Artifacts
Goals:
The students will become familiar with artifacts as they relate to shipwrecks, specifically the
Titanic.
The students will be able to identify connections between past artifacts and their modern
counterparts.
The students will exercise their library skills in the study of their artifact and will use critical
thinking skills to reconstruct their particular artifact, which will be assessed in their journal
that is kept throughout the project.
Materials:
books, magazines (i.e. National Geographic), and pictures of ocean treasures
access to computers that are linked to the internet
$5 for each group (for materials to build artifact)
list of artifacts recovered from Titanic
Access to the Titanic Index
Time:
The time allotted to complete this lesson and its related activities will vary depending upon the
depth you wish to go to (excuse the pun). You will need at least one introductory class, a
minimum of three classes for the research and activity and perhaps one more for a guest speaker
-- It is up to you to decide how much time you have -- be creative -- modify the lesson in any
way you see fit!
Procedure:
1. Lead a discussion on artifacts in general.
NOTE: A guest speaker from a local/national museum would be great -- someone from a
local archive would be great also, If this is the case, focus should be directed to the speaker
who would present the following day.
2. Show the class visual representations of artifacts recovered from ships throughout the
years.
NOTE: There are artifacts on the Titanic site and more will be added; however, if a few
could be on hand in the classroom -- even pictorial representations -- that would be
wonderful.
3. Introduce the concept for the lesson, which is to become more familiar with artifacts in
general, and especially with those of the Titanic. Then explain to the students that they are
going to be asked to research an artifact from the Titanic, find its modern counterpart, and
eventually reconstruct it.
4. The students will be given free time to explore the materials, audio/visual and otherwise,
that are provided in the classroom. These will include books, National Geographic
magazines, and short videos (If available) and information from the Titanic Web Index.
5. The following day the class will be split up into groups of 2 or3. Each group will choose
an artifact from the wreck of the Titanic that has been recovered.
6. The students will be given time to research their artifact in the library. They will be asked
to find information on things such as: where it was made, how it was made, its evolution, if it
is still used today, & what it looks like today.
7. The students will be given time at the end of class to meet and discuss how they are going
to reconstruct their artifact. They will be given five dollars with which they must use to
reconstruct the object. They should be given a choice as how best to do this. The group will
forma possible list of supplies and then take that list home to research its actual cost to see if
it will fit within their budget.
Possible ways to reconstruct artifacts: Popsicle sticks, construction paper, cardboard.
8. The following day, the students will spend the entire two hours reconstructing their
artifact. They will be given the grading rubrics before they begin construction. This will
show them exactly how they will be evaluated.
9. On the last day of the project, the students will present their reconstructed artifact to
the rest of the class.
Assessment:
The students will be evaluated by their journal that they kept during the course of the project.
Criteria for success:
4 - the students accurately recorded their research and progress throughout the entire
process.
3 - the students recorded most of their research and recorded progress the majority of
the time.
2 - the students recorded some research and showed evidence of recording progress.
1 - the students failed to record any research or show signs of recording progress.
Part of the recording of research and progress should include exactly how the group spent
their five dollars.
The final project will be assessed on how closely it resembles the original artifact. This
does not necessarily mean the same size, but rather is a good representation of the
original.
Curricular Strands and Major Concepts:
Art - reconstruction of artifact using creativity and other skills
Social Studies - researching the artifact and finding its importance in its relation to the rest of
history specifically the Titanic
Math - estimating costs
Science - studying how certain artifacts were used
Possible Extensions:
Have students reconstruct a model of the Titanic, and/or other ships of historical significance.
Have students research an invention that greatly impacted the course of history.