Portable Collections Program

Bags, Boxes, Bowls, and Beyond

Bags, Boxes, Bowls, and Beyond: Containers from Around the World Table of Contents

Checklist: Whats in the Case? 1

Information for the Teacher: 2

How to Handle and Look at Museum Objects An Introduction to Containers Information About the Objects in the Case

Activities to Do with Your Students: 7

1 Introductory Activity: Container Scavenger Hunt 2 What Can Objects Tell Me? 3 What is it Made From? Matching, Sorting, and Classifying 4 Make a Clay Container 5 Weave a Basket 6 Additional Activities and Curricular Connections

Resources and Reference Materials: 14

Vocabulary Words Correlations with New York State Standards Corresponding Field Trips Bibliography and Web Resources

 CHECKLIST: WHATS IN THE CASE?

Whats in the Case?

Objects

Nested boxes

Pueblo bowl

Swigler

Tin cup

Leather bag

Lidded basket (Agaseki)

Coca bag (Chuspa)

Korean Coca-Cola can

Perfume flask

Metal box

Ladle (Mbattu)

Stone vase

Tools and Resources

The Pot that Juan Built by Nancy Andrews-Goebel I, Doko: The Tale of a Basket by Ed Young Chachajis Cup by Uma Krishnaswami Raw materials samples (metal, wool, leather, stone, wood, gourd, clay) Magnifying lenses Template for basketweaving activity BAGS, BOXES, BOWLS, AND BEYOND 1

 INFORMATION FOR THE TEACHER

How to Handle Museum Objects

Learning to handle objects from the Museums permanent collection with respect can be part of your students educational experience of the case. Please share these guidelines with your class, and make sure your students follow them in handling objects in the case: Students may handle the objects, carefully, under your supervision. Hold objects with two hands. Hold them by the solid part of the body or by the strongest area rather than by rims, edges or protruding parts. Paint, feathers, fur and fibers are especially fragile and should be touched as little as possible. Remember that rubbing and finger oils can be damaging. Do not shake objects or the plexiglass cases they are housed in. Temperature differences, direct sunlight, and water can be very harmful to certain objects. Please keep the objects away from radiators and open windows, and keep them secure.

How to Look at Museum Objects

Objects have the power to fascinate people with their mere physical presence. Holding an object in their hands forms a tangible link between your students, the folk artist who made it, and the artists homeland. This sense of physical connection makes it easier for students to think concretely about the ideas and concepts you introduce to them in your lessons. Objects also have the power to tell us about their origins and purpose, provided we are willing to look at them in detail and think about what those details mean. Encourage your students to examine an object carefully, touch it gently, and look at its design and decoration. Have them describe its shape, size, and color. Ask them questions about what they see, and what that might tell them. For example: How was the object made? What tools did the artist need? What materials did the artist use? Where might he or she have gotten those materials? How is the object decorated? What might the decorations mean? What does the object tell you about the person or people who made it?

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 INFORMATION FOR THE TEACHER

An Introduction to Containers
Curriculum through containers
Take a look around you as you walk down the street, and you will see that containers are all around us. From water bottles to trashcans, mailboxes, and shopping bags, we use containers to hold, sort, and manage the everyday things that make up our world. Perhaps because they are both so common and so necessary, containers can also convey powerful metaphors for our everyday experiences. At times we may think somethings in the bag, only to find it has gone to pot. People may caution us not to let the cat out of the bag or open a Pandoras box. Our ambitions may cause us to push the envelope or leave us feeling boxed in. Sayings like these are common in many languages, and express humankinds fascination with containers and their (often unknown) contents. Because of their range of practical applications and imaginative possibilities, containers make a good starting place or addition to curricular activities in several areas, such as English language arts, social studies, geography, arts, math and ecology (especially recycling). The objects in this Portable Collections case were selected to demonstrate some of the great variety of containers around the world, from their basic types, to the materials used to make them, to the time periods, geographic regions, and cultures they came from. The activities in this guide are designed to meet New York State Learning Standards (see page 15 for more details). The activities are also meant to encourage your students to think about how they use containers in their own lives and what their containers have to say about them and their cultures. But our suggestions are just a starting point. We hope you will use the objects and the resources in this case as a springboard for inquiries that grow from your students interest in containers. Read on for more information about the role, uses, environmental relationships and forms of containers.

