Dublin Core
Title
Engaging Students with Historical Artifacts
Subject
Place-based education; History--Sources; Archaeology; Iron-works; Correspondence
Description
Teaching module that introduces the interpretation of primary sources using locally relevant document or artifacts and using reflections and discussion as a primer for writing short analysis essays.
Creator
Lore Kuehnert
Publisher
Bridging the Antietam
Date
2019-03-28
Contributor
Washington County Free Library
State Museum of Pennsylvania
Rights
Format
PDF
Language
eng
Type
Text
Identifier
Engaging_Students_with_Historical_Artifacts_1
Teaching Module Item Type Metadata
Overview
This module introduces the interpretation of primary sources using locally relevant document or artifacts and using reflections and discussion as a primer for writing short analysis essays. (1 week module)
Duration
1 week
Objectives
Apply knowledge of historical trends or developments in a field of study to the analysis of a primary source.
Detect evidence of the context of a source and its significance.
Apply knowledge of the discipline and of history to detect purpose, bias, sponsorship, intended audience or other evidence essential to academic interpretation.
To employ basic essay-writing skills—composing a thesis and concluding statements, developing paragraphs, citing evidence to support statements, incorporating (and distinguishing between) summary and analysis.
Standards
Student will write a brief essay that includes the following:
1) Applies knowledge of historical context [or developments in the appropriate field of study] of the document/object and contemporary event(s), trends, ideas that influenced the creation, design or use of the document/object and its impact or lasting historical significance (5 points).
2) Identifies the main points of the document or features of the object (conveyed in a brief summary statement or, better, elucidated within analytical statements (5 points).
3) Detects evidence of the primary audience or purpose of the document/object and considers what is known about the creator's or owner's perspective, bias, or sponsorship (5 points).
4) Employs basic essay-writing skills—composing a thesis and concluding statements, developing paragraphs, citing evidence to support statements, incorporating (and distinguishing between) summary and analysis.
Students should achieve 14 out of 20 or better. A score of 14 would apply to essays that achieved the following. Demonstrated knowledge of the assigned document/object and an attempted to interpret its significance based upon knowledge of historical context. Conveyed the analysis in a unified essay or 2-4 paragraphs. May have one or more of the following issues: contains more summary than analysis, is not in the form of an essay, has portions in which meaning is difficult to decipher, contains factual inaccuracies, reflects many grammatical or word use errors.
1) Applies knowledge of historical context [or developments in the appropriate field of study] of the document/object and contemporary event(s), trends, ideas that influenced the creation, design or use of the document/object and its impact or lasting historical significance (5 points).
2) Identifies the main points of the document or features of the object (conveyed in a brief summary statement or, better, elucidated within analytical statements (5 points).
3) Detects evidence of the primary audience or purpose of the document/object and considers what is known about the creator's or owner's perspective, bias, or sponsorship (5 points).
4) Employs basic essay-writing skills—composing a thesis and concluding statements, developing paragraphs, citing evidence to support statements, incorporating (and distinguishing between) summary and analysis.
Students should achieve 14 out of 20 or better. A score of 14 would apply to essays that achieved the following. Demonstrated knowledge of the assigned document/object and an attempted to interpret its significance based upon knowledge of historical context. Conveyed the analysis in a unified essay or 2-4 paragraphs. May have one or more of the following issues: contains more summary than analysis, is not in the form of an essay, has portions in which meaning is difficult to decipher, contains factual inaccuracies, reflects many grammatical or word use errors.
Lesson Plan Text
Name of module: Engaging Students with Historical Artifacts
Course: HIS 201 United States History I and HIS 202 United States History II (one week module)
Overview: This module introduces the interpretation of primary sources using locally relevant document or artifacts and using reflections and discussion as a primer for writing short analysis essays. (1 week module)
Student Learning Objectives:
• Apply knowledge of historical trends or developments in a field of study to the analysis of a primary source.
• Detect evidence of the context of a source and its significance.
• Apply knowledge of the discipline and of history to detect purpose, bias, sponsorship, intended audience or other evidence essential to academic interpretation.
