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K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Artifact & Analysis: A Teacher's Guide to Interpreting Objects and Writing History

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/idealabs/ap/index.htm

Provider: Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies


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Artifact & Analysis, from the Smithsonian’s Center for Education and Museum Studies, presents a strategy for incorporating historical artifacts and documents into the teaching of U.S. history. Designed as a companion to the Advanced Placement Program U.S. History course, it is also effective in any instructional setting that emphasizes analytical thinking and writing.This website is divided into four sections. In Artifacts and Documents, choose to look at popular symbolic artifacts of consumerism such as the Barbie Doll, Fiestaware, or the lunchbox. Or examine representative objects of the nation expanding such as bank notes, an Indian Peace Medal, and a Staffordshire Platter. All of these artifacts are accompanied by related documents.Teaching Guides includes an introduction to writing history and student handouts for such topics as generating questions about artifacts, comparing artifacts and documents, and artifacts in historical context.Writing Assignments contains essay questions and essay assignments about consumerism as well as the nation expanding while Essays contains potential reading assignments and addresses such issues as “Looking at Artifacts, Thinking About History,” “The Culture of Consumerism,” and “What Barbie Dolls Have to Say about Postwar American Culture.”