How do people use containers?

Containers may serve many different purposes, sometimes all at once. Here in the United States, we use them to store everyday objects from kitchen staples to hairpins to paperwork. We also use containers to store valuable objects, such as money, jewelry, or legal documents. Containers help us organize our possessions and transport them with us. Sometimes we place an important object in a container to hide it, to keep it safe, or to express our respect for it. Containers are also useful for storing, cooking, and serving food and beverages. Containers may provide a useful way to put our belongings in order, a beautiful way to decorate our homes, or both.

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 INFORMATION FOR THE TEACHER

An Introduction to Containers (continued)

Containers and the environment

Around the world, people use containers for many of the same reasons that we do. So why is there such great diversity in the shapes, sizes, and materials used to make containers? Because people have different needs to fulfill and different resources to utilize. We would not expect a person from Asia to need a bag for carrying coca leaves (which grow in South America), nor would we expect a person from South America to make a container out of bamboo (which grows in Asia). Each society uses the materials it has at hand to meet its needs. In this way, containers and other everyday objects can be seen as reflections of the cultures and environments they came from. Containers may be made from all sorts of materials. Many peoples have shaped cups, bowls, and bottles from clay or sculpted them from stone. Wooden boxes and bowls are also quite common. Some people weave baskets from grasses, leaves, or other plant materials. Others blow molten glass into delicate vases, bottles, or drinking glasses. With the advent of metalworking technology, humans have crafted everything from stout pots to intricate boxes out of copper, bronze, tin, aluminum, iron, and steel. Along with these common materials, people have also fashioned containers from many unusual or natural materials, such as bird eggs, gourds, shells, and even whale baleen. The containers in this case are fairly sturdy, meant to survive regular handling and everyday use. Their durability provides a contrast to many of the containers produced in the United States today. Rather than invest in containers that are made to last, increasingly we have come to rely on paper, plastics, and other ephemeral materials that do not stand up to constant use. You may wish to discuss the effects of this consumer culture with your students. What are the pros and cons of disposable containers? How do they affect our environment? What modern containers may we see in museums in the future?

Thinking outside the box: container forms

Containers come in all shapes and sizes, their forms limited only by the depths of the human imagination. People all over the world make boxes, bowls, baskets, bottles, and bags, among other container types. However, we may forget to include some containers in this category even though they are quite common. For example, drawers, suitcases, and envelopes are containers, too. So when your students think about containers, encourage them to think outside the box.

Words in boldface have been included in the Vocabulary Words section on page 15.

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 INFORMATION FOR THE TEACHER

Information About the Objects in the Case

NESTED BOXES (OBJECT NO. 39.29.22AB)
Made from sections of bamboo, these cylindrical boxes nest together (meaning one fits inside the other). These boxes came from Japan. However, the idea for nested boxes probably began in China, where sets were made as far back as the 11th century. By the 1700s, sets of nested objects (such as boxes, bowls, baskets, and even dolls) had spread to Japan as well. Nested boxes may have begun as a novelty, but they have remained popular over the centuries because of their efficient use of space.

TIN CUP (OBJECT NO. 71.23)

Crafted from tin, this cup is lightweight and durable, able to stand up to constant use without needing repair or replacement. It comes from Haiti, though with its simple and serviceable design it would look at home practically anywhere in the world. A cup like this one might hang next to a well so that a weary traveler could enjoy a sip of water, or its owner might drink from it every day in the kitchen. Its uses are limitless.

LEATHER BAG (OBJECT NO. 72.80.1)

Decorated with a pattern of red and black triangles, this leather bag was crafted by a Hausa person from northern Nigeria. As followers of Islam, the Hausa are forbidden by religious law to create images of people or things in the world around them. Instead they adorn their crafts with simple or complex geometric patterns meant to please the eye. Besides bags, the Hausa are known for their beautiful and well-made leather saddles, knife hilts, and sheaths.

