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Saving the National Treasures
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Classroom Activity
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Objective
To determine the efficacy of different preservation techniques to
reduce fading or yellowing from sun exposure.
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copy of the "Preserving Paper" student handout (PDF
or
HTML)
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copy of the "Sample Charts" student handout (PDF
or
HTML)
- white paper
- scissors
- tape
- pen or pencil
- plastic safety goggles
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4 sheets of non-fade-resistant construction paper—1 yellow,
1 blue, 1 red, 1 green (for colored paper teams only)
- newspaper
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materials for four treatment methods as determined by the class
(see some suggestions below)
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Prior to doing the activity, leave a newspaper out in the sun
until it yellows. Begin the activity by showing students the
yellowed newspaper with a fresh newspaper. Ask students why they
think one paper has yellowed. If some students speculate sun
exposure explain that it is the ultraviolet rays from the sun
that cause the damage. Tell students that in this activity, they
will be experimenting with the efficacy of different
preservation techniques to reduce fading or yellowing on paper
samples exposed to the sun.
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Brainstorm with students six to eight possible treatment methods
to protect colored paper and newspaper from sun damage. (Keep in
mind that experiments will hang in school windows, so treatments
should be able to dry and not harm windows.) Some suggestions
include clear plastic covering, light-colored plastic covering,
pump hair spray, wax, glue, paper cement.
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Organize students into teams. As a class, choose four of the
treatment methods to test. Ask half the class to test the
treatment methods on newspaper samples and half the class to
test their treatment methods on colored paper samples.
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Review activity instructions with students. Have students
prepare their samples. Remind students that any materials that
receive coatings should be entirely covered but not dripping wet
and that safety goggles should be worn when using any spray
materials or products that could be harmful to the eyes. Have
students clean their hands thoroughly after applying the
treatments. Ask students to label and date each test sample.
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Tape the dried displays to the window (facing the sun) and note
the time and day they are posted. Students should also note
whether their group's samples receive the most, somewhere in the
middle, or the least amount of daily sunlight relative to other
teams' displays. Have students leave samples in the window for a
period of seven days. (You may want to extend this period of
time depending on the amount of sunlight the samples get during
the experiment.) It is important for students to check their
experiment each day they are at school because a treatment may
protect the paper for a limited amount of time.
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Have students make a prediction about the treatment they believe
will be most effective in preserving color or in keeping the
newsprint from yellowing. Ask them to write down their
prediction and why they made their choice.
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Ask students to observe the window displays each day and record
their observations in their journal. Students should record the
date and about how many hours of sunlight the displays receive
each day. At the end of the experiment, have students gather
their samples.
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Ask students to compare their light-exposed control to the dark
control and record any differences. They should then compare
treated samples with the light-exposed control and note the
effects of the sunlight. They should also describe any damage
caused by the different treatment methods on the colored paper
or the newspaper.
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Have a class discussion and ask teams to share their results.
Which color of paper was best preserved? By which technique?
Which image had the least fading, yellowing, and/or damage? How
did actual results concerning the best-preserved image match
students' predictions? (See
Activity Answer for sample results using
some of the materials mentioned above.)
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As an extension, have students experiment with different inks.
You may want to have students make iron gall ink (substitute
tannic acid if you cannot get wasp galls) and compare its
durability to commercial black ink by wetting the paper or
subjecting it to moderate heat.
Thomas Jefferson first composed the Declaration of Independence in
June 1776. The Declaration proclaimed the separation of the thirteen
colonies from Great Britain and established the United States of
America. An extended list of charges against the King detailed the
reasons for the separation. On July 4, 1776, Congress formally
adopted the Declaration; on August 2, Congress began to sign the
final parchment, a process that took more than a year.
The Articles of Confederation were the first iteration of the
country's constitution. Composed during the Revolutionary War, they
were enacted March 1, 1781. Six years later, the states revised the
Articles and drafted the current version of the U.S. Constitution.
Since that time, the Constitution has been amended 27 times. It
holds the record as the longest-lasting written constitution in the
world. The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution as the first
ten amendments on December 15, 1791.
Sample Results
In this activity, colored paper and newspaper samples were exposed
to sunlight. Sample results were obtained using wax, pump hair
spray, water-based glue, paper cement, and plastic wrap. The
experiment was done in November and December at a latitude of 42
degrees North. The materials received about 15 hours of afternoon
sun. Results will vary depending upon latitude and season. Although
scientists don't know exactly what causes newsprint paper made of
groundwood pulp to yellow, one 1991 study confirms that solar UV
radiation is the cause.
Web Sites
NOVA Web Site—Saving the National Treasures
www.pbs.org/nova/charters/
Find an article, interview, interactive activities, and resources in
this companion Web site to the program.
Charters of Freedom
www.archives.gov/national_archives_experience/charters/charters.html
Presents high-resolution images of the Charters of Freedom and
supplies additional information about the making and impact of the
Charters.
Charters of Freedom Project
www.nist.gov/public_affairs/Charter/charters_of_freedom_project.htm
Provides information about the new encasements being made by the
National Institutes of Standards and Technology.
Preserving the Charters of Freedom
www.memagazine.org/backissues/mar03/departments/input_output/input_out.html
Shares the role that some scientists played in helping to protect
the Charters.
Preserving Works on Paper: Manuscripts, Drawings, Prints, Posters,
Maps, Documents
www.loc.gov/preserv/care/paper.html
Explains factors critical to preserving paper collections.
Books
Maier, Pauline.
American Scripture: Making of the Declaration of Independence.
New York: Knopf, 1997.
Presents the story of the drafting of the Declaration, the political
atmosphere in which it was composed, and how it has been redefined
and used by different groups of Americans.
Marcovitz, Hal.
The Declaration of Independence.
New York: Mason Crest Publishers, 2002.
Discusses the creation of the Declaration of Independence and the
document's importance in American history.
The "Preserving Paper" activity aligns with the following National
Science Education Standards.
Grades 5-8
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Science Standard B:
Physical Science
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Transfer of energy
Grades 9-12
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Science Standard B:
Physical Science
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Chemical reactions
Classroom Activity Author
A former director of the National Science Teachers Association and
President of the Science Teachers Association of Manitoba, Dan
Forbes has been active in teaching and curriculum development in
both Canada and the United States for 20 years.
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