OVERVIEW

“Archaeology is the study of past cultures through the material (physical) remains people left behind.” (archaeological.org) Artifacts uncovered by archaeologists inform the narratives of history studied by every student in today’s schools. This lesson invites students to wonder about how scientists travel the path from a random item left behind to conclusions about how people lived or what they believed. Using the film 306 Hollywood as a model, students will be asked to create “catalogs” of “artifacts” representing their own lives or communities.

OBJECTIVES

In this lesson, students will:

• Explore how archaeologists make inferences about societies from the artifacts left behind
• Examine what the “artifacts” in our own homes say about our current society
• Create a representation of self by creating a catalog of personal artifacts

GRADE LEVELS: 10-12

SUBJECT AREAS

Archaeology

Art

History

Research Skills

U.S. History (post-WWII)

English/Language Arts

MATERIALS:

Film clips from 306 Hollywood and a way to screen them

[Optional]: Screen grabs of the catalogs (for use in class only)

ESTIMATED TIME NEEDED:

2 full class periods with homework in between

Class 1 - Step 1: Introduce the Broad Topic

Briefly remind students of familiar topics or eras of study that have been informed by archaeological discoveries. Ancient Roman, Egyptian or Mayan civilizations might come to mind. Or perhaps something more recent, such as colonial U.S. settlements, civil war battles, or indigenous tribal life.

Ask: How do archaeologists and historians figure out what an entire civilization was like from a shard of pottery, a primitive tool, or a gravesite?

Take a few minutes to discuss: How do you make reasonable inferences if all you have is a small cache of artifacts? What other types of resources do investigators use to fill in the story behind an artifact?

Step 2: Introduce the Film & View Clip 1

Explain that students are going to more deeply explore these questions using a film called 306 Hollywood. Provide context for the clip that students are about to view by sharing key information about the film:

• 306 Hollywood is the street address of a home just outside the city limits of Newark, NJ.
• The filmmakers’ grandmother lived in the home for 67 years, beginning in the 1940s.
• When Annette was in her eighties, one of the filmmakers began to record annual interviews with their grandmother.
• When their grandmother died, the filmmakers decided to go through the home as if they were conducting an archaeological excavation.
• The film is their attempt to document that excavation and make sense of what they found.

Screen Clip 1, letting students know that this is primarily to give them a feel for the film’s primary character, Annette Ontell. This will help them interpret what they see in the next clip.

After viewing, briefly review what they now know about Ontell and her community. Be sure that students provide evidence for each conclusion they draw, and invite them to draw conclusions from what they see, not just what they hear.

Step 3: View Clip 2

Screen the second clip. Briefly invite students to share artifacts that especially caught their eye.

Step 4: Focus on the Catalogs

Either as a class or in small groups, return to as many of the catalogs as time allows. Ask students to analyze what they learn from each catalog about the items’ owner(s) and the culture in which the owner lived.

Include what they can infer about a person’s gender, age, race, religion, values, personality, relationships, work, etc. Also invite students to notice the artistic choices involved in laying out the catalog items.

Catalogs:

36:24 – Paperclips

36:28 – Tools

36:31-41 – Bathroom medicine cabinet items

36:52 – stockings (women’s hosiery)

37:02 – Grandpa Herman

37:10 – Uncle David

37:26 – toothbrushes

37:35 – pink items

37:40 – beige items

37:48 – blue items

37:55 – green items

Alternatively, you could break into small groups and assign one catalog to each group, and then reconvene so groups can share their interpretations. If you choose this option, students will need a way for each group to simultaneously examine their assigned catalog (e.g., pre-printed screen grabs of each catalog or the ability to view the video clip on a laptop). You’ll also need extra time to allow for each group to share and take questions.

Step 5: The Assignment

Once students have had a chance to practice analyzing the catalogs, give them their assignment:

Using “artifacts” from your own home/life, create a catalog representing you or find an artifact representing every year you have been alive.

In cases where students would have trouble creating 3D displays of artifacts (e.g., parents don’t want them to take things they need), allow students to create their catalogs using photographs of artifacts.

Class Two - Step 6: Share

Once students have completed their catalogs, have them bring the catalogs to class and place them around the room. Let students do a walkabout so they can look at everyone else’s work. (Alternatively have everyone post their catalogs on a class website and share the work that way). See if students can identify each catalog’s creator from the items included. Invite them to notice what sorts of artifacts show up in many people’s work and what artifacts are unique. As time allows, have students ask (and answer) questions about individual choices.

Step 7: Draw Conclusions

Either in small groups or as a class, discuss: What do your catalogs reveal about your culture? Invite students to reflect on whether the material culture represented in their artifacts leaves out significant aspects of their lives? Are they comfortable being represented only by material things they own?

[Optional] As an assessment, assign students to write a one-page summary of what they learned about their culture and about how artifacts are used to draw conclusions about culture.

Research how to conduct oral history interviews and video tape oral histories of family or elders in your community. Create a screening event to share the stories you gather.

Compare and contrast the filmmakers’ “excavation” of their grandmother’s home with rituals surrounding death, burial, and grieving in other cultures.

Study the post-WWII years in the U.S. What happened to cities like Newark, NJ? How might the Ontell house compare to the home of an African-American, Southern, rural, West Coast, Japanese, or Latinx family in the same time period? Which artifacts would they share and which would be different?

Examine the history texts used in your school district and ask: Do they present the “great man” theory of history (that focuses on the accomplishments of individual leaders and the impact of select events) or do they also include social history based on the stories and day-to-day lives of everyday people? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach?

POV also has a general discussion guide available with additional activity ideas.

Archaeological Institute of America – Provides general information, lesson plans, links to fieldwork opportunities, and more. Especially helpful is an overview of the field including key definitions.

PBS’ Team Time America – This 2014 series shows excavations of U.S. historical sites. The website also includes helpful general descriptions of archaeologists’ techniques for investigation and analysis.

POV: Media Literacy Questions for Analyzing POV Films

This list of questions provides a useful starting point for leading rich discussions that challenge students to think critically about documentaries.

Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (http://www.corestandards.org/assets/CCSSI_ELA%20Standards.pdf)

SL.11-12.1 Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11–12 topics, texts and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

SL.11-12.2 Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.

SL.11-12.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks.

SL.11-12.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

W.11-12.2d Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic

W.11-12.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization and style are appropriate to task, purpose and audience.

Content Knowledge: (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks/) a compilation of content standards and benchmarks for K-12 curriculum by McRel (Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning).

Language Arts, Standard 1: Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process.

Language Arts, Standard 2: Uses the stylistic and rhetorical aspects of writing.

Language Arts, Standard 8: Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes.

Language Arts, Standard 9: Uses viewing skills and strategies to understand and interpret visual media.

U.S. History, Standard 31: Understands economic, social and cultural developments in the contemporary United States.

This resource was created, in part, with the generous support of the Open Society Foundation and Latino Public Broadcasting.