PUEBLO BOWL (OBJECT NO. 43.24.65)

This red clay bowl has a pinwheel motif in the center and a design around the rim. Among Pueblo Indian peoples, potters are usually women. They make bowls, bottles, pots, and other containers by using the coil or pinch-pot methods. Once they are done shaping the vessel, they fire (bake) it to make it hard and sturdy. Some potters may leave their vessels unadorned, but many choose to paint designs on their work. Some traditional designs include geometric shapes or elements from the natural world.

LIDDED BASKET (AGASEKI) (OBJECT NO. 2005.8AB)

Agaseki baskets have traditionally been made by Tutsi women in Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda. They may be used for storage or for decoration. Agaseki are usually decorated with simple geometric patterns like zigzags, triangles, and spirals. The pattern on this basket symbolizes two friends walking along a path, stopping to chat with other people, and then continuing on their journey. In the past, agaseki were made only by Tutsi women, but beginning in the late 20th century women of the Hutu tribe also took up this craft. Today these baskets are produced in small, local craft workshops, usually for sale to tourists.

SWIGLER (OBJECT NO. 53.3.1)

A swigler is a small keg made from wooden staves held together with metal hoops. This container gets it name from the amount of liquid it can holda swig! It was the 19th century version of a thermos. Farmers would carry a swigler full of water or liquor into the fields with them when they went to work. They drank from the swigler by pressing their lips to the small round hole in the side, which is called a bunghole. When not in use, the bunghole was sealed with a wooden stopper.

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 INFORMATION FOR THE TEACHER

Information About the Objects in the Case (continued)

COCA BAG (CHUSPA) (OBJECT NO. 80.2.40)

The Aymara people of Bolivia use special bags called chuspa to hold coca leaves. When chewed, these leaves act as a slight stimulant (similar to strong tea or coffee). Worn over the shoulders or around the neck, the chuspa allows people to carry coca leaves with them as they go about their daily work, so that they can always boost their flagging energy with a fresh chew. In Inca times, only shamans or royalty could chew coca, but today it is used by men and women throughout South America.

METAL BOX (OBJECT NO. 77.26.1)

After carving a diamond and floral motif into the lid, the artisan who created this box made the design stand out better by oxidizing the surface of the metal (meaning he turned it black via a chemical process). This box might have been used to store jewelry, incense, or other small objects. Artisans in India have worked with metal since 3,000 B.C.E. Along with boxes, they make everything from pots and pans to sculptures of the gods and mythical beings.

LADLE (MBATTU) (OBJECT NO. 72.76.10) KOREAN COCA-COLA CAN (OBJECT NO. 2000.3.1)
As an American icon that has been exported around the world, this Coca-Cola can from Korea is familiar to us but different from the cans we might see on the shelves in our neighborhoods. It is a bit narrower than an American can, and the name and ingredients on the side are written in Korean characters. Originally sold in glass bottles, soda was first packaged in aluminum cans in 1957 (which was just a few years after Coca-Cola was first sold in Korea). Made from a melon-like fruit called a gourd (or calabash), this ladle is known as a mbattu. The Wolof people of Senegal make a mbattu by drying a long-necked gourd in the sun, cutting it in half, scooping out the fruit inside, and decorating the outer surface with pyro-engraved (lightly burned) designs. The curved stem serves as the handle. People all of the world have used gourds to make many different containers and everyday objects, but this fruit is most popular and common in Africa.

PERFUME FLASK (OBJECT NO. XX0049)

Made from colored glass and crystal painted over with gold, this perfume flask would have adorned the dressing table of an elegant French lady in the 19th century. People around the world have enjoyed perfume since ancient times. Historically this luxurious substance inspired artisans to create precious containers to put it in, made of beautiful and valuable materials like alabaster, enamel, precious metals, and glass. In the 19th century, the French invented new ways to make both perfume and perfume flasks, making them less expensive and more widespread than ever before.

STONE VASE (OBJECT NO. 66.23)

With its surprising weight and brilliant green color, this small vase looks like it is made from jade (though it may be another type of stone or heavy glass meant to imitate jade). For more than 6,000 years, people in China and other parts of Asia have valued jade for its beauty and durability. Traditionally jade was also believed to have magical properties. This vase may hold a few small flowers or simply be admired as an object of beauty. You can learn more about these containers and other objects from around the world by visiting our Collections Central Online database at www.brooklynkids.org/emuseum.

