An artifact bag is an activity in which items are placed in a bag that represent a certain place, person, or thing. For example, my class explored various artifacts that represented my professor's culture and history. By exploring the artifacts and researching we found that the items we received included a birth certificate, a porcelain napkin holder, and a decorative spoon. We came to the conclusion that all the items was a representation of my professor and her heritage.
Artifact bags can be used to demonstrate specific events such as wars, holidays, or current events. Artifact bags can also be used, as we discovered, to represent a person.
When I completed this activity in my classroom, I started to think of how I could use this in my elementary classroom one day. The first thing that came to mind, was to use this activity during the first day of class or sometime during the first week of class.
The way this can happen is in 3 steps:
1- Send a letter home asking for students to bring in a paper bag containing items that are important to them or that describe them in some way
2- Allow a week for students to bring in their bags, so each student has ample amounts of time to bring something in and participate in the activity.
3- Conduct the activity in class by forming small groups and passing out a bag to each group. Once each group has a bag, they will examine the artifacts, fill out a graphic organizer and use reasoning skills to come to a conclusion as to who the bag belongs to.
This is a great activity that is fun and engaging. The artifact bag assignment requires students to use critical thinking and problem solving skills. This can also be a great formative assessment tool. After a unit is completed, the artifact bag assignment can be used to test students as to how their knowledge of events or people can apply to the artifacts given.
In my classroom, each person was required to bring in an artifact bag that represents the lesson that we previously taught to the 5th grade at Bishop Dunn Memorial School. Since I did a lesson on Christopher Columbus and the New World, I decided to create my artifact bag to represent Christopher Columbus. The three objects in my artifact bag included a journal of Columbus' voyage, marbles to represent the glass beads that Columbus gave to the natives to assimilate them to Spanish culture, and a peseta with Christopher Columbus' picture on it. My classmates were given the objects and began examining and researching the artifacts. After about 5 minutes and analysis of their research, my classmates came to the correct conclusion that the artifacts represented Christopher Columbus.
Check out my Artifact Bag slideshow that demonstrates how you may present a specific artifact bag to your class.
The following article discusses the importance of artifacts and how they help us connect to the past:
"Saving pieces of history, one bullet or belt buckle at a time"
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