Introduction
Dear Educator,
Thank you for choosing Artifacts in the Classroom. This easy to incorporate activity will inspire inquiry-based
learning that will teach your students how to analyze and interpret objects, and bring the museum experience
to your classroom!
As educators, we at the ITC understand that you may need to adapt these lessons to fit the constructs of your
classroom and the needs of your students. Please feel free to copy the handouts included for personal and
educational purposes, or create your own, provided you credit the Institute of Texan Cultures.
We hope that you will visit us at the Institute of Texan Cultures, and continue to use our classroom resources
to promote your students’ learning experiences. If you have any questions before your visit, please do not
hesitate to contact us.
Best,
The Institute of Texan Cultures
Education and Interpretation
210-458-2281
ITCEducation@utsa.edu
Table of Contents
Artifacts in the Classroom: Tips for Using Interpretation to Support Your Curriculum
3
Artifact Analysis Activity Instructions
4
Artifact Analysis Activity Reproducible Worksheet
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Artifacts in the Classroom:
Tips for Using Interpretation to Support Your Curriculum
1. Choose a topic that is simple and focused.
Try to identify a subject or instructional topic that could benefit from hands-on examples and is broad
enough that you may find a variety of easily accessible and relatable objects.
Example: Cattle Drives
Non-Example: Ancient Art
2. Select artifacts that tell a larger story.
What story are you hoping to tell your students through artifacts? How does each artifact that you
choose relate to, or tell a portion of that story? One artifact alone may not represent your selected
topic, but a collection of artifacts may be interpreted separately to understand one central narrative.
3. Be practical!
Consider the age and ability level of your students, as well as how the artifacts will be used in your
classroom. Choose artifacts that are easy for students to manipulate and hold, that will not hurt
students, and that are not expensive to replace if they are broken or go missing.
4. Be resourceful!
Most teachers must provide meaningful experiences for students on a very small budget. Shop for
artifacts at thrift stores, flea markets and garage sales. Consider borrowing artifacts from family,
friends or neighbors, or ask them to donate unwanted items to your classroom.
5. There is such a thing as too much.
Create a collection of artifacts that is comprehensive, but not overwhelming. Do you have too few
artifacts to tell your story? Do you have too many artifacts to interpret in the class time allotted?
Through practice you can expand or narrow your collection to just the right amount.
6. Stimulate the senses.
Encourage students to engage all of their senses. Allow students to immerse themselves in the
experience of the story you are trying to tell by selecting artifacts that they may see, touch, hear or
smell. (For safety and health reasons engaging taste may not be advisable in your school or district.)
7. The artifact is cool, but the story is cooler!
It is easy for students to be caught up in the novelty of an artifact they may have never seen before.
While it is important to nurture curiosity and excitement, reinforce that artifacts tell a larger story
about a person or people’s culture. Ask your students how they would like to be remembered – for
their things or for the life they lived?
8. Inspire inquiry-based learning.
Allow students to discover the meaning of the artifacts. Encourage them to examine the entire artifact
and consider how it may have been made or used, why it is relevant to the subject and how it may
compare or contrast to something they are already familiar with.
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Artifact Analysis Activity
Estimated Time: 15 minutes
Social Studies Standards:
4.21 Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid
sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:(A) differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and
secondary sources such as computer software; interviews; biographies; oral, print, and visual material; documents; and artifacts to
acquire information about the United States and Texas;(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-andeffect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and
drawing inferences and conclusions;(C) organize and interpret information in outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including
graphs, charts, timelines, and maps
4.22 Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:(A) use social
studies terminology correctly;(B) incorporate main and supporting ideas in verbal and written communication…(D) create written
and visual material such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers, outlines, and bibliographies; and (E) use standard grammar,
spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation.
5.24 Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a variety of valid
sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:(A) differentiate between, locate, and use valid primary and
secondary sources such as computer software; interviews; biographies; oral, print, and visual material; documents; and artifacts to
acquire information about the United States;(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect
relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and predictions, and drawing
inferences and conclusions;(C) organize and interpret information in outlines, reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs,
charts, timelines, and maps
5.25 Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:(A) use social
studies terminology correctly;(B) incorporate main and supporting ideas in verbal and written communication…(D) create written
and visual material such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers, outlines, and bibliographies; and(E) use standard grammar,
spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation.
6.21 Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired through established
research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:(A) differentiate
between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as computer software; interviews; biographies; oral, print, and
visual material; and artifacts to acquire information about various world cultures;(B) analyze information by sequencing,
categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making
generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions;(C) organize and interpret information from outlines,
reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps
6.22 Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:(A) use social
studies terminology correctly;(B) incorporate main and supporting ideas in verbal and written communication based on research…
(D) create written and visual material such as journal entries, reports, graphic organizers, outlines, and bibliographies based on
research;(E) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, and punctuation; and
7.21 Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired through established
research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:(A) differentiate
between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as computer software, databases, media and news services,
biographies, interviews, and artifacts to acquire information about Texas;(B) analyze information by sequencing, categorizing,
identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations and
predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions;(C) organize and interpret information from outlines, reports, databases, and
visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps…(E) support a point of view on a social studies issue or event;
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7.22 Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:(A) use social
studies terminology correctly;(B) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, and proper citation of
sources;(C) transfer information from one medium to another, including written to visual and statistical to written or visual, using
computer software as appropriate; and(D) create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.
8.29 Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired through established
research methodologies from a variety of valid sources, including electronic technology. The student is expected to:(A) differentiate
between, locate, and use valid primary and secondary sources such as computer software, databases, media and news services,
biographies, interviews, and artifacts to acquire information about the United States;(B) analyze information by sequencing,
categorizing, identifying cause-and-effect relationships, comparing, contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making
generalizations and predictions, and drawing inferences and conclusions;(C) organize and interpret information from outlines,
reports, databases, and visuals, including graphs, charts, timelines, and maps…(E) support a point of view on a social studies issue or
event
8.30 Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:(A) use social
studies terminology correctly;(B) use standard grammar, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, and proper citation of
sources;(C) transfer information from one medium to another, including written to visual and statistical to written or visual, using
computer software as appropriate; and(D) create written, oral, and visual presentations of social studies information.
Materials:


Demonstration artifacts
Copies of reproducible Artifact Analysis Activity, page
Instructions:
1. After introducing a topic or theme to your class, provide students with artifacts related to the subject.
2. Give students time to handle the artifacts and examine them thoroughly.
3. As students examine the artifacts, ask them to complete an Artifact Analysis Activity worksheet for one
of the artifacts.
4. To extend this activity, you may ask students to write a summary paragraph explaining what the
artifact is, how it relates to the topic or theme, and what additional information they learn about the
subject by examining the artifact.
Note: This assignment may be completed individually, or with a partner.
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NAME: _________________________________________________________________________ DATE: _____________
Artifact Analysis Activity
Directions: Complete the chart below by filling in facts & observations about the artifact you observed.
What is it?_________________________________________________________________________________________
Observe: Look at the artifact and list some of your observations by answering the following questions.
What is the artifact made
When was it made or used? How was it used?
Who used it?
of?
Describe: Describe how the artifact looked and felt, and then draw a picture of it.
Write notes that will help you remember how the artifact
Draw a picture of the artifact.
looked and felt.
Interpret: Interpret how the artifact relates to the subject you are studying. Then compare or contrast it to
something that we use today.
How does this artifact relate to _____________________? Describe how this artifact is similar to or different from an
item that we use today.
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