Costuming projects allow the student to research more than period fashions. Details about fabric construction, fabric content, why certain clothing articles were worn, import and export information, luxury fabric taxation, what fabrics were native to specific countries or regions, who primarily made the fabric, dyes used, and what clothing was worn by which social classes can be woven into a project. Students can create a costume and then detail the information behind the clothes, such as the correct names, the fabrics each article would be made from, and compare how making the costume in today's age differs from what the seamstress would have done in the particular time period. For example, today, leather pants may be sewn on a sewing machine, but Native Americans would have used bone needles, leather strips or sinew to make the same fashion.
Research details on the building of homes, palaces and villages. Have students build replicas of vehicles, wagons and ships used in a specific time period. A shadow box featuring the interior of a home or store allows a student to research furniture and furnishings, products sold and available cooking, heating and lighting. A sturdy cardboard box can be the foundation for a room display. Doll furniture or furniture constructed from cardboard, card stock or balsa wood can be used in the displays. Hobby and craft shops offer many products that can be used to construct models.
Historical food projects provide ample opportunity to practice research and report skills and demonstration abilities. Students can research foods eaten by the different social classes in a specific time period. Research how the foods were prepared. Investigate potential health hazards associated with food, food storage and preparation. Use a historically accurate recipe to recreate a simple dish in the way it might have been prepared. Have the student contrast the methods and types of food used then compared to today's practices. Have a class taste test if the student is able to bring enough of the food for everyone.
Detailed timelines with illustrations drawn or cut from magazines or printed from online sources are a good way to help students visualize events. Concentrate on a major event within the time period, for example: the events leading up to and the Battle of Agincourt or the Battle of Bunker Hill. Timelines can be presented as power point demonstrations or on a traditional, long roll of paper, which can be displayed on a wall of the classroom. The student should be able to discuss why she chose certain events to include in the timeline over others.