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When I first started thinking about my treasure box, I was overwhelmed and unsure. However, once I started working on it, I realized it was very similar to the learning centers I already use. The only difference; tracking down my primary sources....which didn't prove to be an easy task!
To create my treasure box, I first set up a goal. I wanted my first graders to be able to relate to the children who lived during the time of Benjamin Franklin. Not just know what they looked like, but to actually be able to put themselves in their shoes, and feel what those boys and girls felt in the 1700's. To reach this goal, I set up 3 separate activities:
Activity 1: GAMES NOW AND THEN
I had several different games and pictures of games set up in a tote to sort through. Some were modern day games, and others were games children would have played long ago. Once the students sorted them, they then had to compare and contrast the two. The last task was to figure out how the games of old were used. They got to share ideas to the class before we revealed the "real" usage!
Activity 2: CHORES
This activity started with a puzzle. The puzzle showed how laundry was done in the 1700's. As the puzzle was being assembled they had to try and figure out what it was a picture of. The children wrote down their guesses. Once the puzzle was assembled they made a final guess as to what the picture showed. I also included house hold items, pictures of tools, and pictures of children, men, and women working. My students had to observe the items and come up with a purpose for each.
Activity 3: CLOTHING
At this center, I placed pictures of clothing that are worn today and in the 1700's. The students had to dress a cutout boy/girl. When they finished, they were to look at the books and photographs placed in the box and observe the way the children were dressed. After looking at the books, they were then able to go back and make any changes to their cutouts.
I have to say, this treasure box took A LOT of planning, but the kids LOVED it! They really enjoyed the exploration aspect of it. The activities seemed to appeal to my entire class. Each activity was like a mini mystery they had to solve. It was neat seeing it all come together for them. When they first arrived at the activity, they were confused. As they started sorting through the materials and expressing their ideas and questions, the pieces started to slowly come together. Very enjoyable, and they certainly took a lot of new information away with them!
