Arthur’s Mystery

Arthur’s class visits a little museum. On a table is a wooden frame with ridges of metal inside it. “Is it an old musical instrument?” he asks Ms Lake.

“That is an idea,” she says. “What clues can you see?” Arthur notices that the frame can stand up. The ridges look worn and smooth in places.

The guide, Mr Wood, shows them an old photo. A person is rubbing wet cloth on an object just like it. Arthur looks back at the wooden frame. “Was it for washing?”

“Yes. It is a washboard,” says Mr Wood. “Some people used boards like this to help wash clothes.” He points to the ridges. “The cloth was rubbed along these.”

Mr Wood shows a replica they may touch. Arthur feels the ridges with one finger. “They are bumpy,” he says. The old museum object stays on its display table.

Ms Lake shows a picture of a washing machine. The class compares it with the washboard. “Both help with washing,” says Arthur, “but they work in different ways.”

“Does everyone wash clothes the same way now?” he asks. “No,” says Mr Wood. “People use different tools. Some things are washed by hand, and some in machines.”

Before leaving the museum, Arthur draws the object and the clues that helped him. “My first idea changed,” he says. “I looked, asked and compared.” Ms Lake adds his drawing to their museum book.