All students in survey courses are assigned to visit a museum, historic house or site. The choice of museum will be announced to your class and posted in the syllabus and on WebCT. The format of museum reports should follow these guidelines:
 | Describe your museum experience: In a general way, tell hat was it like and what types of things did you saw. Did any of the exhibits relate to something you have studied? Include a mention of the date of your visit.(If you wait until after mid-term, this visit may probably be more meaningful.) |
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Your report may include comments on the quality of presentation you encounter: Are the exhibits explained effectively? Are personnel well-informed? Is the facility well-designed? |
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Describe five specific artifacts: If you visit a museum, select items from various parts of the museum--not all from the same exhibit area! Make notes on the information in the exhibit label or catalog, which may be helpful when you write the report. "Artifacts" may not be limited to objects in a museum display case--they can be buildings, equipment, even features of the landscape on a battlefield. If you are able to do so, connect what you see to the course. |
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Follow the general guidelines for formatting that are found elsewhere in this site. Length -- at least one page, do not exceed 3 pages. |
| The report should begin with the "experience" essay, which will probably include references to various exhibit items, but you should follow this with a detailed list of descriptions of five artifacts. Your style may be more informal than for a research paper or book review. |
| Open a Microsoft Word document. Please do not use any other word processor. | ||
| Write your submission. Put the two parts on separate pages of the same document. | ||
| Open the appropriate assignment on WebCT. | ||
| Upload your file.
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| The due date (which will be near the end of the semester) will be posted in the WebCT calendar. No late submission will be accepted for this assignment. If you wait to the very last minute and have problems, you will have to accept the consequences! From time to time during the semester I will check for early submissions and try to grade them for you, but grading for this assignment will begin officially after the deadline. |
You will schedule this assignment at your own convenience, but you my get more from it by waiting a few weeks into the course. Be certain that you know how to find the museum you have chosen, that you know what the parking and admission requirements will be, and that you have allowed sufficient time--two to three hours--for the visit. A preliminary visit to the organization's web page will help plan most of this.
