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Portable Collections Program

Bags, Boxes, Bowls,and Beyond



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

Table of Contents

Checklist: What’s 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



BAGS, BOXES, BOWLS, AND BEYOND 1

Tin cup

Coca bag (Ch’uspa )

Pueblo bowl

Leather bag

Korean Coca-Cola can

Swigler

Lidded basket (Agaseki )

Perfume flask

Metal box Ladle (Mbattu ) Stone vase

Objects

What’s in the Case?

Nested boxes

Tools and Resources The Pot that Juan Built by Nancy Andrews-Goebel

I, Doko: The Tale of a Basket by Ed Young

Chachaji’s Cup by Uma Krishnaswami

Raw materials samples (metal, wool, leather, stone, wood, gourd, clay)

Magnifying lenses

Template for basketweaving activity

■ CHECKLIST: WHAT’S IN THE CASE? ■




Learning to handle objects from the Museum’s

permanent collection with respect can be part of

your students’ educational experience of the case.

Please share these guidelines with your class, andmake 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.

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 artist’s home-land. This sense of physical connection makes it easi-

er 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 personor people who made it?

How to Handle Museum Objects How to Look at Museum Objects

■ 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 something’s “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 “Pandora’s

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 humankind’s 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 (especial-ly 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 tosay about them and their cultures. But our sugges-

tions are just a starting point. We hope you will use

the objects and the resources in this case as a spring-

board 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, some-

times 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 beau-

tiful way to decorate our homes, or both.


▲




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 deli-

cate vases, bottles, or drinking glasses. With the

advent of metalworking technology, humans have

crafted everything from stout pots to intricate boxesout 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 con-

tainers 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 imagina-

tion. 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.




NESTED BOXES (OBJECT NO. 39.29.22AB)

Made from sections of bam-boo, 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.

PUEBLO BOWL (OBJECT NO. 43.24.65)

This red clay bowl has a pin-

wheel 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 thecoil

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 tradi-

tional designs include geometric shapes or elements

from the natural world.

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 hold—a 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.

TIN CUP (OBJECT NO. 71.23)

Crafted from tin, this cup islightweight 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 meantto please the eye. Besides bags, the Hausa are

known for their beautiful and well-made leather

saddles, knife hilts, and sheaths.

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

Agaseki baskets have tradition-

ally been made by Tutsi

women in Rwanda, Burundi,

and Uganda. They may be

used for storage or for decora-

tion. Agaseki are usually deco-

rated with simple geometricpatterns 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.


Information About the Objects in the Case

▲




COCA BAG (CH’USPA) (OBJECT NO. 80.2.40)

The Aymara people of Bolivia

use special bags called ch’uspa

to hold coca leaves. Whenchewed, these leaves act as a

slight stimulant (similar to

strong tea or coffee). Worn

over the shoulders or around

the neck, the ch’uspa 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.

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).

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 ancienttimes. Historically this luxurious

substance inspired artisans to create precious con-

tainers 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.

METAL BOX (OBJECT NO. 77.26.1)

After carving a diamond and

floral motif into the lid, the

artisan who created this boxmade the design stand out

better by oxidizing the sur-

face 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)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.

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.


Information About the Objects in the Case (continued)




Introductory Activity:Container Scavenger Hunt


All GradesRelated Objects: All

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

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 appear-

ance, such as shape, size, color, texture, and so on.

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, safe-

keeping, etc). Make sure to point out to your students

that some containers may have overlapping uses.

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 thingsto keep things safe

to show that something is special or valuable

to decorate their homes

See page 15 for details on how this activity meets

New York State Learning Standards.

ACTIVITY 1




Grades 2–5

Related Objects: All

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 themusing information from this guide, the resources listed

at the back, or your own knowledge.

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 class-

room up into stations (make sure there are enough

stations that you have only 3–4 students working at

each one). Place one or more objects and a magnify-

ing 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.

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.

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 container’s 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?



What Can Objects Tell Me?ACTIVITY 2

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.)

