Vancouver, Wa
Convention Center
Artifacts
5th grade teacher’s guide for using the artifacts from the
Hilton Vancouver dig site.
Tony Ayala
08/2012
Table of Contents
State Standards ………………………………. ……… 2
Part 1 - Developing Background information ……….. 3
Part 2 - Artifacts Past, Present and Future …………. 6
Part 3 – Convention Center Artifacts ………………… 9
Appendix 1 – References ………………………………12
Appendix 2 – Pre/Post Test ……………………………13
Appendix 3 – Helping young children guide ………….14
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Washington State Standards for Social Studies Grade 5:
4.4.1 Understands that significant historical events in the United States have implications
for current decisions and influence the future.
5.4.1 Researches multiple perspectives to take a position on a public or historical issue in
a paper or presentation.
Washington State Standards for Literacy Grade 5:
Reading
1.3.1
Understand and apply new vocabulary.
2.2.2
Apply understanding of printed and electronic text features to locate information
and comprehend text.
2.3.2
Analyze sources for information appropriate to a specific topic for a specific
purpose.
3.1.1
Analyze appropriateness of a variety of resources and use them to perform a
specific task or investigate a topic.
3.2.2
Apply understanding of a variety of functional documents.
Writing
1.5.1
Publishes in more than one format for specific audiences and purposes.
2.1.1
Applies understanding of multiple and varied audiences to write effectively.
2.2.1
Demonstrates understanding of different purposes for writing.
2.3.1
Uses a variety of forms/genres.
3.2.1
Applies understanding that different audiences and purposes affect writer’s voice.
3.2.2
Uses language appropriate for a specific audience and purpose.
3.3
Knows and applies writing conventions appropriate to the grade level.
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Part 1
Developing Background information
Objective:
Create a scientific notebook for notes, observations, comparisons, measurement
and attributes.
Objective:
Students will learn what an artifact is, where they can be found and why they are
important.
Objective:
Students will learn what an archaeologist is and what role they play in artifact
recovery and preservation.
Key Vocabulary:
 Archaeology
 Archaeological Site
 Archeologist
 Artifact
 Historical Archaeology
 Layer
 Sediment
 Soil
 Stratigraphy
Procedure:
1) Give the students a pre-assessment to check for prior knowledge.
(Appendix 2)
2) Create an Archaeology Notebook. In this notebook the students will take field
notes, make observations and make comparisons.

In the front of the notebook show the students how to make a table of
contents page. Show them some non-fiction books to compare to and talk
about its importance as a text-feature. How is the table of contents a
support for readers and writers?

After the students have a table of contents page have them put page
numbers on all of the pages of their journal.
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
Have the students make a glossary using the last four pages of their
journal.

Set up the chapters and show them how to label the page numbers to
match the page numbers in their journal. This will vary based on the size
of your journal and individual students, adjust accordingly.

Chapter ideas
o What is an artifact?
o What can we learn form artifacts from the past?
o Why do we look for artifacts?
o Why are artifacts important?
o Tools of the trade – Write, draw, name it and then add technical
name.
o What is an archeologist? What does and archaeologist do?
o Observational drawings, include labels, arrows and measurements
(metric)
3) Gaining Background Knowledge. (Jessica Hale will also review these topics
during visit)
Guiding Questions:
What is an artifact?
Why do we look for them?
What can we learn from artifacts from the past?
Why are they important?
Students will make appropriate sections in their journals to keep notes on their
guiding questions in order to gain background knowledge.
Web sites include various informational power points and online games dealing with
archeology.
 http://archaeology.mrdonn.org/
 http://www.dahp.wa.gov/
 http://www.cchmuseum.org/
4) Artifacts in classroom
Optional Groups Jobs:
 Recorder
 Presenter
 Digger
 Age Identifier or Category Identifier
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Create and laminate job cards for an easy way to manage group jobs.
Mock dig with everyday objects.
Set up a clear 18 gallon rubber maid container or similar tub.
Add layers of different colored paper or sand. In the large, clear storage box,
make four equally-thick layers (sediments) of shredded paper that will represents
layers of soil. Make the darkest color the bottom layer, with the lightest color
being the top layer. Add a piece of poster board or cardboard to keep the layers
from mixing together.
←Lightest Color (possibly yellow)
← 2nd Lightest color (possibly green)
←2nd Darkest color (possibly dark
blue)
←Darkest color (possibly black)