• To employ basic essay-writing skills—composing a thesis and concluding statements, developing paragraphs, citing evidence to support statements, incorporating (and distinguishing between) summary and analysis.
Background:
Historical artifacts can handily illustrate seminal turning points in the development of a variety of academic disciplines, and basic philosophies or theories that guide disciplinary research. In local archives, monuments, newspaper articles and stories relating to residents can be used to illustrate how such turning points manifested in or had an effect upon the local community.
Analyzing an artifact in lieu of simply using it as an illustration prompts students to engage actively in exploring the foundations of the discipline being studied. Students will better retain knowledge of what the object signifies by analyzing it and applying prior learning to reach conclusions about its place in the discipline’s development. This enables students to practice disciplinary methods of inquiry in a variety of fields while practicing formal writing skills.
Using documents, objects or images of artifacts that have local significance helps students to relate better to experts in the field of study, to view their own career aspirations with greater confidence, and to produce written work with content that authentically reflects their learning process.
Assessment:
Preparatory reading (primary documents or images of objects and contextual information), group discussion, and application of an analysis rubric will prepare students to write a 1-2 page (3-5 paragraphs or 300-500 words) essay. Students may be use MLA, APA or Chicago format (recommended for History majors) for citations. If several sources used, or if sources differ for individual students, a “works cited” page should accompany the essay.
Assessment Tool:
Student will write a brief essay (1-2 pages or 2-4 paragraphs) that includes the following:
1) Applies knowledge of historical context [or developments in the appropriate field of study] of the document/object and contemporary event(s), trends, ideas that influenced the creation, design or use of the document/object and its impact or lasting historical significance (5 points).
2) Identifies the main points of the document or features of the object (conveyed in a brief summary statement or, better, elucidated within analytical statements (5 points).
3) Detects evidence of the primary audience or purpose of the document/object and considers what is known about the creator’s or owner's perspective, bias, or sponsorship (5 points).
4) Employs basic essay-writing skills—composing a thesis and concluding statements, developing paragraphs, citing evidence to support statements, incorporating (and distinguishing between) summary and analysis.
Students should achieve 14 out of 20 or better. A score of 14 would apply to essays that achieved the following. Demonstrated knowledge of the assigned document/object and an attempted to interpret its significance based upon knowledge of historical context. Conveyed the analysis in a unified essay or 2 or 3 paragraphs. May have one or more of the following issues: contains more summary than analysis, is not in the form of an essay, has portions in which meaning is difficult to decipher, contains factual inaccuracies, reflects many grammatical or word use errors.
Preparatory Assignment: Read/view primary source and any assigned materials providing historical background prior to class.
Activity: In class, group students together to discuss how the following questions might be answered.
1. When and where was the source created? What was its historical context (events or trends occurring in that time and place that would help interpret the source)?
2. Who or what group of people created the source? What was their perspective, did they reveal biases, embrace mainstream or minority trends?
3. If known, for what purpose did the author(s)/creator(s) compose the source?
4. Who was the intended audience and how was the source disseminated or made accessible?
5. What are the author’s/creator’s significant points/elements of the object?
6. Is the source authentic and/or reliable? Is the document translated into another language, portrayed in a different medium or edited in any way?
7. Why is the document historically significant? What was the document's impact on contemporary events? OR, does the document demonstrate a common trend or belief of that time period (even if unintended by the authors)? Was the point of view a common one at the time, or did it reflect the view of a minority?
Depending upon the discipline of the course, questions about the content, purpose, and context should reflect the application of previously learned disciplinary material—whether concepts or explicitly historical material. Every student should take notes for use in composition of the essay assignment.
Students should be encouraged to identify a point of interpretation that interests them more than other possible analytical points: for example, one concept presented in a document may be more interesting to a student than another, or someone might be interested more in what the document reveals about the time period in history as compared to another student who might wish to explore what it reveals about the specific community (place) in which the source was created.
Scaffolding Activity: Developing your point of interest into a thesis statement.
Scaffolding Activity: Incorporating evidence to support analytical statements.