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ACTIVITY 1
All Grades Related Objects: All

Introductory Activity: Container Scavenger Hunt

4 Discuss different uses for containers with your students (see Discussion Questions below). Using the examples they found in the classroom, challenge the students to identify one container in each category of use (for example, storage, organization, safekeeping, etc). Make sure to point out to your students that some containers may have overlapping uses.

This activity can be done before you receive the case (or before you share its contents with the class) in order to introduce the idea of containers and their uses.

Materials:
Objects from around the classroom

Discussion Questions:
Ask the students to name some containers they use. Ask the students to name some reasons why people use containers, such as: to store things to organize things to conceal or hide things to transport or carry things to keep things safe to show that something is special or valuable to decorate their homes

What To Do:
1 Start by talking with your students about what they think a container is. Brainstorm different types of containers (boxes, baskets, bags, and so on) and write some examples on the blackboard. 2 Have your students look around the classroom for examples of containers, such as lunch boxes, shopping bags, backpacks, beverage bottles, and so on. 3 Use these examples to demonstrate to your students that containers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Have them describe the containers physical appearance, such as shape, size, color, texture, and so on.

See page 15 for details on how this activity meets New York State Learning Standards.

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ACTIVITY 2
Grades 25 Related Objects: All

What Can Objects Tell Me?

4 Have the students reconvene as a class to discuss their findings. You may want to use the chart paper to make notes about the students observations, and respond by presenting some background information on the objects.

Your students can learn a lot about the objects in the case by looking at them carefully. After the students examine the objects, you can share more about them using information from this guide, the resources listed at the back, or your own knowledge.

Discussion Questions:
We may not always know how a container was used, who made it, or where it came from. Even so, sometimes it is possible to make an educated guess based on what the container looks like or how it was made. For example, a metal box with a lock on it probably holds something valuable or important to its owner. A finely woven basket might hold grains or even liquids, while a loosely woven one would be meant for larger objects like pieces of fruit or firewood. Encourage your students to think about how a containers physical characteristics may reflect its intended use. Have them ask questions about it: How big is the container? What might fit inside it? What do you know could not fit inside it? Is there anything special or unusual about it? (For example, does it have a strap or a handle?) What can you figure out from these observations?

Materials:
Objects from the case A copy of the What Can Objects Tell Me? chart for each student (OR a transparency of it for a whole class exercise) A large piece of chart paper for recording group observations.

What To Do:
Depending on the age and interests of your students and the amount of time you would like to spend, you can do this activity using a handful of objects or every object in the case. 1 Prior to the presentation of the lesson, set the classroom up into stations (make sure there are enough stations that you have only 34 students working at each one). Place one or more objects and a magnifying lens on the table at each station. 2 Distribute the What Can Objects Tell Me? chart and go over it with the students. 3 Divide the children into groups and have each group explore their object and fill in the boxes of the chart. After a few minutes, have the groups rotate to a new station. Repeat this step as many times as you like.

See page 15 for details on how this activity meets New York State Learning Standards.

LITERACY EXTENSION GRADE 35

Create a vocabulary chart by defining words that describe different properties a container might have. Present the objects and ask the children to categorize them according to any of the following properties: texture (smooth, rough; bumpy, flat) material (animal, plant, metal, shell) size (small, medium, large) color (dark, light; dull, bright) shape (round, rectangular, square) use (to carry, to store, to hide, to keep safe, to show special status or value, to decorate, etc.)

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What can objects tell me?

Draw the object. What color or color is this object? What material or materials is it made of? Describe the shape. How is it made or put together?

Look at each object closely. What kinds of things can we learn about an object just by examining it closely? What do objects tell us about the people who made them? Use this chart to record everything you discover.

What kind of decoration What do you think does it have? it was used for?

