Meaghan Brenna Foley
Artifact Bag Reflection Paper
ED 3120-02
December 2, 2014
December 2, 2014
Today’s Artifacts...Tomorrow’s Treasures
My first experience with the
artifact bag project occurred this semester during my Social Studies Methods
class. My professor, Dr. Ludmilla Smirnova, came in one day with artifact bags
filled with mysterious items. My classmates and I were then divided into groups
to determine the historical significance of these items. My group members and I
later came to the conclusion that these were Dr. Smirnova’s own personal items.
The artifacts in my group’s bag contained a picture of Dr. Smirnova at a camp
in Russia, Dr. Smirnova’s doctorates degree from Russia, a famous type of
Russian porcelain dish known as Gzhel. I found all of these items to be
interesting and I’ve learned a lot of new information about my professor. My
experiences on the first day of the artifact bag experience taught me that
there is always something new to learn. This includes new information about
people, places, and things. After researching about her items, Dr. Smirnova
assigned us the same task. We were to find items, or artifacts, that related to
our appointed fieldwork topic (unit).
The artifact bag project requires one to
possess key research and inquiry skills. In the beginning of the semester, I
was given the task of finding artifacts that related to my fieldwork unit topic
on factories. I included 4 artifacts in my artifact bag, one of which was a
topic related book. My first artifact
was a picture of the Ford Motor Company Factory Rouge Plant in 1956. My second
artifact, also my choice for topic related book, was a book entitled, “The ’50
Ford” by John Greenya. My third artifact was a historic bell with an image of
the San Francisco Cable Car on it. Finally, my fourth artifact was a picture of
an 1825 painting of the cotton gin machine.
I chose each of my artifacts for a
particular reason. For starters, I chose the picture of the Ford Motor Company
Factory because it provided for a visual image of a historical factory. That
brings me to my reason for choosing my second artifact/book. I chose my topic
related book (i.e., “The ’50 Ford”) because it corresponded historically with
my first artifact. This book, published in 1971, connected the historical subject
of factories (i.e., cars) to the subject of English Language Arts. My third
artifact was chosen because it had significant historical ties with a man by
the name of Andrew Smith Hallidie. Andrew Smith Hallidie is known for inventing
the San Francisco Cable Car. Mr. Hallidie invented the San Francisco Cable Car
after he witnessed a horrible tragic accident in the year 1869. His idea for a
cable car was due to his knowledge and experience from running a wire-rope
factory. I chose my fourth artifact, the picture of the cotton gin machine,
because it represented a time of great historical change. Eli Whitney’s
invention of the cotton gin machine revolutionized the factory process.
In my opinion, the use of artifact bags
adds an element of mystery to the lesson. I believe that artifacts are used in
the classroom to help students make connections with the past. Based on my
impressions of the assigned article, I now understand the importance of
modeling each step of the artifact bag process. Students need guidance and
structure when presented with a task that activates their prior knowledge.
Aside from modeling, teachers must also always engage their students in the
lesson. For example, I found one statement in the assigned article to be quite
intriguing. That statement discusses how a teacher gave her students, “a
purpose for listening by asking to watch for clues to the artifact and the
period of history to which it is attached” (Fuhler, Farris, & Nelson, 2006,
p. 648). My factory-related artifacts are meaningful in the study of history.
Utilizing specified resources, the students would be required to create
inquires upon the identities of the factory’s producer and consumer. Therefore,
“examining the materials, craftsmanship, and workings of artifacts reveals much
about the values and lifestyle of both the maker and the user” (Sunal &
Haas, 2011, p. 351).
In addition to artifacts, I utilized a
number of other resources that relate well to the artifact bag project. One of
my sources is indeed my artifact on the ’50 Ford car. This book shares
important details of that era and helps one get an inside look of a car
factory. As mentioned earlier, I chose this book because it allows students to
make important historic connections (i.e., between the car factory pic and the
book’s content/text). I read an ideal
statement in a scholastic article that discusses the benefits of connecting
literacy to artifacts. That statement reads, “holding a real historical
artifact with a story to tell is an irresistible invitation to learning that
will not easily be forgotten” (Fuhler, Farris, & Nelson, 2006, p. 656). The
book about the ’50 car not only tells a story, but also adds the element of
excitement to the research process. I chose a website, entitled “One Man Jeans
Factory,” which contained a very interesting video about a man who uses a
variety of machines to make his own brand of jeans. My cited artifacts, my
book, and this website will all be used in my lesson to help develop the
students’ academic knowledge of factory machines, producers, goods, and
consumers. Students often benefit and learn more through multiple sources.
Furthermore, teachers must use various types of materials (i.e., technology and
print sources) to help develop their students’ full academic potential.
I consider that my artifact bag and its
content would be most appropriate for students in the second grade. The New
York State Social Studies Standard that best relates to the artifact bag
project is Standard 4 (Economics). I think that this is the most suitable
standard because it involves students having to comprehend the basics of how
“societies develop economic systems and associated institutions to allocate
scarce resources” (p12.nysed.gov). The basic institution involved in my
artifact bag is a factory. Based on their prior knowledge and research, the
students should be able to attain the answer to how factories stimulate the
local, national, and global economies all across the world.
I believe that the artifact bag project
is a wonderful way to support collaborative work and social skills. The
artifact bag project requires students to interact with one another. Likewise,
it encourages students to communicate their personal feelings about fundamental
academic subject matters. For example, the students may engage in dynamic
discussions about the San Francisco Cable Car. Along with its respective
artifact, my students can utilize a variety of websites to research upon its
historical significance. I found one website to be incredibly informative about
the history of the cable car. The
inventor’s wire-rope factory included technology that could, “pull heavy ore
cars out of the underground mines on tracks” (sfcablecar.com). This website
also provided a chronological timeline, which often helps students organize
their thoughts more easily. In my course textbook, Chapter 11 incorporates timelines
to help add to the five elements of powerful social studies. These powerful
elements are as follows: meaningful with
social studies content that is “challenging, integrative, and value based”
(Sunal & Haas, 2011, p. 17). The fifth element
of powerful social studies is active learning. This takes place when students
participate in research, information processing, and hands-on learning. In my
opinion, active learning is the most important element of powerful social
studies teaching and learning. Students become proficient critical thinkers
when they are faced with complex tasks that are equally cooperative and
independent in nature. I concur that
timelines are fantastic tools, which “assist students in understanding
time-related concepts” (Sunal & Haas, 2011, p. 348).
References
Fuhler, C., Farris, P., & Nelson, P. (2006). Building
Literacy Skills Across The Curriculum:
Forging Connections With
The Past Through Artifacts. The Reading
Teacher, 59(7), 646-659.
Retrieved December 2, 2014.
Greenya, J. (1971). The
'50 Ford. New York: Scholastic.
Hughes, C. (2010, December 29). One Man Jeans Factory. Retrieved
December 2, 2014.
San Francisco Cable Car History. (2003). Retrieved December 2,
2014.
Sunal, C., & Haas, M. (2011). How Do I Engage Students in
Examining History? In Social
studies
for the elementary and middle grades: A constructivist approach (4th ed., pp. 331-370). Boston:
Allyn and Bacon.
LINKS
Attached
is the link to my
blog post on Dr. Smirnova’s Artifact Bag.
Attached is the link to my
Artifact Bag Project Checklist
WEBSITE
RESOURCE LINKS
Attached
is the link to the website
about the history of the San Francisco Cable Car.
Attached
is the link to the website (+ video) about the One
Man Jeans Factory.
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