Using Artefacts
Primary and Secondary Sources
First -hand sources (primary evidence)
These are objects, testimonies, accounts, pictures which were produced
directly at the time of the person place or event being investigated.
 ARTEFACTS-tools, pottery, ornaments, statues, coins, carvings, tiles
and fragments
 BUILDINGS-local buildings, historic houses, sites, reconstructions,
ruins, roads, fields and place names
 MUSIC-original recordings, recreated music, songs, radio programmes
 VISUAL SOURCES- Photographs, paintings, portraits, drawings,
videotapes, film
 WRITTEN- printed evidence such as certificates, newspapers,
magazines, non-fiction texts, autobiographical testimonies,
biographical documents, letters, posters, handbills, maps, plays,
stories, and statistics.

ICT CD-ROMS databases, virtual tours of museum and sites (e.g.
Government War Room)
Second- hand sources (secondary evidence)
These are replica objects, accounts written after the event, historical analysis,
and representation of events, either pictorial or textual but based on primary
source materials e.g.
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An illustration of a street at the start of the war, a replica gas mask, a
modern television programme for children set in the WWII era.
Handling artefacts in school should be seen as an adjunct to, not a
replacement for museum and site visits.
Artefacts, like all historical evidence, provide only a partial representation of
the past but are key source material for developing children's awareness
about life in the past. They may be:
 Real original objects
 Replicas
 Real original objects seen in museums
 Photographs of real original objects
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Photographs are the most common way of in which K.S.2 children can study
artefacts. Knowing the size and name of artefacts helps to move
investigations from, "What is it?" This allows children to discuss what
information it gives about the era in question.
Replicas can be explored and used as a toy.
Museums provide opportunities for to touch and handle artefacts and can
provide opportunities for observational drawings
Using Artefacts
Artefacts, like all historical evidence, provide only a partial representation of
the past but are key source material for developing children's awareness
about life in the past. They may be:
 Real original objects
 Replicas
 Real original objects seen in museums
 Photographs of real original objects
Photographs are the most common way of in which K.S.2 children can study
artefacts. Knowing the size and name of artefacts helps to move
investigations from, "What is it?" This allows children to discuss what
information it gives about the era in question.
Possible word list to help with description can be useful, as can explanations
about what words mean e.g. then and now as opposed to new and old e.g.
Old-fashioned, worn out, valuable precious, falling to pieces, fragile, replica,
disintegrated, unusual delicate, dirty, hard, circular, Victorian
1. Replicas can be explored and used as a toy.
2. They bring the same experience to what the object was originally used for.
3. Link the artefact with the society who used it. Each object can be a unique
source of knowledge.
Using artefacts in the classroom -Artefact Activities
Artefacts provide us with clues and evidence about the past. Children need to
be taught to respect and value things they handle. Handling artefacts comes
in three stages
1. See an object and describe it using all senses to describe its properties.
This is a mainly oral activity for young children.
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An oral or written checklist can help children to find clues about an object:
Description
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
What does it look like?
What does it feel like?
What is it made from?
What does it smell like?
What colour is it?
Deduction
6. Does it look like anything we have seen before?
7. What is / was it?
8. How old is it?
9. Who used it?
10. Can we get a clue from another source e.g. a book, another artefact
that might go with it?
Series of questions which teacher asks which require a Yes, (Y) No (N) or
Not enough Evidence (NEE)
It's made of metal (N)
It's heavy (T)
It is 20cm long (F)
It belonged to an old lady (NEE)
It has made in England written on it (F)
It has a knob on the end (T)
It's smooth (T)
It's grey (F)
It is 100 years old (NEE)
It's dirty inside (T)
Part of it is flat (T)
It is rough to feel (F)
After several teacher led activities children should be able to write their own
statements for other children to answer.
Possible word list to help with description:
Activities linked to WWII artefacts
1. Looking at an artefact- pass round a circle. Each person has an
opportunity to say something about the object (Can pass if want to.)
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Teacher participates and models. Can we decide at the end what it is,
was used for etc.
2. Combination of linked artefacts –e.g. blackout material, lamp, headlight
cover, small light fitting. Say 5 objects divide class children into groups
of five. Each child chooses an object within group which they will
become expert on Set a task (clear and achievable questions to
answer) e.g. draw item and write 3or 4 sentences about it –(task
differentiated by outcome) and how it contributed to the blackout. The
groups then break up into 'expert' groups to investigate their item
further as a team and share ideas etc. Then they reform into their
original groups to report-orally or in writing. The final outcome can be a
zigzag book or similar on 'The Blackout.'
Suitcase Evidence Bag Activity (Using artefacts)
Take eight items from a bag or case.
Write down the items i.e. make an inventory
1. What would a stranger know about the person they belonged to from
these items?
2. What would a stranger be able to deduce from these items?
3. How could they find out more?
4. How could they find out if they were right?
5. List the skills you used to enquire and interpret the evidence.
Activities using evidence bags- e.g.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Childhood-photographs, homes, toys etc.
Families- purse, pictures, groceries, etc.
Travel - docs. tickets, postcards, money etc.
Celebrations-birthday holidays /Christmas cards, festival items,
snapshot, letter etc
Observation
Children need to be taught to look. Greek pot analogy-some children look for
a second and see nothing, others can see a wealth of information in the same
object
 Start with a durable artefact with detail (but not too much)
 Sit children in a circle –on chairs helps lessen pushing etc. makes
activity more controlled. Two rules 1.Everyone has a turn, including the
teacher-who models, but children can pass. 2. It is not a memory game
so there can be repetition.
Questioning
Passing an object around and children asking questions about it.
Need to introduce who, what why, where, when, how?
Teacher modelling
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-is it used indoor /outdoor?
-Where in the home?
-Who used it?
-Where was it kept?
-How old is it?
-Can you get it today?
-Is it made by hand or machine?
-Who did it belong to-man., woman, child, boy, girl?
-Is it still used today?
-What has replaced it?
Need to explain that there isn't always an absolute answer.
Good activity is to question at the start of a topic-record questions and see if
they can be answered at the end.
Evidence Skills
Children will need a structured approach in order to develop the skills that will
enable them to extract information from historical evidence/ sources. These
skills will allow them to interpret any form of evidence.
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Observation- Handling an object, touching, looking, smelling and even
listening
Discussion Describing the features of an artefact / building; identifying
details in a picture
Analysis Asking questions such as, "What do you think this might be?"
"What kind of person might have used it?" "What do you think is the
story of this painting/photograph etc?" and "Why might this say that?" It
is important to model open questions so that children, in turn, learn to
ask open questions themselves.
Hypothesising- Possibilities are suggested as," It could be used for."
and "The lady in the painting may have wanted…" Looking at evidence
opens up the opportunity for exploring doubts and the idea that there
may not be a right answer.
Justifying- Children give reasons through answering questions such as
"How do you know?" "What makes you think that?"and " Why do you
say that?"
Research – Can children find out for themselves? Can they suggest
follow up activities-via books, search engines etc.
5. .
Combining primary and secondary sources to look at people from the past.

Use artefacts, pictures, postcards, calendars, photographs, and
stories to give children a mental picture of what the people looked like.
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Show snippets of Videos, DVD's, historical audio plays etc.
Can children work out the era from the type of evidence such as items
of clothing?
This mix of source material can be used to display information on
clothing, homes, transport, food etc so that children are being
reminded about what people looked like, how they lived and how we
know.
http://www.canterburytrust.co.uk/schools/useobjts/useobjpg.htm
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