ACTIVITY 3

What is it Made From? Matching, Sorting, and Classifying

6 When all the pictures have been distributed, pick up all the pictures representing one type of raw material and show them to the students. Talk with them about how even though all of those containers are made from the same material, they come in many different shapes, sizes, and colors. Repeat this step with as many of the raw materials as you like. 7 Next, explore the various uses of all the containers made from a single material. If you did the introductory activity, children will already have an idea of the possible uses for containers (for example, to store, to carry, to hide, to decorate, to organize, or to show value). 8 Optional: Have the children re-sort the pictures by qualities such as shape or by use.

Grades K2 Related Objects: Raw materials samples and selected objects (see key below)
This activity encourages the students to examine each object closely in order to determine what material(s) it is made from and what purpose the object serves.

Materials:
Objects from the case Raw material samples from the case Magnifying glasses Old magazines and catalogs Scissors Index cards

What To Do:
1 Present one of the raw materials samples from the case. Ask the children if they know what it is and where it comes from. Repeat this with all the raw materials. 2 Present one of the objects from the case that has a corresponding raw material sample (see key below) and allow the children to examine it closely (they may wish to use a magnifying glass). See if the children can match the material(s) in the object to the raw material sample(s). Repeat this step with as many of the objects as you like. 3 Place the raw materials samples on a table or desk. 4 Have the children cut pictures of containers out of old magazines and catalogs. They should try to identify what they think each container is made from and why. (They will be guessing in some cases, but that is all right.) 5 Have the children place their pictures of containers on the table next to the matching raw material. If they encounter containers made from a raw material not included in the case (such as plastic), write the name of that material on an index card and have the children put those pictures on the table next to the card instead.

Discussion Questions:
Containers come in many shapes and sizes, and are made from a variety of materials. Why is there so much diversity? Encourage your students to think about the link between materials and the environment. For older children: Instead of making containers that will last (like those in the case), in the United States today we have come to rely on paper, plastics, and other materials that do not stand up to constant use. What are the pros and cons of disposable containers? How do they affect our environment? What modern containers may we see in museums in the future?

Objects and Materials Key:

Metal: Tin cup, metal box, Korean Coca-cola can Clay: Pueblo bowl Wood: Swigler Wool: Coca bag Gourd: Ladle Leather: Leather bag Stone: Vase

See page 15 for details on how this activity meets New York State Learning Standards.

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ACTIVITY 4

Make a Clay Container

Pinch-pot method: Roll a lump of clay into a palmsized ball. Set the ball on a table and press your thumb into it to create the center of the vessel. Pinch the sides to shape them into smooth, thin walls. Students may use one or both of these pottery techniques to build a clay vessel.

Grades K5 Related Object: Pueblo bowl

Pottery is a craft that has been practiced for thousands of years. Clay is hard and durable, so bits and pieces of clay containers are among the oldest artifacts we have of ancient civilizations in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. In this activity, your students may create their own clay containers.

Materials:
The Pot that Juan Built by Nancy Andrews-Goebel Drawing paper and pencils Commercial play-dough or clay (or make your own using the recipe at the bottom of the page) Markers or paint

What to do:
1 Share the images and poem from The Pot that Juan Built with your students. 2 Have the children draw a design for their own pot or bowl. 3 They should decide what they want the function of their container to be (for example, to store, to carry, to hide, to organize, to decorate, or to show value) and what the best shape for it would be. 4 Demonstrate the coil or pinch-pot techniques for building pottery (see illustrations): Coil method: Make a round base for the pot (or other vessel) and then build up the sides with rolls of clay. Shape these walls until they are smooth. Pinch-pot method 5 When the clay or play-dough has dried, students may decorate it using markers or paint.

Discussion Questions:
Look at your clay and look at the clay bowl. Do you think the Pueblo peoples use or make clay in the same way that you did? Where does their clay come from? Why do you think they make bowls from clay instead of some other material? What do you think the bowl was used for? What kinds of containers would you use for the same purpose? Are there other containers in the case from other places that might serve the same purpose?

Play-Dough Recipe:
1 cup each of salt and flour Food coloring 1 tablespoon vegetable oil Water Mix the dry ingredients together, and then stir in the oil. Add a few drops of food coloring to the water. Slowly add the water to the other ingredients until you reach the desired consistency (moldable, not sticky).

