Trace-Based Cases: Tracing the Economic History of Artifacts
The word trace can be used as both a noun and a verb. For example, the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a trace (noun) as a a sign or evidence of some past thing. As a verb, to trace means to discover signs, evidence, or remains, and to follow or investigate in detail.
Trace-Based Cases begin with a trace of something from the past, like an artifact, photo, painting, or other visual source. During initial cases, utilize teacher-generated questions. Then, gradually release the responsibility to the students, so they can eventually ask their own questions.
Step 1: Descriptive Questions
We begin with some descriptive questions. These evidence-based questions provide background information to help students contextualize. However, rather than assigning these questions, work on them together with some group activities that involve a variety of sources, including: artifacts, photos, paintings, maps, charts, graphs, and written primary and secondary sources. First, provide a trace of something from the past, like an artifact.
Trace-Based Cases begin with a trace of something from the past, like an artifact, photo, painting, or other visual source. During initial cases, utilize teacher-generated questions. Then, gradually release the responsibility to the students, so they can eventually ask their own questions.
Step 1: Descriptive Questions
We begin with some descriptive questions. These evidence-based questions provide background information to help students contextualize. However, rather than assigning these questions, work on them together with some group activities that involve a variety of sources, including: artifacts, photos, paintings, maps, charts, graphs, and written primary and secondary sources. First, provide a trace of something from the past, like an artifact.
- Ask: What do you see?
- Then, provide more resources to answer the following:
- Who?
- When?
- Where?
Step 2: Analysis Questions
Analysis part 1 begins with why and how questions, which explore the relationship of the parts to the whole.
Step 3: Evaluation Questions
Evaluation questions considers implications, solutions, conclusions, or recommendations: What if? So what? What now? and What next?
Florida Trace-Based Cases
- Florida Immigration and Migration https://fcit.usf.edu/immigration-and-migration/
- Florida Steamships Then and Now https://fcit.usf.edu/using-text-sets/
- Florida Tourism https://fcit.usf.edu/trace-based-case-florida-tourism/
- More Florida Text Sets
Start at 7 minutes Economic historians Begin at 7 minutes and end at 13:20
Additional Texts for the Silk Road:
https://www.teachthought.com/critical-thinking/how-simple-artifacts-can-promote-inquiry-based-learning/
http://www.socialstudies.org/sites/default/files/publications/se/6003/600302.html
http://learnpbl.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/6/6/11669033/101_inquiry_artifact_inquiry_task.pdf
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/sspp/html/pdf/using_artifacts_to_foster_historical_inquiry.pdf
https://www.edx.org/course/teaching-historical-inquiry-objects-smithsonianx-ed1-1x-1
- Khan Academy Video of the Early Silk Road
- Horse and Rider China: Artifact from Artsmia
- MFA St. Petersburg Standing Horse
- Art of the Han Dynasty
- ImH Exhibits Legacy of the Horse Early China
- Washington.edu Silk Road Trade Exhibit
- Ancient .eu Silk Road with link to crash course
- Unesco.org Silk Road
- National Geographic.com Silk Road History
https://www.teachthought.com/critical-thinking/how-simple-artifacts-can-promote-inquiry-based-learning/
http://www.socialstudies.org/sites/default/files/publications/se/6003/600302.html
http://learnpbl.weebly.com/uploads/1/1/6/6/11669033/101_inquiry_artifact_inquiry_task.pdf
http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/sspp/html/pdf/using_artifacts_to_foster_historical_inquiry.pdf
https://www.edx.org/course/teaching-historical-inquiry-objects-smithsonianx-ed1-1x-1