LITERACYEXTENSION

GRADE 3–5



L o o k a t e a c h o b j e c t c l o s e l y

. W h a t k i n d s o f t h i n g s c a n w

e l e a r n a b o u t a n o b j e c t

j u s t b y e x a m i n i n g i t c l o s e l y

? W h a t d o o b j e c t s t e l l u s a b

o u t t h e p e o p l e w h o m a d e

t h e m ? U s e t h i s c h a r t t o r e

c o r d e v e r y t h i n g y o u d i s c o v e r .

D r a w t h e o b j e c t .

W h a t c o l o r o r c o l o r

W h a t m a t e r i a l o r

D e s c r i b e t h e s h a p

e . H o w i s i t m a d e o r

W h a t k i n d

o f d e c o r a t i o n

W h a t d o y o u t h i n k

i s t h i s o b j e c t ?

m a t e r i a l s i s i t m a d e o f ?

p u t t o g e t h e r ?

d o e s i t h a v e ?

i t w a s u s e d f o r ?

W h a t

c a n

o b j e c t s

t e l l m e ?




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

ACTIVITY 3

Grades K–2

Related Objects: Raw materials samples andselected 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 asmany 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 nameof that material on an index card and have the

children put those pictures on the table next to the

card instead.

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 aremade 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.

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 moderncontainers may we see in museums in the future?

Objects and Materials Key:



Metal:

Clay: Pueblo bowl

Wool: Coca bag

Leather: Leather bag

Wood: Swigler

Gourd: Ladle

Stone: Vase

Tin cup, metal box, Korean Coca-cola can




Make a Clay ContainerACTIVITY 4

Grades K–5

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: Roll a lump of clay into a palm-

sized 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.

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 youreach the desired consistency (moldable, not sticky).



Older children may write a paragraph about how they chose to design and

decorate their container.LITERACYEXTENSION

Coil method

Pinch-pot method




Grades 2–5

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

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.

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?

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

Weave a BasketACTIVITY 5

Read the story I, Doko aloud to your students. Have students write a fictional story

about what sort of “life” their baskets might have.

LITERACYEXTENSION




Additional Activities andCurricular Connections

Arts: Make a memory boxAll GradesHave 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 mate-

rials brought from home (with a parent’s 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.

English Language Arts: Word playAll GradesHave 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, recep-

tacle, carry-all, and so on).

Older students may also enjoy thinking of everyday

expressions that use container words to convey experi-

ences. 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.

Social Studies: GeographyGrades 3–5

Have students cut out copies of the object images from

the Information pages and place them on the object’s

country of origin on a world map.

Social Studies: Research one container throughvarious culturesGrades 4–5

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 pres-

entation on the container.

Social Studies: Trace the development of onecontainer through timeGrades 4–5

Have students select a specific container type (such as amilk 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.

Social Studies: Obsolete containersGrades 5–6

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 onone or more of these obsolete containers, explaining

what it was used for and why it is no longer common.

Math: Measuring containersGrades 4–5

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 dimen-

sions of the Korean Coca-Cola can or bamboo nesting

boxes to calculate the circumference, surface area, and

volume of cylindrical objects.

See page 15 for details on how these activities meet


ACTIVITY 6




Vocabulary Words

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

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

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

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

gourd:a type of fruit that comes from the same family as a

squash or a melon, but has a much harder rind; alsoknown as a calabash. There are many different vari-eties of gourds, most of which are inedible.

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

motif:a design or decorative theme.

oxidize:to blacken metal by exposing it to oxygen via achemical process (somewhat similar to rusting or

tarnishing).

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

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

shaman:a priest or religious leader.

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

stimulant:something (such as a drug or a shock) that causes aperson’s body to function more quickly or efficient-ly. Coffee is an example of a stimulant.

