INtroduction
To Coquina Queries

What is Coquina?

Coquina is a conglomerate stone composed of shell fragments and sand.  The stone, which forms naturally over thousands of years, played an important role in Florida's history.   Used to construct forts, homes, and many other structures, coquina provided unusual stability because of its unique makeup.  As archaeologists, we take interest in the way coquina affected life in Florida's past.  We study how people accessed it through quarrying, used it to create shelter and protection, and how it ensured survival and safety in colonial Florida.

View the Lesson Plans for Coquina Queries

Fitting Coquina Queries into your Curriculum

Coquina Queries are lesson plans that bring together the geology, history, archaeology, environment, and chemistry of Florida ’s past through hands-on experiments and first-hand experiences with coquina.  Each Coquina Queries unit combines three content areas: coquina structures, archaeological processes, and events and persons in Florida history. These units balance reading and writing with hands-on activities to stimulate student interest while building FCAT skills.

These units were designed for 4th-5th grade classrooms, but have been reviewed by educators in 2nd-8th grades and found appropriate for each with some modification. 

Each unit includes a teacher cover page with the following information:

• Academic Outcomes/Lesson Objectives
• Sunshine State Standards Assessed
• Resources List
• Materials List
• Answer Key for Experiment or Activity
• Student Articles & Activities List
• Vocabulary List
• Assessment Options, Including 2 Writing Prompts and 2 Assessment Questions

Coquina Queries is a valuable resource for any Florida teacher.  Educators residing in NE Florida (between Jacksonville and New Smyrna) will find the added benefit that many of the coquina sites discussed are within fieldtrip distance of their classrooms.