Iowa PBS Education Announces Artifact Iowa Initiative

Iowa PBS Education is proud to announce the launch of Artifact Iowa, an innovative storytelling initiative that brings Iowa’s history into focus through the objects that shaped it. Designed for middle and high school students, as well as lifelong learners, Artifact Iowa uses real artifacts to uncover the powerful human stories behind them, showcasing moments of innovation, resilience, creativity and change that define the state’s past.

“Iowa’s history is embedded in the objects people relied on in their daily lives,” said Iowa PBS Director of Educational Services Ken Harrison. “Artifact Iowa encourages learners of all ages to think like historians, to look closely, to ask thoughtful questions and to consider how even the most ordinary items can reveal extraordinary stories about our shared past.”

Each resource created for Artifact Iowa centers on a single artifact and explores the broader historical themes it represents. Rather than presenting surface-level facts, the series connects objects to larger ideas such as daily life, technological progress, cultural shifts and pivotal moments in Iowa history.

Artifact Iowa has two primary goals. The first is to deepen historical storytelling through objects. The project seeks out compelling artifacts from across the state and uncovers the meaningful stories they represent, connecting them to broader historical themes.The second is to model critical thinking and inquiry. Each episode demonstrates how historians use objects as evidence, encouraging students and lifelong learners to analyze artifacts and draw conclusions about the past.

Through this digital experience, students are encouraged to ask questions about Iowa’s past, investigate how the state has changed over time, and discover lesser-known stories of their local communities. 

In partnership with the State Historical Society of Iowa, the first 10 artifacts in the collection will focus on America’s 250th anniversary. Artifact Iowa will continue to expand with additional collections released over time.

Artifact Iowa is now available at iowapbs.org/artifactiowa and on PBS LearningMedia. Educators, schools and parents can freely access the full suite of resources.