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

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

■ RESOURCES AND REFERENCE MATERIALS ■



Correlations with New York State Learning Standards

Arts

Arts

Arts

Arts

Arts

Arts

EnglishLanguage Arts

ELA

ELA

ELA

ELA

ELA

ELA

ELA

ELA

Experiment and create art works, in a variety of mediums (drawing, painting, sculpture, ceramics,

printmaking, video, and computer graphics), basedon a range of individual and collective experiences

Develop their own ideas and images through theexploration and creation of art works based onthemes, 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 thoseresponses

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 andartifacts from world cultures to discover someimportant ideas, issues, and events of those cultures

Create art works that show the influence of aparticular culture

Gather and interpret information from children'sreference books, magazines, textbooks, electronicbulletin boards, audio and media presentations, oralinterviews, 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 toanother

Select and use strategies they have been taught for notetaking, organizing, and categorizinginformation

Ask specific questions to clarify and extend meaning

Present information clearly in a variety of oral andwritten 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 personalexperiences to explain or clarify information

Include relevant information and exclude extraneousmaterial

Observe basic writing conventions, such as correctspelling, punctuation, and capitalization, as well assentence and paragraph structures appropriate towritten forms

a

b

a

b

a

c

Visual Arts

Visual Arts

Visual Arts

Visual Arts

Visual Arts

Visual Arts

Listening &Reading

Listening &

Reading

Listening &Reading

Listening &Reading

Speaking & Writing

Speaking & Writing

Speaking & Writing

Speaking & Writing

Speaking & Writing

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1

3

3

4

4

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1

1

1

1

1

1

1

654321Standard Area Students willLetter SubjectStandard #

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New York State Learning Standard Performance Indicators (Elementary Level)






Correlations with New York State Learning Standards

ELA

ELA

ELA

Social Studies

Social Studies

Social Studies

Social Studies

Math, Social,&Technology

MST

MST

MST

MST

MST

Create their own stories, poems, and songs usingthe 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 anderas from world history

Explore the lifestyles, beliefs, traditions, rules andlaws, and social/cultural needs and wants of peopleduring different periods in history and in different

parts of the world

Study about how people live, work, and utilizenatural resources

Ask geographic questions about where places arelocated; why they are located where they are; whatis important about their locations; and how their locations are related to the location of other peopleand places

Explore and solve problems generated from school,home, and community situations, using concreteobjects or manipulative materials when possible

Access needed information from printed media,electronic data bases, and community resources

Use physical materials, pictures, and diagrams toexplain mathematical ideas and processes and todemonstrate geometric concepts

Select appropriate standard and nonstandardmeasurement 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 bothnonstandard and standard units

Speaking & Writing

Speaking & Writing

Mathematical Analysis

Modeling/MultipleRepresentation

Measurement



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Standard Area Students willLetter SubjectStandard #

New York State Learning Standard Performance Indicators (Elementary Level)





Corresponding Field Trips Bibliography & Web Resources

The following museums and organizations haveexhibits or programs related to containers. Checkwith 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, Pre-Columbian, Asian, and African galleries at thesemuseums for examples of pottery, basketry, andwooden vessels. The European Sculpture andDecorative Arts galleries, the Islamic galleries, AncientNear Eastern galleries, and Egyptian, Greek andRoman 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 examples—remember, mummy

cases and sword scabbards are containers, too!

American Museum of Natural HistoryCentral Park West at 79th Street, Manhattan(212) 769-5100www.amnh.org

Brooklyn Museum200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn(718) 638-5000

www.brooklynmuseum.org

Metropolitan Museum of Art1000 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan(212) 535-7710www.metmuseum.org

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

The following books and websites have providedvaluable source material for this guide and may alsohelp 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.

The Museum of Beverage Containers andAdvertisingwww.nostalgiaville.com/museum/

Arizona State Museum: “The Pottery Project:2,000 Years—20,000 Vessels.”

www.statemuseum.arizona.edu/exhibits/pproj/index.asp

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




AcknowledgmentsBeth Alberty

Niobe Ngozi

Chrisy Ledakis

Tim Hayduk

Nobue Hirabayashi

Whitney Thompson

■

Portable Collections Series CoordinatorsJewell Handy

Melissa Husby

■

Special ThanksThe Teachers of the New York City Department of Education

■

Funding

This revision of Brooklyn Children’s Museum’s

Portable Collections Program is made possible

by a Learning Opportunities Grant from

the Institute for Museum and Library Services.

■ ■ ■

© 2006

Brooklyn Children’s 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.

Documents

Containers HiRes