Leave What You Find
Pilfered History
Reinforce the concept that artifacts and natural items should remain in nature for enjoyment and study.
Goal
Participants will understand how removing items lessens the beauty and historic value of an area.
Time
10 minutes
Objectives
Participants will be able to:
- describe the value of artifacts
- enjoy and preserve artifacts for future visitors
Materials
-
Collection of small items that can indicate the advances of our society:
- plastic syringe (medical advances)
- golf ball (recreational and leisure time)
- lighter (use of fire)
- battery (knowledge of electricty)
- coin (monetary system)
- bullet casing (firearms)
- cross or other religious emblem (religion)
- rock, sharp stick, plastic baggie, ... Paper and pencil for each participant.
Motivator
- The artifacts left by earlier people tell about their civilization. The more artifacts we have to study, the more we can learn.
Presentation
- In an isolated area, such as a separate room or back corner of your meeting room, lay the artifiacts on the ground.
- Explain that recent erosion has unearthed an archeological find of an unknown civilization. People from around the world are racing to reach the find first, collect artifacts, and write articles about what the people were like so they can be famous.
- Each participant (or pair if you have too many) should observe the area and retrieve one item they feel is significant to the people that inhabited the area.
- Randomly assign an order and have the first participant view the scene for no more than 30 seconds and write down all the items he sees. Have him put one item in his pocket and return.
- When he returns, he can start writing his report on the civilization, keeping his findings secret.
- Have every participant visit the area in turn. The last few won't have much to write about.
Reflection
- Starting with the last visitor, ask them what they can tell us about this lost civilization and have them show what item they took.
- Ask the previous group if they agree and if they have anything to add.
- Repeat all the way to the first group. The story should grow as more items are available.
- How can we enjoy these artifacts in the field without diminishing their historic value?
- How does removing flowers, antlers, stones, and other natural items effect the value of an area?