Place “artifacts” into the layers of sediment (colored paper), with the oldest
being in the bottom layer, with the most recent being in the top layer.
Look for things with dates. Coins, old hot wheels, CD’s, t-shirts with
dates on them etc. Have enough so all of your students will get a chance
to recover an artifact
Make a chart that shows the colored layers on one side and the artifacts
on the other – have the students copy in their journal.
Layer Color
yellow
green
brown
black





Artifacts
Start with the top layer and have students come up one at a time to find
one artifact. Record on your chart. Have them take note of any dates on
their artifact and record that as well.
Continue through all of the layers until all of your artifacts are found and
recorded.
Ask students if they notice anything about the type of layers and the color
they were found? Do you notice anything as we moved down the layers?
Connect this to the real world with the further you dig the older the artifacts
will be.
Ask the class: “What do these artifacts tell us about the person or people
they belonged to?” Lead the class in a discussion about whether or not
the person was male or female, how old they might be now, and whether
or not the artifacts are from one or more people. Also, have the students
sort the artifacts into categories created by the students in order to gain
more understanding of where the artifacts came from.
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Part 2
Artifacts Past, Present and Future
Objective:
Students will see a trend in how possessions “artifacts” change over time due to
need or technological changes.
Objective:
Students will get a basic understanding on where our products came from in the
past and now today.
Key Vocabulary:
 Colonists
 Essential
 Products
 Imports ex: how did things from China arrive here
Procedure:
1) Have a class discussion on where they think our products come from today.
How are they made? Are they made locally or somewhere else? How do we get
the products we need? How do they get to our local areas?
2) In their journals have the students make a list of 5-10 things (possessions) that
they think are essential to them or their families. Make sure they give a reason
why. You can discuss out whole group, have them share in peer groups or
partners. Have a share out and list some of the ideas the kids had. Refer back
to the previous questions from part 1 to guide the discussion.
3) ** If you have not had any prior teaching on the colonists this would be a
good stopping point to give the student some background knowledge on the
colonies and the colonists.***
Connection to early America. (Hudson Bay Company at Ft. Vancouver)
(Colonists)
Now have a discussion on how the
Colonists got their products or “goods.” Did they buy them? (Talk about mail
order catalog e.g. Sears, Montgomery Wards) Make them? Bring them from their
homeland? What types of things were essential to them?
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4) For the next part the students will be concentrating on one general topic where
they can search for artifacts. For example tools, personal hygiene, medicine,
clothing and accessories, food prep/serving items, etc. You can have a list
prepared that they can choose from or give them the freedom to brainstorm their
own list.
Once you have decided how you are going to have the students narrow down
their artifact collection you can decide if you want them working individually or in
groups.
5) From here you will want to decide on some time periods where the students
can compare artifacts from their particular focus.
Some example time periods are:
Native American Artifacts
Colonial Times
Oregon Trail
Convention Center Artifacts
Various Modern Time periods
1492-1600
1607-1776
1840-1870
1880-1920
1920-1960
1960-1980
1990-Present
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Some focus areas may allow for the student to go back even farther in history.
For example tools can go back as far as the Prehistoric Period.
**You will want to find some books or websites web sites for picture reference.
Look at pictures from various time periods use S.I.G.H.T method
6) Give the students some time to do some internet searches to look for
appropriate sites that can give them some pictures of artifacts from the different
time periods and from the particular area of study.
**Talk to the students about the internet and how not all sources are always
correct.
7) The students will take their images and create a Power Point or other visual
media tool to make a visual artifact’s through time presentation
Each layer (slide) will represent a time period from early America (tie into colonial
life) up until present.
Students will choose a theme to base their artifacts to from slides – examples
include farm tools, kitchen items, clothing, and world of medicine.
8) Have students show off their presentation to the class, or parents or peer
classrooms.
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Part 3
Convention Center Artifacts
Small groups of 2nd and 5th graders will be working together for the duration of
part 3.
(See Appendix 3 for guide on how to help young children).
Objective – Students will clean, sort and analyze Convention Center Artifacts.
Objective – Students will be able to distinguish artifacts by material, patterns,
shapes, categories, etc. to help with the cross-mend process.
Objective – Students will learn to use a modified New Brunswick Method of