Coil method

See page 15 for details on how this activity meets New York State Learning Standards.

LITERACY EXTENSION

Older children may write a paragraph about how they chose to design and decorate their container.

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ACTIVITY 5

Weave a Basket

Grades 25 Related object: Tutsi basket (Agaseki)

Basket-making is a type of three-dimensional weaving practiced by many different cultures around the world. It yields containers of great beauty and usefulness. This activity allows your students to weave a simple basket.

Materials:
Optional: You may want to prepare for this activity in advance by asking your students to bring a small object from home that is special to them so that they may incorporate it into their charm. I, Doko: The Tale of a Basket by Ed Young Laminated cardboard basket template from the case Posterboard (one 12 x 12 square per student) Yarn, raffia fibers, straws, or pipe cleaners Scissors Glue, tape, or staples

5 When they reach the top, they should attach the ends of the yarn, etc. to the inside of the basket using glue, tape, or staples.

Discussion Questions:
What material do you think the Tutsi basket is made from? Where do you think the Tutsi people find this material? How does the basket reflect the place where the Tutsi people live? What sorts of things do you think the Tutsi people might use a basket like this for today? What do you use baskets for? What are your baskets made from? What other things are made by weaving?

What to do:
1 Have each student trace the laminated basket template onto a piece of posterboard and cut out that shape. The central circle becomes the base of the basket. 2 Instruct students to bend the rays of posterboard upward to create the sides of the basket. 3 Students should secure the ends of their yarn, raffia, straws, or pipe cleaners to the circle of posterboard at the bottom using glue, tape, or staples. 4 Then students may weave their yarn, etc. in and out among the posterboard rays to form the sides of the container. Depending on how tightly they pull the fiber, they can create a shallow bowl or a taller basket.

See page 15 for details on how this activity meets New York State Learning Standards.

LITERACY EXTENSION

Read the story I, Doko aloud to your students. Have students write a fictional story about what sort of life their baskets might have.

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ACTIVITY 6

Additional Activities and Curricular Connections

Social Studies: Trace the development of one container through time Grades 45
Have students select a specific container type (such as a milk bottle, a lunch box, or a book bag). They will research the container in books, magazines, and the Internet in order to find examples of it at different times in history within one culture. Students will produce a timeline (preferably with images) illustrating the changes that the container has gone through.

Arts: Make a memory box All Grades

Have students bring in a shoebox from home. They may decorate the exterior and lid by drawing on them or gluing on a variety of materials, such as wrapping paper, pictures or words cut from magazines, shapes cut from construction paper, stickers, or photos and other materials brought from home (with a parents permission). If they like, students may pick a theme (such as baseball or the beach) and design their box around it (for example, by decorating the box with old baseball cards and ticket stubs from a game, or gluing on colored sand or small shells). When finished, they may take their box home to begin filling it with memories.

Social Studies: Obsolete containers Grades 56

Have students perform research to find examples of containers that are no longer widely used (like the swigler, for example). They will produce a report on one or more of these obsolete containers, explaining what it was used for and why it is no longer common.

English Language Arts: Word play All Grades

Have students brainstorm as many different types of containers (such as boxes, jars, bowls, and so on) as they can. Older students may also brainstorm words that are general synonyms of container (such as vessel, receptacle, carry-all, and so on). Older students may also enjoy thinking of everyday expressions that use container words to convey experiences. It can be fun to brainstorm these expressions (or collect them over the course of your unit on containers), and then have students use them in sentences or build a story, poem, or song employing them.

Math: Measuring containers Grades 45

You may wish to combine your unit on containers with a lesson on the mathematical concepts used to measure volume, diameter, and surface area. Where possible, demonstrate these concepts using objects from the case. For example, have students measure the sides of the metal box to calculate the volume and surface area of a rectangular object. They may also measure the dimensions of the Korean Coca-Cola can or bamboo nesting boxes to calculate the circumference, surface area, and volume of cylindrical objects.

Social Studies: Geography Grades 35

Have students cut out copies of the object images from the Information pages and place them on the objects country of origin on a world map.

See page 15 for details on how these activities meet New York State Learning Standards.

