THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, April 30, 1995 TAG: 9504280237
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 20 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ALLISON T. WILLIAMS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: COURTLAND LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
CHELSEA BUTTERFIELD thought she tasted Vermont when she nibbled the sweet block of maple sugar candy from the Artifact Box.
But the Hunterdale Elementary School fifth-grader wasn't so sure after seeing the next clue: a classified ad for an apartment in Exeter.
``It's got to be Tuckertown, N.H. It's got to be,'' insisted Chelsea's classmate, Curtis Doughtie, as he ran a finger down a state map. ``It's got to be!''
The students, who spend each Wednesday in Garnet Phillips' classroom at Courtland Elementary School, were trying to determine the mystery location of their partner school, assigned through Alabama-based Artifact Box Exchange Network.
Chelsea and Curtis are enrolled in Discover Center, Southampton County's educational program for gifted third, fourth and fifth-graders. Students in Genesis, the school division's first- and second-grade gifted program, also joined the Artifact Box exchange.
Students in Challenge and Zenith, the system's programs for academically gifted middle and high school levels respectively, did not participate, said Alisa Segner, coordinator of Southampton County's gifted program.
Last fall, the network paired off more than 1,000 schools from across the country to participate in the Artifact Box Exchange. It is something of a real-life version of the popular television show and computer game, ``Where in the World is Carmen San Diego?''
Only teachers were told their partner schools' identity. Then classes from both schools prepared and exchanged artifact boxes containing 25 clues to help illustrate their schools' locations.
For example, Segner said, several Southampton classes included pictures of Virginia's state flower, the dogwood, and famous Virginians, such as Thomas Jefferson, in their outgoing boxes.
This would help students find the right state. Then, by using more specific clues, including peanuts, cotton and a Union Camp Corp. logo, students were able to identify the right county, Segner said.
Gifted students at all five county elementary schools have spent the last week digging through artifact boxes prepared by their partner schools, said Segner.
``Putting the artifact box together helped the kids learn about their town, county and state history,'' Segner said.
According to Segner, each clue sent students delving through information that would bring the class one step closer to unmasking their partner school.
Once the students solve the mysteries, they will exchange letters with students in their partner schools, said Phillips.
``The research involved in solving the clues help students develop a higher level of thinking skills,'' she said. ``We have really been trying to place more of an emphasis on helping these students build their creative and critical thinking skills.''
Building these skills is hard work, said Jamal Artis, 7, a first-grader at Courtland Elementary, as he thumbed through a book searching for a picture of an Indian wigwam.
``You have got to turn a lot of pages in the book before you get the page with the right picture,'' said Jamal. ``My great-grandma was an Indian, but I don't know much about them yet.'' ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Student Mecalah Jones works on the artifacts package with Alisa
Segner, coordinator of Southampton County's gifted program. The
package will be exchanged with another school as part of a national
program.
by CNB