Creator: Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies | visit site
Grade Range: 8 - 11
Smithsonian’s Artifacts & Analysis offers strategies and resources for incorporating historical documents and resources into the teaching of U.S. history, particularly the decades of the 20th century. Use the details of everyday life to help focus understanding of a time period. Choose from the four main sections: <i>Artifacts & Documents, Teaching Guide, Writing Assignments, or Essay</i>. The sample artifacts offered include a Furnace Salesman’s Kit (1920s), Fiestaware (1930s-40s), Pennants (1950s-60s), Barbie Doll (1958), Jeans (1970s), and Lunchboxes (1950s-80s).
In the Classroom
Start off with a visit to the <i>Teaching Guide</i> to find some great ideas to incorporate in your class. Use materials from this site to enhance and bring historical teaching to life. Print the student guide for writing effective essays for students to include with history notebooks. Use questions from the teaching materials here to add to your current teaching plans or as discussion topics. Create a link on your class website for students to view this site at home. Have students research and find documents and artifacts in your own community or online to share in the classroom. Have them create curated collections in digital form with accompanying writings to explain them. Students could create annotated images including text boxes and related links using a tool such as Thinglink, <a href="/single.cfm?id=13216">reviewed here</a>.
At Home
Share this site with your teen as an interesting look at artifacts and different ways to analyze them. Before you plan a family visit to a museum or historic site, take a look at some of the questions here to make the visit more meaningful.
Tags
decades, cultures, 1960s, 1930s, 20th century,
Subjects
American History, Current Events, Economics, Government/Civics: U.S, History & Culture: The Americas, Social Studies, Social Studies,