Social Studies: Research one container through various cultures Grades 45

Have students select a specific container type (such as a cooking pot, a flower vase, a water pail, or a cosmetic case). They will look for examples of it in various cultures by researching in books, magazines, and the Internet. Then the students may write a report or deliver a presentation on the container.

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 RESOURCES AND REFERENCE MATERIALS

Vocabulary Words
bunghole:
a hole for filling or emptying a swigler or barrel.

pinch-pot method:
to make a pot (or other vessel) from a ball of clay by pressing a thumb into it to create the center of the vessel, and then pinching the sides to shape them into smooth, thin walls.

coil method:
to make a pot (or other vessel) by building up the sides with rolls of clay.

container:
an object (such as a box or a jar) made to hold other objects.

pyro-engrave:
to lightly carve and then burn a design into the surface of an object.

fire:
to bake clay until all the moisture is gone, leaving the clay hard and durable.

shaman:
a priest or religious leader.

stave:
a narrow strip of wood used to form the sides or ends of a barrel.

gourd:
a type of fruit that comes from the same family as a squash or a melon, but has a much harder rind; also known as a calabash. There are many different varieties of gourds, most of which are inedible.

stimulant:
something (such as a drug or a shock) that causes a persons body to function more quickly or efficiently. Coffee is an example of a stimulant.

ladle:
a spoon with a deep bowl and a long handle, usually used for dipping up liquids.

vessel:
a hollow and often cylindrical container (such as a bottle, cup, or bowl), usually made to hold liquids.

motif:
a design or decorative theme.

oxidize:
to blacken metal by exposing it to oxygen via a chemical process (somewhat similar to rusting or tarnishing).

For more vocabulary ideas, see the Word play extension activity on page 13.

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 RESOURCES AND REFERENCE MATERIALS

Correlations with New York State Learning Standards

New York State Learning Standard Performance Indicators (Elementary Level) Standard Area Standard # Arts 1 Subject Visual Arts Letter a Students will Experiment and create art works, in a variety of mediums (drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, video, and computer graphics), based on a range of individual and collective experiences Develop their own ideas and images through the exploration and creation of art works based on themes, symbols, and events Explain their reflections about the meanings, purposes, and sources of works of art; describe their responses to the works and the reasons for those responses Explain the visual and other sensory qualities (surfaces, colors, textures, shape, sizes, volumes) found in a wide variety of art works Look at and discuss a variety of art works and artifacts from world cultures to discover some important ideas, issues, and events of those cultures Create art works that show the influence of a particular culture Gather and interpret information from children's reference books, magazines, textbooks, electronic bulletin boards, audio and media presentations, oral interviews, and from such forms as charts, graphs, maps, and diagrams Select information appropriate to the purpose of their investigation and relate ideas from one text to another Select and use strategies they have been taught for notetaking, organizing, and categorizing information Ask specific questions to clarify and extend meaning Present information clearly in a variety of oral and written forms such as summaries, paraphrases, brief reports, stories, posters, and charts Select a focus, organization, and point of view for oral and written presentations Use details, examples, anecdotes, or personal experiences to explain or clarify information Include relevant information and exclude extraneous material Observe basic writing conventions, such as correct spelling, punctuation, and capitalization, as well as sentence and paragraph structures appropriate to written forms Activity

1 2 3 4 5 6

Arts

Visual Arts

Arts

Visual Arts

Arts

Visual Arts

Arts

Visual Arts

Arts English Language Arts

4 1

Visual Arts Listening & Reading

ELA

Listening & Reading Listening & Reading Listening & Reading

ELA

ELA ELA 1

Speaking & Writing Speaking & Writing Speaking & Writing Speaking & Writing Speaking & Writing