Deliverable Assignment: Write a 1-2 page essay (2-4 paragraphs) analyzing your primary source(s) using the information gathered to answer the seven analysis questions and references to the materials provided for historical/disciplinary context. The essay should include a thesis in the first paragraph introducing the main focus of your analysis with relative simplicity. The body of your essay should present your points of analysis so that they follow a logical order (not the order of the seven questions) that emphasizes the areas of analysis that you found most compelling. You may introduce alternative interpretations for these areas of analysis. Your concluding paragraph should reflect your fully developed analysis.
Example lessons:
--Using Iron Plate Stove to illustrate Pennsylvania Dutch immigration and culture
--Using Hartle correspondence with Eisenhower to illustrate World War II period debates about integration in the military
Course: HIS 201 United States History I and HIS 202 United States History II (one week module)
Overview: This module introduces the interpretation of primary sources using locally relevant document or artifacts and using reflections and discussion as a primer for writing short analysis essays. (1 week module)
Student Learning Objectives:
• Apply knowledge of historical trends or developments in a field of study to the analysis of a primary source.
• Detect evidence of the context of a source and its significance.
• Apply knowledge of the discipline and of history to detect purpose, bias, sponsorship, intended audience or other evidence essential to academic interpretation.
• To employ basic essay-writing skills—composing a thesis and concluding statements, developing paragraphs, citing evidence to support statements, incorporating (and distinguishing between) summary and analysis.
Background:
Historical artifacts can handily illustrate seminal turning points in the development of a variety of academic disciplines, and basic philosophies or theories that guide disciplinary research. In local archives, monuments, newspaper articles and stories relating to residents can be used to illustrate how such turning points manifested in or had an effect upon the local community.
Analyzing an artifact in lieu of simply using it as an illustration prompts students to engage actively in exploring the foundations of the discipline being studied. Students will better retain knowledge of what the object signifies by analyzing it and applying prior learning to reach conclusions about its place in the discipline’s development. This enables students to practice disciplinary methods of inquiry in a variety of fields while practicing formal writing skills.
Using documents, objects or images of artifacts that have local significance helps students to relate better to experts in the field of study, to view their own career aspirations with greater confidence, and to produce written work with content that authentically reflects their learning process.
Assessment:
Preparatory reading (primary documents or images of objects and contextual information), group discussion, and application of an analysis rubric will prepare students to write a 1-2 page (3-5 paragraphs or 300-500 words) essay. Students may be use MLA, APA or Chicago format (recommended for History majors) for citations. If several sources used, or if sources differ for individual students, a “works cited” page should accompany the essay.
Assessment Tool:
Student will write a brief essay (1-2 pages or 2-4 paragraphs) that includes the following:
1) Applies knowledge of historical context [or developments in the appropriate field of study] of the document/object and contemporary event(s), trends, ideas that influenced the creation, design or use of the document/object and its impact or lasting historical significance (5 points).
2) Identifies the main points of the document or features of the object (conveyed in a brief summary statement or, better, elucidated within analytical statements (5 points).
3) Detects evidence of the primary audience or purpose of the document/object and considers what is known about the creator’s or owner's perspective, bias, or sponsorship (5 points).
4) Employs basic essay-writing skills—composing a thesis and concluding statements, developing paragraphs, citing evidence to support statements, incorporating (and distinguishing between) summary and analysis.
Students should achieve 14 out of 20 or better. A score of 14 would apply to essays that achieved the following. Demonstrated knowledge of the assigned document/object and an attempted to interpret its significance based upon knowledge of historical context. Conveyed the analysis in a unified essay or 2 or 3 paragraphs. May have one or more of the following issues: contains more summary than analysis, is not in the form of an essay, has portions in which meaning is difficult to decipher, contains factual inaccuracies, reflects many grammatical or word use errors.
Preparatory Assignment: Read/view primary source and any assigned materials providing historical background prior to class.
Activity: In class, group students together to discuss how the following questions might be answered.
1. When and where was the source created? What was its historical context (events or trends occurring in that time and place that would help interpret the source)?
2. Who or what group of people created the source? What was their perspective, did they reveal biases, embrace mainstream or minority trends?
