FAMILY ARTIFACT ASSIGNMENT
Each student most likely has access to many family heirlooms for which can be used as primary sources, and much can be learned. Objects can connect modern-day experiences to the past and provide an excellent description of what life was like. You will locate an object and will write a museum-style record including the provenance, physical description, personal history and memories, date or era, photographs, the importance to American History from 1865-today, and a three-source bibliography for the object you selected.
If no family objects are available, you may use an object from 1865-today found in the
collections of the Smithsonian Institution Archives or another reputable museum.