Encourage tinkering with ideas, relationships, connections. Set up situations where students have to find information not readily available in school texts. Provide opportunity for students to design open-ended explorations of the concept. Provide multiple options so students can plan a unique "proof" of learning.

Examine Newark Museum N.A. artifacts. Classify by region. Determine use and how it was made.

Objective: Students will examine museum artifacts from the following Native American regions: Woodlands, Plains, Southwest and Arctic. Students will identify and classify artifacts.

Activity: In cooperative teams, students will examine ten museum artifacts mixed randomly among the Native American regions of Woodlands, Plains, Desert and Arctic. The teams will identify the artifact as tool, clothing, shelter, etc. The group will also determine the materials it was made from and it's possible use. The team must use all this information to classify the artifacts according to region. The teams will record their findings on colored index cards and post them on the watercolor murals made in a previous lesson. The entire class will read all the examinations, may re-examine the artifacts, and may re-classify a piece if they so choose. The items will be discussed individually and the true region will be exposed.

Assessment: The purpose of this activity is for the students to examine, classify and re-examine their choices based on additional information. Here the students must show a knowledge of each region and have internalized the concept of the environment affecting aspects of a community. The knowledge base is being applied to a more complex experience.