3. If known, for what purpose did the author(s)/creator(s) compose the source?
4. Who was the intended audience and how was the source disseminated or made accessible?
5. What are the author’s/creator’s significant points/elements of the object?
6. Is the source authentic and/or reliable? Is the document translated into another language, portrayed in a different medium or edited in any way?
7. Why is the document historically significant? What was the document's impact on contemporary events? OR, does the document demonstrate a common trend or belief of that time period (even if unintended by the authors)? Was the point of view a common one at the time, or did it reflect the view of a minority?
Depending upon the discipline of the course, questions about the content, purpose, and context should reflect the application of previously learned disciplinary material—whether concepts or explicitly historical material. Every student should take notes for use in composition of the essay assignment.
Students should be encouraged to identify a point of interpretation that interests them more than other possible analytical points: for example, one concept presented in a document may be more interesting to a student than another, or someone might be interested more in what the document reveals about the time period in history as compared to another student who might wish to explore what it reveals about the specific community (place) in which the source was created.
Scaffolding Activity: Developing your point of interest into a thesis statement.
Scaffolding Activity: Incorporating evidence to support analytical statements.
Deliverable Assignment: Write a 1-2 page essay (2-4 paragraphs) analyzing your primary source(s) using the information gathered to answer the seven analysis questions and references to the materials provided for historical/disciplinary context. The essay should include a thesis in the first paragraph introducing the main focus of your analysis with relative simplicity. The body of your essay should present your points of analysis so that they follow a logical order (not the order of the seven questions) that emphasizes the areas of analysis that you found most compelling. You may introduce alternative interpretations for these areas of analysis. Your concluding paragraph should reflect your fully developed analysis.
Example lessons:
--Using Iron Plate Stove to illustrate Pennsylvania Dutch immigration and culture
--Using Hartle correspondence with Eisenhower to illustrate World War II period debates about integration in the military
Materials
“Engaging Students with Historical Artifacts,” Powerpoint Presentation and Handout.
American Stories, a History of the United States, v. 1, Chapter 4, “Experience of Empire: Eighteenth Century America 1680-1763” (especially sub-section on “Transportation and the Market Economy”)
The story of this iron stove plate can be found at the State Museum of Pennsylvania website. http://statemuseumpa.org/biblical-guidance-cast-iron/. For an introduction to 18th century iron plate stoves see Iron Stoves Were Hot Items, by Sue Bowman: https://www.lancasterfarming.com/farm_life/antiques_and_history/iron-stoves-were-hot-items/article_d7def3d7-abee-57a5-b120-4a2351e37037.html.
The Hartle Collection may be found at http://www.whilbr.org/default.aspx: “Letter—Eisenhower to Hartle, 1942” from the General Russell Hartle Collection ID: wcrh038; “Letter—Hartle to Eisenhower, 1942” from the General Russell Hartle Collection ID: wcrh041; “Good Conduct Committee Agenda, 1942” from the General Russell Hartle Collection ID: wcrh044. Digital WHILBR, Western Maryland’s Historical Library
American Stories, a History of the United States, v. 1, Chapter 4, “Experience of Empire: Eighteenth Century America 1680-1763” (especially sub-section on “Transportation and the Market Economy”)
The story of this iron stove plate can be found at the State Museum of Pennsylvania website. http://statemuseumpa.org/biblical-guidance-cast-iron/. For an introduction to 18th century iron plate stoves see Iron Stoves Were Hot Items, by Sue Bowman: https://www.lancasterfarming.com/farm_life/antiques_and_history/iron-stoves-were-hot-items/article_d7def3d7-abee-57a5-b120-4a2351e37037.html.
The Hartle Collection may be found at http://www.whilbr.org/default.aspx: “Letter—Eisenhower to Hartle, 1942” from the General Russell Hartle Collection ID: wcrh038; “Letter—Hartle to Eisenhower, 1942” from the General Russell Hartle Collection ID: wcrh041; “Good Conduct Committee Agenda, 1942” from the General Russell Hartle Collection ID: wcrh044. Digital WHILBR, Western Maryland’s Historical Library