Artifact Detectives, Day 1-What is an artifact?
Objective: Students will
understand what artifacts
are, why they are
important to study, and
how they help us
understand different
cultures.
Materials: Pencils for
students, student journals.
A box of “modern day
artifacts” (an Extra-tuf,
lightbulb, hair brush) Five
small dry erase boards
with markers.
Time Frame: 40 minutes
4th Grade
Procedures:
•With students sitting at tables in groups of 4-5, welcome students to the class. Have them write names in journals. Tell them
that this week, they will get to learn all about artifacts and even get to handle some real artifacts from the Museum. But first
they have to discuss what they think an artifact is. Let students have turns discussing what they think. Where can you find
artifacts, what do they think of when they hear the word artifact. Write ideas on board. After about 5 minutes of discussion, tell
students to open their journals to the first page. To learn about artifacts, we’ll need to learn some new vocabulary. Tell them
that an artifact is an object that people have made or modified. Have them write in journals. Based on this definition, update
what was written on board. Discuss how they help historians and archaeologists find out about the maker’s technology and can
tell a lot about the values and practices of a culture. Discuss what an archaeologist is, and have them fill in vocabulary for
Archaeologist (a person who studies artifacts).
•Next, have students discuss and fill in the next two vocabulary terms. After discussing, or as students answer, make sure they
know that a Culture is a group of people living at the same time in the same place. Discuss what that means, and have them give
examples of different cultures. We can start with a culture of third graders, and extend that to a culture of human beings,
which unites us all. The Unangan Culture is the group of people who historically lived in Unalaska. You can also discuss whether a
person can belong to more than one culture. Why or why not? And what are characteristics of cultures?
•Go back to the definition of artifacts, call on someone to say what the definition is again. Discuss whether or not there can be
new artifacts. These are called “modern day artifacts.” Pass out small erase boards for each group, tell them they are to
discuss and write as many “modern day artifacts” as they can imagine. Give 5 minutes for discussion. For higher level students,
have them think of artifacts that represent Unalaska in particular. Have students circle their top 2 answers. Discuss together
what each of the artifacts might tell future archaeologists about the culture in Unalaska. Tell them you have brought one from
home (if someone names one, pull it out then). Reach in the box and pull out one modern day artifact. Ask students what it is,
and what it is used for. Tell students one amazing thing about artifacts is that they help us learn about the cultures they belong
to. What does this artifact say about our culture as Unalaskans? Write ideas on board.
•Have students sketch the modern day artifact in their journals, and write about what we can learn about our modern day
culture in Unalaska from this artifact for 5 minutes.. Students may also draw what we can learn about the artifact.
•Tell them tomorrow, we will start studying artifacts from the Unangan culture, and that they will receive special tools to handle
real artifacts. Review vocabulary again before dismissing students. Assemble bags with student names, journals, pencils, gloves,
and magnifying glasses before next class.
4th grade hints: Students in 4th grade will write out complete sentences in their own words too. Be sure to watch for students
struggling with this, and use small dry erase boards to write their answers out for added support.
Cultural Standards: A3, B1, B2
AK GLEs: W[4]2.2.3, ; History C.2, C.3, C.4
Artifact Detectives, Day 2-Drill Rest Artifacts
Objective: Students will
accurately describe a
drill rest artifact and
discuss relevance of
artifact to the Unangan
culture.
Materials: Pencils for
students, student journals.
Drill Rest artifact
(TC.A.0027) from
Teaching Collection.
Time Frame: 40 minutes
4th Grade
Procedures:
•With students sitting in circle, review vocabulary from previous day. Have students give examples of modern day artifacts, as
well as different cultures. Tell students that each day this week, they will look at a different artifact from the museum. You have
bags with special tools for them to handle artifacts. Show them how to use gloves, discussing why we need to wear them (we
don’t want to get oil from our hands on the artifacts; we want to protect them) and magnifying glasses. Tell them when you
hand them their bag, they only need to get out their journal and pencil for right now!
•Have students discuss the next two vocabulary terms. Begin with going back over Unangan Culture, and this leads to History.