Analysis.
Objective – Students will learn about the tools archeologists use when
processing artifacts.
Materials:
 Archeology Journals
 Artifact Kit
 Convention Center Artifacts
 Supply Bag from Artifact Kit: sieve, toothbrush, wire brush, water basin,
cm/mm ruler, rubber gloves, masking tape
 Field Guide References from Kit.
 Broken Plate (thrift store)
 New Brunswick Method of Analysis – in kit
Procedure:
1) Review what an artifact is and have the students make a list of predictions
of what artifacts they think they will be looking at from the given time
period of the Convention Center Dig. Have them record in their journal.
2) Introduce tools activity: Prepare some brown bags so each one has a
different tool in it. (sieve, toothbrush, wire brush, cm/mm ruler, rubber
gloves, masking tape, and water basin. Use a large brown bag for the
basin. Have a variety of students come up and hold the closed bags in
front of the class. One at a time have the students open up their bag and
show the class their tool. Ask volunteers how each tool could be used by
an archaeologist.
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Safety: Have a talk with the class on the importance of safety with using various
tools and with the artifacts themselves as some are glass and rusty. This could
be a time to introduce the use of safety equipment like gloves and goggles.
** Jessica Hale ** comes in to go through steps of the cleaning process and
analysis procedures.
3) Cleaning artifacts – Set up cleaning stations consisting of water basins
and cleaning tools. Have a drying rack for the cleaned artifacts. The
cleaning process may take several days, but needs to be completed
before moving on to other activities.
What do archaeologists do with artifacts? Have students answer in their
journal and then discuss.
4) Teach The New Brunswick Method of Analysis (Modified)
Using an already cleaned artifact, model the steps of The New Brunswick
Method of Analysis. Give each group a sample of artifacts to go through
the steps on their own.
5) Sort – Depending on what artifacts you are using ask student what they
notice about their artifacts (colors, patterns, textures, materials.) Ask
students what different ways the artifacts can be sorted. Once a method
has been decided by the class set up some designated sorting stations.
Have the students get into their groups and begin sorting. Suggested
sorting categories could include:
 Tools
 Dishes
 Food waste (bone or shell)
 Metal
 Medicine Bottles
Students will use the help of the internet and the field guide references
(included in kit) for the sorting and cross-mending activities.
6) Cross-mend – In order to define cross-mending, take an old plate from a
thrift store and break it ahead of time into large pieces. You will use this
when you demonstrate how to cross-mend. Now model using your
broken pieces and masking tape how to cross-mend by fitting the pieces
back together, point out to the students certain patterns or “clues” that
may help puzzle it back together.
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7) Categorize/Catalog/Analyze – For each item, have students work in
groups to talk about the items they cleaned and sorted. Tell them each
artifact is a clue about the family or person who owned it. Construct a
large chart to show each item, what it is, what it was used for and what it
tells us about their lives.
Artifact
What is it?
Use?
What does it tell
us about their
lives?
8) Photograph – Using a digital camera or ipad have the students take a
picture of select artifacts to give a digital reference. Make sure they use a
ruler to show scale. These pictures can be added to the chart under the
artifact section.
Optional Extensions or Activities:
 Have the students pick one artifact and follow it from cleaning to
identifying to sorting then to labeling and cataloging.

Have the students pick an artifact to write a narrative story about the
artifacts life from how the family acquired it, to how it was used, to how it
ended up being discarded or lost. Then write about how it was discovered
by the archeologists and was stored and the process of being brought
back to life.

Crayon rubbing labels – Art activity or just for closer identification. This
would work well on bottles maker marks.

Bottle use identification and comparisons to today’s bottles using the
identification book in the kit.
Culmination ideas of Convention Center Artifacts
Mock museum as culmination comparing site artifacts and present.
Draw or create a side by side comparison of past vs present vs future
Draw a picture of what certain rooms might look like.
Do we need all of our possessions to live happy lives?
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Appendix 1
References

Books – The Safari Encyclopedia (book room book Level P)
- Archaeologists Dig for Clues by Kate Duke

Web Sites
http://archaeology.mrdonn.org/
http://www.dahp.wa.gov/
http://www.cchmuseum.org/
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Appendix 2
Name_________________________
Archeology Pre-Assessment
1)What is an artifact?
2)Where might you find one?
3)What types of tools would you need to recover an artifact?
4)What is the name of the person who collects and studies artifacts?
____________________________________________
5)Do you think artifacts are an important part of our history? Why? (use the back if
needed)
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