Blast from the Past
By Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, August 23, 2006
Grade Level
- Middle School
Category
- Design History
Subject Area
- Language Arts
- Social Studies
Lesson Time
Introduction
National Standards
Common Core State Standards
English Language Arts Standards Writing
Grade 6-8
Production and Distribution of Writing:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.5 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.7 Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Range of Writing:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.WHST.6-8.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
English Language Arts Standards: Speaking and Listening
Grade 6-8
Comprehension and Collaboration:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6-8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade level topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6-8.1.A Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6-8.2 Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.8.3 Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence and identifying when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6-8.4 Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6-8.5 Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6-8.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 8 Language standards 1 and 3 here for specific expectations.)
English Language Arts Standards: Reading Informational Text
Grade 6-8
Key Ideas and Details:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6-8.1 Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6-8.8 Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
English Language Arts Standards: History/Social Studies
Grade 6-8
Key Ideas and Details:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.8 Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.9 Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity:
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.10 By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Objectives
- explain how "design" can be both a noun and a verb
- analyze artifacts to gain an understanding of the past
- examine how the past impacts our daily lives
Resources
- Smithsonian Press Website-Legacies
Materials
- copies of the website artifacts
Procedures
Building Background Design a Noun and a Verb
The purpose of this activity is to provide an opportunity for students to understand that design is both a noun and a verb. 1. It's been said that "design" is both a noun and a verb, the noun being the final plan or the object produced and the verb being the process of originating and developing a plan for the new object. Discuss this concept with your class. Ask them to give examples of the word "design" being used as a noun and then as a verb.Steps for Learning Survival and Enjoyment
In this activity, students will analyze historic artifacts to gain an understanding of how historic objects were designed according to the needs and wishes of a given era. 1. Divide the class into small groups. Give each group a copy of the images listed below. Designs to Help People Survive:- Compass used on the Lewis and Clark expedition, 1804-6 https://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/objectdescription.cfm?ID=55
- Hatchet presented to Davy Crockett in 1835 https://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/objectdescription.cfm?ID=98
- Life preserver worn by Major John Wesley Powell during exploration of the Green and Colorado Rivers, 1869 https://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/objectdescription.cfm?ID=267
- Barbara McClintock's microscope, 1940s-50s https://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/objectdescription.cfm?ID=84
- Vials of polio vaccine, 1954 https://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/objectdescription.cfm?ID=171
- Jarvik-7 artificial heart, 1985 https://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/objectdescription.cfm?ID=172
- Stradivari violoncello, 1701 https://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/objectdescription.cfm?ID=26
- Cast-iron fire engine, about 1900 https://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/objectdescription.cfm?ID=226
- Teddy bear, about 1903 https://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/objectdescription.cfm?ID=72
- Array of autographed baseballs, 1950s-80s https://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/objectdescription.cfm?ID=122
- Barbie doll, 1958 https://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/objectdescription.cfm?ID=266
- "Squash-blossom" necklace and earrings made by a Zuni silversmith in New Mexico, 1973 https://www.smithsonianlegacies.si.edu/objectdescription.cfm?ID=214
- How might this object have helped people survive?
- What problem did it help solve?
- How might this object have increased people's enjoyment?
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