History is the story or events that happened in the past. Alright, what does Past mean then? Discuss, and tell them the past is
anything that has happened before the present moment. Review past, present and future, and have the students give examples of
things that happened in the past and future. Discuss why the present is so hard to describe. If students finish early, they can list
things that have happened in the past under their definitions.
•Tell the students that they can get out their gloves and glasses, we’ll be looking at our first artifact. Tell them while we’re
handing around artifacts and looking at them, that NOONE should be talking at all! Students should have the space to think for
themselves, so even if you think you know what it is, do not say anything until everyone has had a chance to look at it! Also
explain that some of the artifacts this week have points, but do we poke anyone with them? Throw them? Pretend to do any of
these things? Absolutely not.
•When students are silent, pass around the drill rest. After everyone has had a chance to look, place it in the middle of the
circle and tell students we are going to sketch the artifact in our journal. After they’ve had a chance to draw the artifact, let
them describe the artifact and write them in their journals with labels. Not what they think it is, but describing words. Round,
smooth, heavy, made of bone (ivory). You don’t need to write these out on the board. Discuss what they think the artifact is.
Write all ideas on the board, and after, tell them what it is, or who got it right. Tell them why they wouldn’t be certain artifacts
too, what clues do you know that lead you to understand this is not a bludgeoning tool? End by saying what clues lead you to
know it is a drill rest.
•Ask students what they think this artifact says about the Unangan culture. The discussion doesn’t need to be written on board.
If the Unangan used this as a tool what does this say? What were their tools made of? Why might this have been of ivory
instead of regular bone? Give the students 4-5 minutes to write in their journals after discussion. Students needing more
prompting will receive it. Check journals before having students put everything in their bag and turning in their materials.
•Conclude by reviewing vocabulary again before dismissing.
4th grade hints: After this class, you won’t need to discuss describing words and labeling, students will do it on their own. If time
allows, discuss the style of sketching. Why would we want to draw realistically when we are being Artifact Detectives?
Cultural Standards: A3, B1, B2
AK GLEs: W[4]2.2.3, ; History C.2, C.3, C.4
Artifact Detectives, Day 3-Labret Artifact
Objective: Students will
accurately describe a
labret artifact and
discuss relevance of
artifact to the Unangan
culture.
Materials: Pencils for
students, student journals.
Labret artifact
(TC.A.0013) from
Teaching Collection.
Time Frame: 40 minutes
4th Grade
Procedures:
•With students sitting in circle, review vocabulary from previous days. Review the artifacts they were shown yesterday, and
what we could learn about the Unangan culture because of them. Tell students today they will get to see another artifact from
the Museum. Pass out bags, and tell them to get out journals and pencils.
•Have students discuss the next two vocabulary terms. A tool is an object that helps you work. A clue is something that helps you
solve a mystery, or something you don’t know. Discuss examples of tools. Discuss whether all artifacts are tools or if all tools are
artifacts. The stars in the sky can be used as tools for navigation, but are they artifacts? Are artifacts clues? What mystery are
we solving? Students finished early can write or draw examples of tools under their definition.
•Tell the students that they can get out their gloves and glasses, we’ll be looking at our next artifact. Review that for the first
few minutes, as we pass the artifact around the circle, no one should be speaking, only thinking, about what the artifact is, what
it may be used for, what it might say about the Unangan culture. Also review safety, no poking, hitting with artifacts, or
misusing them. Remember that the Unangan respected all of nature, including the tools they made out of things they would find
in nature, and we must do the same.
•When students are silent, pass around the ivory labret. After everyone has had a chance to look, place it in the middle of the
circle and tell students to sketch and describe the artifact in their journals, labeling their description words. You can introduce
the word notched so students can add that to their descriptions.
•Discuss what they think the artifact is. Write all ideas on the board, and after, tell them what it is, or who got it right. You can
start stating why or why it isn’t a particular guess, but make sure to reinforce they were all excellent ideas.
•Ask students what they think this artifact says about the Unangan culture. Some of the ideas can include “the Unangan wore
bone jewelry” and “the Unangan would express themselves through jewelry.” Have the students write in their journals for 4-5
minutes. Check journals before having students put everything in their bag and turning in their materials.
