5th grade historians uncovering the past

Fifth grade students have been investigating primary and secondary sources in order to understand how historians figure out the culture and events of the past. Mrs. Whitenack is leading the classes in a hands-on exploration of actual 19^th century artifacts found during site preparation for the construction of Agnor-Hurt Elementary School twenty-five years ago. Students are challenged to try to figure out what each object might have been used for, and what the whole collection can tell them about the everyday life of the owners. This activity not only gives students an opportunity to interact directly with primary source material, but gives our predominantly urban/suburban students a tangible connection to our agricultural past. Check out these pictures below!