Artifacts

Artifacts are real, hands-on tools and items that students can use to further investigate their topic. They are necessary with young researchers because allow students to gain multi-sensory input while exploring a topic. 

Building Project List

With building projects, the focus narrows to a specific area of buildings such as how they are built, who builds them, building materials, building design and more! Use the student questions to help you narrow down their interests. Below is an example list of the many different things that can be included in a building project. The sample image is from a preK classroom project station.

FireFighter Project List

Below is an example of a list of artifacts and pictures from a home daycare fire fighter project:

Baking Project List

We've seen many successful baking projects. Some focused more on the Bakery itself and became a bakery project, while others focused on what goes into baking and how to bake different recipes.

rolling pin

Baking sheet

Electric Mixer

Measuring spoons

flour

brown sugar

Cookie Cutters

Baking Cup

Water Project

Water is another area where there is often student interest. Depending student questions it can take many directions from states of water, water sanitation, pipes and even more! The below list was from a project where students wanted to know more about the plumbing in their bathroom.

copper pipe

pex pipe

steel pipe

pvc pipe

pipe connectors

spray bottle

Plumbing manuals    

plunger    

valve

Caulk

Pipe tape

Sink strainer

drain snake

waterproof fabric

How can I obtain artifacts? Do I need to buy them?

Since projects can change from year to year, we recommend borrowing or collecting artifacts from others instead of buying all of your artifacts. Buying new artifacts each year and be costly and add lots of clutter if the students the next year are not interested in the same topic. Try some of the methods below first before buying:

• Send letters to home to ask parents if they or anyone they know has different items they can share for your project topic.

• Reach out to your community using your school newsletter, Neighbor apps/boards, donors choose or placing a request on craigslist with a secure location that items can be dropped off.

• Check out your local museums, libraries, and stores to see if they have any items that can be borrowed related to your topic.

Artifact trunks available in Illinois:

Illinois Department of Natural Resources Artifact Trunks

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum Inquiry Kits

Field Museum Harris Learning Collections