Social Studies Discovery Box

Social Studies Discovery Box Group Members: Yasmin Glinton, Jeremy Caldwell, Casey Kennedy, Carly Fleet

New Brunswick Department of Education: Social Studies Curriculum Grade 8 - Atlantic Canada in the Global Community

Theme 2: Culture Strategy: Discovery Box

Curriculum Outcomes The students will be expected to demonstrate an understanding that • people interact with their physical environment to create and refine their social environment • people organize into groups to achieve common and specific goals • culture is dynamic in its components, expressions, and evolution • people in the past contributed to the development of society • effective citizenship requires a sense of personal commitment, a willingness to act, and a concern for the future • global interdependence and technological change affect sustainable living and cultural understanding

List Of Contents In Box Lobster crate, Chainsaw, Newspaper articles, Irish immigrant letters, Milk carton (as it appears today), Potatoes, Maps, Acadian flag, ‘Created’ Metis journal, Pictures from King’s Landing, Music CD

Methods To Be Used By Students Students will use the following methods to access clues in the box: research on the item through various resources (for example, interviews, newspaper articles, library and online research), brainstorming with others in group discussions, answering questions on activity sheet to gain a better understanding of the use and significance of the artifacts. This method can be used to make correlations between past, present and future, in keeping with the Social Studies strand of time, continuity and change. It can also be used to introduce new ideas, themes and concepts into any lesson plan.

Resources Artifact Analysis Worksheet, http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/artifact.html Irish Immigration Letters, ttp://archives.gnb.ca/Documents/IrishPortal/Letters/MC651/MS3/A/01/Huston-1838.09.02.pdf Artifact Analysis: Student Worksheet

1. TYPE OF ARTIFACT Describe the material from which it was made: bone, pottery, metal, wood, stone, leather, glass, paper, cardboard, cotton, plastic, other material.

2. SPECIAL QUALITIES OF THE ARTIFACT Describe how it looks and feels: shape, color, texture, size, weight, moveable parts, anything printed, stamped or written on it.

3. USES OF THE ARTIFACT

A. What might it have been used for, and by whom? Where?

B. Is it still being used today? If so, how is it being used?

C. If it is no longer being used, can you name a similar item used today?

D. How has it changed? How will it look in the future?

4. WHAT DOES THE ARTIFACT TELL US?

A. What does it tell us about technology in the time in which it was made and used?

B. What does it tell us about the life and times of the people who made it and used it?

C. How does the technology used to create this artifact compare/contrast with technologies used today?

D. What can this artifact tell us about the relationship between the Maritimes and the global community? (then and now)

October 18, 2010

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s):

I am writing to let you know about the exciting new unit we are starting in your child’s Social Studies class. The unit is on Atlantic Canadian culture, and we are exploring this topic by building a Discovery Box.

A Discovery Box is a collection of artifacts, documents, and other primary sources, through which we can more directly explore our topic. Exploring this topic through primary sources, instead of through secondary sources such as a textbook, will allow your child the opportunity to become truly connected with Atlantic Canadian culture, which is such a large part of their everyday lives.

If you have any such items that you would like to lend the class for the purposes of this Discovery Box, please send them with your child to school, along with a description of what they are, and why they are relevant, to the best of your knowledge. Your help with this endeavour would be greatly appreciated!

If you have any questions about this unit, or about anything else, please don’t hesitate to contact me at (506) 123-4567, or by email at [email protected].

Sincerely,

The Grade 8 Teacher NB Middle School Social Studies Teaching Strategy: The Discovery Box

A discovery box is a teaching strategy, used at the beginning of a unit, to give the students clues about the topics they will be studying. The box itself can be any type of container. Depending on the theme of the unit and the size of the objects it will contain, it can be an old trunk, a decorated cardboard box, a treasure chest or a lobster crate. It must hold a number of objects or artifacts (at least 10) that are related to the subject content of the unit. Examples of objects that can be used are photographs, maps, primary source texts such as letters and newspaper articles, and historical and cultural artifacts or replications of these artifacts. The contents of the box will vary greatly depending on the theme of the unit and the topics and concepts.

Not only does this strategy give the students visible, tangible clues as to what they will be studying, it is a way of engaging them and piquing their interest in the subject material. The students could examine each artifact in a single class at the beginning of the unit, to get an overview of the topics being studied. Another way to employ this strategy would be to have the students pull one artifact from the box at the beginning of each class. Regardless of which way the box is used, the students analyze and make predictions about the purpose and use of each artifact and then complete the accompanying artifact analysis worksheet.

Students could also bring their own artifacts throughout the duration of the course. This is a way to involve family and possibly other members of the community, as they can be contacted, notified of the purpose and function of the Discovery Box, and asked to contribute to it, if possible. For this reason, a letter written by the teacher should be sent home with each student, explaining the project and its intention.

Additionally, students can also create their own discovery boxes online. The Museum Box website, http://museumbox.e2bn.org/index.php, allows students to place items in a virtual box. Students can post text files, photos, music and video in these boxes, and they can also view and comment on other students’ postings.

For more information, examples, and ideas about how to use the Discovery Box strategy in class, you can visit the following websites: http://ilearntechnology.com/?p=708 http://www.southasiaoutreach.wisc.edu/high%20school/gandhiDiscovery.htm http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/artifact.html