Creating Historians in the Classroom

On October 11, my group of teachers and I implemented our lesson for inquiry learning. This problem-solving based strategy allows students to think for themselves and draw their own conclusions which is the highest-level of thinking. Artifact bags were used in this lesson to allow students to problem-solve. After review of the scientific method, the role of historians, and a definition of an artifact, our historians were ready to investigate!

I loved this lesson and so did the students. They had a plethora of questions about the artifacts. Students were dying to know where the artifacts came from, who made them, and how they were used. They were so busy exploring and discussing the uses of the artifacts that some students forgot to write their findings on the provided worksheet. This was not a big issue; however, due to the fact that there were four groups and five teachers. During the second session, I was the "extra teacher" that walked around to ask brief questions and remind them to record on the sheets. The students were especially excited about their artifacts when they found information about them in the books. They were able to check their hypothesis to see if their thinking was correct and this was exciting for them.

As a future teacher this lesson was pleasing to watch. I loved watching the children enjoy exploring. After long weeks of preparing and rehearsing lesson with my group, this lesson reminded me of why I love teaching. It was truly rewarding is view the students interacting and learning from each other and aiding in one another's comprehension. The most pleasing event from this lesson came when the students discovered more information about their artifact in the books provided; they were so excited! While not enough time was allotted for presentations, I still believe that this lesson was implemented effectively to the fourth grade class. The students were able to explore their artifacts and use the scientific method to make generalizations. If I could change anything about this lesson I would allow more time for sharing. I think that it is necessary for students to receive feedback and learn more about other artifacts to enhance their understanding of the time period.