engaging At-Risk High School Students in Biological Anthropology. Beyond “Outreach”: Effective Strategies for Engaging At-Risk High School Students in Biological Anthropology. In AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY (Vol. 171, pp. 314-314). 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA: WILEY.
-
![]()
Chair and co-organizer, Connecting with Youth Scholars in the Era of COVID-19, Invited Symposium, 90th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, April 7-28, 2021 - Chair: Katrina Yezzi-Woodley; Co-organizers: Katrina Yezzi-Woodley, University of Minnesota and Samantha Porter, University of Minnesota; 90th Annual Meeting, Virtual (2021) April 7 -28, 2021
-
![]()
Yezzi-Woodley, K. E., & Porter, S. T. (2021, March). Leveraging the Language of Modern Video Creation in Science Engagement. In AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY (Vol. 174, pp. 116-117). 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA: WILEY.
-
![]()
Abdella, J. D., & Yezzi-Woodley, K. E. (2021, March). How High School Biology Teachers Can Engage Students Through Online Learning Using Human Evolution. In AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY (Vol. 174, pp. 1-1). 111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ USA: WILEY.
-
![]()
Presentations at the Minnesota Earth Science Teachers Association in 2019 and 2020.
-
![]()
91st Annual Meeting, Denver, Colorado (2022); Education in Biological Anthropology: Games, Committees and Effective Learning Contributed Poster Presentations Chair: Katrina Yezzi-Woodley Plaza Foyer.
Poster: The AABA Education Committee: Where it has been, where it is going, how we hope to get there. K.E. YEZZI-WOODLEY, R.C. O’MALLEY, C. SCHREIN, K. MCGRATH, N. LOPERGOLO, A.C. OWINGS, B. POBINER; Chair, Education in Biological Anthropology: Games, Committees and Effective Learning, Contributed Poster Presentations, 91st Annual Meeting of the American Association of Physical Anthropologists, March 23-26, 2022
