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.
Recreating from a real artifact
Objective: To provide an opportunity for students to extend on their learning through a problem solving exploration.
Activity: Students in groups of four will follow a treasure map on the playground. At a certain point, each group will dig up a "treasure." Inside each cloth bag, the group will find a fragment of a pot. Students will return to the classroom and make some determinations about what the original pottery might have looked like. Each group represents an archaelogical company that wishes a contract with a large national museum. The award of the contract will depend on the valid replication of the original and the creative proposal by the company as to how the replica will be displayed.
