I have several objectives that I would like to achieve through the implementation of this unit. While “Utilizing Artifacts to Unravel History: The Hunt for Lincoln’s Killer,” as mentioned above, is meant to accompany a unit I will be teaching in a Read180 classroom, I will also construct the lessons in a way that it will stand on its own in a language arts classroom or a number of the aforementioned classroom designations. I believe that the more educators are able to incorporate the unit or parts of the unit into their own plans, the better.
I also believe that the utilization of material culture and material culture theory in my classroom is going to make my students better readers and help them bridge comprehension gaps that might otherwise be overlooked. Students all learn at their own pace and styles and we encounter a variety of learners in our classrooms every day. By introducing visual or tactile objects into our lessons, we are providing additional avenues for students to learn and to excel in the classroom.
Introducing students to material culture is also something that I see as valuable for them as students and human beings. I would like to see students slow down and appreciate art and objects in a way that will help them not only interpret the readings and materials provided, but be able to interpret life in a way that is new and exciting to them. I think students will be intrigued by the collection of New Haven artifacts in the Lost in New Haven Museum. Discovering “stuff” when out walking on a beach, or noticing an old-fashioned light post in the city can trigger curiosity and interest in all of us and make the entire environment in which we live a learning space and experience. I hope that my students, and readers of this unit, will find some new pleasure in taking a closer look at all the things that surround us and go unnoticed in our daily lives.
