Lesson Plan for Artefacts
Making a Museum Display
1. Draw the children's attention to the objects they made in the workshop, which should be displayed on one side of the classroom. Go through each one to see if they remember what each one is.
2. Point out that they are like a museum collection. Discuss museums - what they are for, what they contain etc. Then discuss what makes a good museum display. How can the class improve their own display of objects? Discuss backgrounds, how to position the objects using stands etc., and labels. Many museums now use interactive displays, so see if the children have any ideas about how someone visiting the classroom can do something with the objects, perhaps, to learn more about them. Or perhaps they children can demonstrate the objects, use role play etc.
3. Make plans to enact some of the children's suggestions. This activity goes well with lesson 1, doing extra research on the artefacts. The children can use their research to write captions and labels for the objects. This activity will also go well with the next lesson, the visit to the Manchester museum. I would suggest a preliminary discussion, then the visit to the Manchester Museum, then making the children's own display.
4. The children then make their museum display. One pair might be given the task of designing the overall look of the display while the rest focus on their items. You might want to use space in a corridor or hall if the display ends up being large.
5. Another class might be invited to come and view the display, and give feedback on it, which can then be used to improve the display.