•Conclude by reviewing vocabulary again before dismissing. Prepare Artifact Detective certificates before next class.
4th grade hints: You can talk about how different labrets would mean different things. They could be made of wood or bone, but
why do they think we have fewer wood labret artifacts that bone?
Cultural Standards: A3, B1, B2
AK GLEs: W[4]2.2.3, ; History C.2, C.3, C.4
Artifact Detectives, Day 4-Bone Wedge with socket Artifact
Objective: Students will
accurately describe a
wedge artifact and
discuss relevance of
artifact to the Unangan
culture.
Materials: Pencils for
students, student journals.
Wedge artifact
(TC.A.0019) from
Teaching Collection.
Time Frame: 40 minutes
4th Grade
Procedures:
•With students sitting in a circle, review what artifacts are, and why they are important to study. Review the artifacts that they
were shown the day before, and what they said about the culture. Tell students today they would get to see another artifact
from the Museum. Pass out bags, and tell them to get out journals and pencils.
•Tell the students that they can get out their gloves and glasses, we’ll be looking at our next artifact. Review that for the first
few minutes, as we pass the artifact around the circle, no one should be speaking, only thinking, about what the artifact is, what
it may be used for, what it might say about the Unangan culture. Also review safety, no poking, hitting with artifacts, or
misusing them.
•When students are silent, pass around wedge. After everyone has had a chance to look, place it in the middle of the circle
and tell students to sketch and describe and label the artifacts in their journals. Discuss what they think the artifact is. Write all
ideas on the board, and after, tell them what it is, or who got it right. You can start stating why or why it isn’t a particular
guess, but make sure to reinforce they were all excellent ideas. It was used to split logs for kayaks, or house timbers.
•Ask students what they think this artifact says about the Unangan culture. What other artifact does this remind them of? Could
it also be used for a drill rest? Which one would be a better one? Explain the socket was also used to put seal oil in so the
wedge wouldn’t get stuck in the wood they were trying to split. Have the students write in their journals for 4-5 minutes. Check
journals before having students put everything in their bag and turning in their materials.
•When students have finished, ask students to write on the last page how they liked the class, and whether or not they would
change anything about it. Tell them being honest will make the class better next time, so it’s okay to give suggestions.
•Conclude by reviewing vocabulary one final time, then telling the students that not only do they get to take their gloves,
glasses, home with them, but you have official Artifact Detective certificates that say they have completed the necessary
coursework to become an official Detective! Hand out certificates, and collect pencils from students. Tell them you will return
their journals on Monday, after you’ve had a chance to read their suggestions.
•Finally, discuss where artifacts belong, and what students should do if they ever think they find an artifact. They should have
their parents call the Museum, and the archaeologists will get it. Should they take it home and keep it? No.
This is the last day of your Unangan class! Well done!
Cultural Standards: A3, B1, B2
AK GLEs: W[4]2.2.3, [4]2.4.2; History C.2, C.3, C.4
Ideas that can be expressed throughout the classes:
•The Unangan people used their surroundings to help them survive and thrive with their
environment.
•The Unangan people took their time making tools so they would be able to use them for
many years.
•The longer the Unangan people lived in the Aleutians, the more developed their tools
became. Why do you think this is so?
•The Unangan respected all of nature. Why do you think this would be important?
•Can we use the values of the Unangan in our modern day lives? Why or why not?
•Do you think there were more or less of the tools they used back then than the tools we use
today? Why or why not?
References
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Black, Lydia T. (2003). Aleut Art: Unangam Aguqaadangin.
Virginia Beach, VA. Donning Company Publishers.
Jochelson, Waldemar. (1990). Aleut Tales and Narratives.
Fairbanks, AK. Alaska Native Language Center, UAF.
Alaska Native Knowledge Network. http://ankn.uaf.edu/. How
to live as an Unangax.
Turner, Lucien. (2010). An Aleutian Ethnography. Fairbanks, AK.
University of Alaska Press.