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The artefact that I have chosen for this task is a set of suitcases from the Immigration museum. The
ways in which they can be used will be described in the annotations below, with links to the
curriculum to follow. Finally, I will explain how and why artefacts are relevant in the Primary
Humanities classroom and some examples of some questions that could be asked about the
The use of an original artefact in the Primary Humanities classroom can provide students with the
potential for authentic learning experiences, due to the ability to bring learning to life (Nava &
Schmidtberger, 2011) and thus can impact on student learning in a positive way (Eamon, 2006;
Gilliland-Swetland, Kafai & Landis, 1999). In order for these positive learning potentials to be
reached, it is important that careful consideration is taken when choosing the artefact that will
stimulate the learning journey (Musbach, 2001; Nava & Schmidtberger, 2011). It is imperative that
the artefact is age appropriate, carries a purpose for the learning and most importantly, is engaging
to stimulate motivation towards the learning (Musbach, 2001). Choosing an artefact such as the 3
suitcases from the Immigration Museum will stimulate the innate curiosity that children have
towards objects that can open or close, or objects that can conceal something inside as opposed to a
digital image, in which the students cannot act upon this. The suitcases provide a context for the
learning, where the children can interact with the content using most of their senses (Eamon, 2006);
they can touch and hold the suitcases, they can see, observe the suitcases, they can smell the
suitcases and they can manipulate the suitcases (eg. open and close etc.). Such experiences with the
senses has been proven to generate an emotional response to the content (Gilliland-Swetland, Kafai
& Landis, 1999), which is far more likely to be retained in the childs memory than in a rote learning
experience (Eamon, 2006). Moreover, this type of learning experience with the actual, physical
object, rather than written or printed material also allows for children to construct their own
meaning towards their learning (Gilliland-Swetland, Kafai & Landis, 1999). Using artefacts enables
children to become mini detectives (Gilliland-Swetland, Kafai & Landis, 1999); a role in which the
students are taking responsibility and direction for their own learning and thus are developing their
critical thinking skills (Eamon, 2006). It is argued by some that original artefacts should not be used
in the classroom due to the value of the artefact and the risk of damage from being handled by
children (Eamon, 2006; Gilliland-Swetland, Kafai & Landis, 1999), however this can be overcome by
working in collaboration with museums and archivists (Gilliland-Swetland, Kafai & Landis, 1999;
Paris, 1997; Seligman, 2014), and also by using good quality replicas of the objects (Eamon, 2006).
The suitcases are a very versatile vehicle for learning as the learning can be focused upon the
suitcase itself, what is inside the suitcase, as well as how the suitcases compare to each other from
each corresponding century. Furthermore, the suitcases can be used as a catalyst for a study on a
famous historic person from that time period, where the suitcase can be filled with possessions that
they may have had from that time. A fictitious character may also be created with the use of the
suitcase for their possessions, to study and compare the life of someone the same age throughout
the three different time periods. Alternatively, the contents of one suitcase could be compared to a
suitcase that we may pack here in the present. With the appropriate scaffolding and background
information necessary (Musbach, 2001), the use of artefacts in the Primary Humanities Classroom
such as the suitcases is a great way for children to connect to the content (Eamon, 2006;
Gilliland-Swetland, Kafai & Landis, 1999), visualise the content and can be easily used in conjunction
with textbook information (Eamon, 2006) and the AusVELS (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment
Authority, 2016) curriculum (as explained above) across all year levels.
Questions:
The following questions could be posed to the class in relation to the suitcase artefacts, which have
been designed alongside Blooms Taxonomy (Reynolds, 2014). I have chosen Blooms Taxonomy as a
basis for my questions, as this is a reliable guideline which will encourage higher order thinking and
critical thinking (Reynolds, 2014). For this reason, I have created questions from the Apply Create
stages of the hierarchical scale using the teaching planning kit (Australian Catholic University, 2016),
as this is where higher order thinking takes place (Anderson & Krathwohl, 2001 cited in Reynolds,
2014).
Australian Catholic University. (2016). Lecture 10. Retrieved from ACU LEO site:
http://leo.acu.edu.au/course/view.php?id=18484§ion=12
Eamon, M. (2006). A%22 Genuine Relationship with the Actual%22: New Perspectives on Primary
Sources, History and the Internet in the Classroom. The History Teacher., 39(3), 297.
Gilliland-Swetland, A. J., Kafai, Y. B., & Landis, W. E. (1999). Integrating primary sources into the
Musbach, J. (2001). Using primary sources in the secondary classroom. Magazine of History, 16(1),
30.
Nava, A., & Schmidtberger, V. (2011). Using Primary Documents in the Social Studies Classroom:
Paris, S. G. (1997). Situated motivation and informal learning. Journal of Museum Education, 22
Reynolds, R. (2014). Teaching Humanities and Social Sciences in the Primary School (3rd edition).
Oxford: Sydney.
Seligman, T. (2014). Learning Museum: A meeting place for pre-service teachers and museums.
http://ezproxy.acu.edu.au/login?url=http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/1059865013Z.00000000043
http://ausvels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/Level5