Reflect on the pedagogic potential of your artifact.

Each student will write a detailed examination of an artifact or slice of children’s material culture. This account can refer to any cultural materials examined in the course, along with lots of others: e.g. art supplies, weapons, naturescapes, machinery, animals, cameras, sporting equipment, etc. You might choose to focus on something that belongs or belonged to you as a child, or to a sibling, niece or nephew, or to your own child or that of a friend. Or you might select something showcased in a novel, movie, or website. Just make sure you have sufficient access to the artifact, or images or memories of it, to develop a substantive analysis.

Include one or more images (photo, diagram, sketch) that illustrate the object you choose to focus on, or an example of it. Interpret aspects or features from two or more of the theoretical perspectives we have read about this quarter. What are some meanings of your object, from these perspectives? Reflect on the pedagogic potential of your artifact. Consider the following questions: What kinds of learning opportunities might it be likely to support for children who interact with it? How would you characterize the efficacy or the value of those learning experiences? Are there features of the artifact or circumstances of its use that might make some children more likely to benefit from it than others?