March 6, 2022
The second year I taught 6th grade, we began the year with a 'Me Museum'. Students served as museum curators responsible for collecting 3 artifacts. I asked that each artifact represent something about them that they wanted to share with the class (critical thinking & creativity). After collecting their artifacts, students wrote 3 - 4 sentences on a notecard describing each artifact and explaining it's importance.
On the day of the 'Me Museum', students intentionally displayed each item on their desks. Notecards were placed as plaques, describing the items. Students walked through our 'Me Museum' examining the exhibits. After the museum walk through, each student gave an informal presentation to a small group of 4 classmates as the curator of their exhibit (communication).
Throughout the project, students were incredibly engaged in collecting artifacts, writing their notecards and creating their display. They were also proud to give their informal presentations. This made me wonder if their engagement was due to the fact that this project was all about them, or if this type of artifact curation project could be adapted and used with different content resulting in the same level of engagement.
I truly wasn't sure what the answer would be, but I decided to take the leap and see what happened. At the end of our Ancient Egypt unit, students created a mini museum with curated artifacts from ancient Egypt. I had craft supplies available and gave students the time to make their artifacts (creativity). They wrote their note cards, and this time we created our displays on the countertops in the 5th and 6th grade hallway. Students did the museum walk through and gave their informal presentations to a small group with fifth graders as their audience. Once again, students thoroughly enjoyed the process. Having them create their artifacts brought their engagement and ownership of their learning to the next level.
How To:
Students create 3-5 artifacts to represent learning from a lesson, unit or topic; similar to the way a museum curator would gather artifact to display in an exhibit at a museum. Students can create artifacts by drawing, sculpting, etc.
Ideas for Implementation:
Since the initial 'Me Museum' and 'Ancient Egyptian Artifact Museum', I've been able to modify this project based on the needs of my classroom. Below are a few ideas for modifications that can be made to meet a classroom need.
Time: To make this into an activity, instead of a project, I've had students find 3 - 4 pictures to serve as their artifacts. They label each, and write a quick explanation, naming the artifact, it's origin, and it's historical significance as it relates to the lesson topic. I've done this digitally using Google Slides, and I've also had students print the pictures and create mini posters.
Collaboration: I've had students finish up a semester by choosing their favorite unit and working with a group to create an exhibit for that unit (collaboration). We end the semester with a museum summarizing what students have learned in the 10 weeks with each group presenting their unit specific exhibit. One year I had a life size cardboard sarcophagus in my classroom. It was amazing!
Connection & Feedback: Sometimes we skip the informal presentation altogether and just do the museum walk. When we do this, I give each student 4 post-it notes. Students use the post-it notes to leave compliments for classmates near the exhibits (communication).
Subject Area: I've used this project template in math, ELA and science. In math I've asked students to curate 6 artifacts that represent core concepts from a unit. I've done something similar in science. In ELA I've asked students to collect 5 artifacts that tell a story or 'belong' to a character.
No matter the time of year, subject, or requirements, my students love when I use the artifact curation template to structure a project. From start to finish, engagement is through the roof, and students take ownership of their learning in a way that is not only meaningful, but builds confidence and fills the classroom with joy.