ELA ELA ELA ELA

1 1 1 1

BAGS, BOXES, BOWLS, AND BEYOND 15

 RESOURCES AND REFERENCE MATERIALS

Correlations with New York State Learning Standards

New York State Learning Standard Performance Indicators (Elementary Level) Standard Area Standard # ELA 2 Subject Speaking & Writing Speaking & Writing Letter Students will Create their own stories, poems, and songs using the elements of the literature they have read and appropriate vocabulary Observe the conventions of grammar and usage, spelling, and punctuation Study about different world cultures and civilizations focusing on their accomplishments, contributions, values, beliefs, and traditions Develop timelines that display important events and eras from world history Explore the lifestyles, beliefs, traditions, rules and laws, and social/cultural needs and wants of people during different periods in history and in different parts of the world Study about how people live, work, and utilize natural resources Ask geographic questions about where places are located; why they are located where they are; what is important about their locations; and how their locations are related to the location of other people and places Mathematical Analysis Explore and solve problems generated from school, home, and community situations, using concrete objects or manipulative materials when possible Access needed information from printed media, electronic data bases, and community resources Modeling/Multiple Representation Measurement Modeling/Multiple Representation Modeling/Multiple Representation Use physical materials, pictures, and diagrams to explain mathematical ideas and processes and to demonstrate geometric concepts Select appropriate standard and nonstandard measurement tools in measurement activities Understand the attributes of area, length, capacity, weight, volume, time, temperature, and angle Estimate and find measures such as length, perimeter, area, and volume using both nonstandard and standard units

Activity 1 2 3 4 5 6

ELA ELA

2 2

Social Studies Social Studies

3 Social Studies Social Studies 3 3

Math, Social, & Technology MST MST

2 3

MST MST MST

3 3 3

BAGS, BOXES, BOWLS, AND BEYOND 16

 RESOURCES AND REFERENCE MATERIALS

Corresponding Field Trips

The following museums and organizations have exhibits or programs related to containers. Check with each for details. Then do a treasure hunt through the exhibits to find actual containers or images of containers. For example, check out the Native American, PreColumbian, Asian, and African galleries at these museums for examples of pottery, basketry, and wooden vessels. The European Sculpture and Decorative Arts galleries, the Islamic galleries, Ancient Near Eastern galleries, and Egyptian, Greek and Roman galleries at the Metropolitan Museum will also yield fine examples of vases and decorative boxes. Remind your students to think outside the box and look for unusual examplesremember, mummy cases and sword scabbards are containers, too!

Bibliography & Web Resources

The following books and websites have provided valuable source material for this guide and may also help you to enrich your experience with the objects in the case.

Gibbons, Gail. Pottery Place. New York:

Harcourt Brace, 1987.

Mauriello, Barbara. Making Memory Boxes: Box Projects to Make, Give, and Keep.
Gloucester, MA: Rockport Publishers, 2000.

Sentence, Bryan. Art of the Basket: Traditional Basketry from Around the World.
London: Thames & Hudson Ltd., 2001.

American Museum of Natural History

Central Park West at 79th Street, Manhattan (212) 769-5100 www.amnh.org

The Museum of Beverage Containers and Advertising

www.nostalgiaville.com/museum/

Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn (718) 638-5000 www.brooklynmuseum.org

Arizona State Museum: The Pottery Project: 2,000 Years20,000 Vessels.

www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/exhibits/pproj/in dex.asp

Metropolitan Museum of Art

1000 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan (212) 535-7710 www.metmuseum.org

National Museum of the American Indian: The Language of Native American Baskets: From the Weavers View.
www.nmai.si.edu/exhibitions/baskets/

The Brooklyn Childrens Museum also offers programs on a variety of cross-cultural topics. For a listing of programs currently available, please see our website at www.brooklynkids.org, or contact the Scheduling Assistant at 718-735-4400, extension 118.

BAGS, BOXES, BOWLS, AND BEYOND 17

Acknowledgments
Beth Alberty Niobe Ngozi Chrisy Ledakis Tim Hayduk Nobue Hirabayashi Whitney Thompson

Portable Collections Series Coordinators

Jewell Handy Melissa Husby

Special Thanks
The Teachers of the New York City Department of Education

Funding
This revision of Brooklyn Childrens Museums Portable Collections Program is made possible by a Learning Opportunities Grant from the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

2006 Brooklyn Childrens Museum 145 Brooklyn Avenue Brooklyn, New York 11213 718-735-4400 ext. 170 www.brooklynkids.org

For information about renting this or other Portable Collections Program cases, please contact the Scheduling Assistant at 718-735-4400 ext. 118.