Connecting the Clues: Artifact Bags

          This past Wednesday, our class was divided back into our fieldwork groups.  Each group was given an artifact bag by Dr. Smirnova and was told to go through the items in the bags, do some research, and determine what the bag represented.  My group's bag held Russian nesting dolls, an intricately painted lacquer box holding an American flag pin, and a picture of Dr. Smirnova's grandmother.  After some searching and Dr. Smirnova's sharing of some personal stories regarding the items, we determined that our bag represented Dr. Smirnova herself and how she is a member of both the Russian and American cultures.  This activity was great not only for learning about our professor and her culture, but also for helping us in creating our own artifact bags on our lesson plan topics.  Modeling is key in the classroom!
          My fieldwork group had taught the topic of Lewis and Clark and the expansion westward.  Therefore, I decided to take a slightly different approach than my colleagues (who created awesome bags on Sacagawea and Lewis and Clark!) and create a bag with the following clues:

I also chose to show the cover of the book Steam Train, Dream Train and ask my peers what they felt the book could represent. 

         Once we had adequate time to teach and explore my bag, my group was able to come to the conclusion that the artifacts represented the beginning of western settlement, specifically the settlers.  I used the picture of the map and routes to show the progression from Lewis and Clark's journey to the building of the Transcontinental RR.  I included pictures of a steam locomotive and many passengers getting on the train to represent the way this mode of transportation could carry more people to settlements out west.  I also included a piece of RR track as a huge clue to the importance of the RR and where it led during this time.  Steam Train, Dream Train also was chosen because the story shows how passengers fill the train and stock it with supplies, which was also a critical part to developing this mode of transportation. The title also represents the dream many families had of owning their own land out west.  Overall, railroads allowed the West to become settled more quickly and helped the settlers receive supplies. 

         I love this activity because it allows students to have a concrete experience with a part of history!  Instead of just being a name or concept in a textbook, artifact bags bring them to life.  By allowing students to explore and actually touch the clues, you create a meaningful learning situation.  Students can now visualize the word or person much better than simply hearing about it from the text. 

***Here is my presentation that goes along with my artifact bag: https://docs.google.com/a/my.msmc.edu/presentation/d/1zpFB14RvXix80bjApYWEvWUr7PgKQaK0SZE_CbT6D2Q/edit?usp=sharing ***