Considering Making an Artifact Bag? Here are some tips!

Hello all!

We have recently been introduced to the idea of creating artifact bags to introduce a project for elementary school children. Here are some useful tips for your lesson:

1. Attempt to find REAL artifacts! They are much more interesting!

2. When beginning, MODEL the investigative process for your students.

3. THINK ALOUD for the students. Ask yourself questions you want them to think about when they begin digging in their bags.

4. ENCOURAGE students to use their prior knowledge.

5. CREATE an observation sheet to guide student thinking.

6. PROMOTE conversation and discussions.

7. PROVIDE research tools.

8. READ important information that relates to the artifacts.

9.INCORPORATE an interesting project to follow the investigation.

These are more teacher based, rather than focused on the actual artifact bag itself, but I still feel that they will be very useful!

Thanks!
Liz