Museum Hosts Archaeology Program for Fishers Island Students
By Faith Coolidge, H. L. Ferguson Museum Board of Trustees
The Henry L. Ferguson Museum recently welcomed third and fourth graders from the Fishers Island School for an exciting hands-on learning experience focused on the island’s Native American history and archaeology.
Marnie Ferguson Briggs, Museum Trustee and head of the Archaeology Committee, third and forth grade teacher, Jennifer Burns and Jessica NeJame, Museum Land Trust Stewardship Coordinator with students.
The program was collaboratively designed by Jessica NeJame, Museum Land Trust Stewardship Coordinator, Marnie Ferguson Briggs, Museum Trustee and head of the Archaeology Committee, and Jennifer Burns, third and fourth grade teacher at Fishers Island School. Dovetailing classroom learning with Museum expertise, its primary goal was to educate the students about the lives of Native Americans on Fishers Island. The dioramas, artifacts on display, Charlie Ferguson mural, and Briggs’ archaeology background provided an immersive environment for students to learn about how past inhabitants found food and shelter, the tools they used, and the communities they developed.
Marnie Ferguson Briggs, Museum Trustee and head of the Archaeology Committee, and Jessica NeJame, Museum Land Trust Stewardship Coordinator (at right), show Fishers Island School students the archeology displays at the Museum.
In addition to utilizing the archaeology displays in the Museum, NeJame and Briggs, with assistance from Matt Edwards of the Museum, prepared an engaging activity that brought history to life. They created a mini archaeological dig by filling large plastic bins with layers of soil, in which they buried various “artifacts.”
Students participated in a mini archeology “dig” on the Museum’s second floor.
Jennifer Burns praised the program. “The students were so engaged and curious, willing to get their hands dirty while learning about the science of archaeology,” said Burns. “The mural and diorama served as excellent starting points for discussions about the artifacts and displays in the museum.”
Marnie Ferguson Briggs shows students the mural of West Harbor painted by her late father and former Museum president, Charlie Ferguson.
The mini excavation occurred on the museum’s second floor, where students worked in pairs to dig for items buried within layered soil and sand (donated by David Burnham of Race Rock Gardens). They learned about proper digging practices, the importance of digging one layer at a time, careful handling of artifacts, and documentation of findings. As they excavated, students discovered various “cultures” represented by materials such as plastic, metal, ceramic, and wood.
“As students excavated deeper, they uncovered older items, which would be true of a real archaeological dig as well,” NeJame explained. This interactive method allowed them to make inferences about daily life from the objects unearthed.
The hands-on archeology dig allowed students to make inferences about daily life from the objects unearthed.
The age-appropriate artifacts used in the dig were generously donated by the Rummage at Our Lady of Grace and loaned by pre-kindergarten teacher Meg Atkins. Students honed their hand-eye coordination skills as they dug and sifted through soil and sand, developed thinking skills as they made inferences about the artifacts they found, and solidified their understanding of archaeology and history as the program moved from listening to doing.
NeJame has previously collaborated with Burns to create engaging nature programming that aligns with New York State science curricula. The idea for the mini dig emerged from discussions on ways to expand that hands-on learning to social studies topics, linking classroom learning with the rich history of Fishers Island.
Looking ahead, students will have the opportunity to participate in the Fishers Island Nature Discovery program, a week-long nature camp organized by the Museum and the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center. This initiative, offered for nearly six years, aims to further ignite students’ interest in nature and science.
“Embodied learning connects the mind and the body, enhancing retention and creating memorable educational experiences,” says NeJame. “The collaboration between the Museum and Fishers Island School exemplifies a commitment to enriching local students’ understanding of their community’s history and environment.”
