Description
The Museum Project Part 1: Curating (Complete the Worksheet Provided Below)
For the museum project, you will create a presentation that demonstrates the historical development of an idea through two different humanities disciplines. For part 1, do the following:
- Choose an idea.
- Choose a specific historical period.
- Identify the Humanities disciplines you’ll use to inform you perspective (See Unit 1)
- Write a thesis.
- Curate images.
- Create an outline.
The historical period you choose should be specific and rather short (you cannot choose “the history of humans” or “history since the year 100 CE”). And the humanities fields/disciplines must both directly address the idea. (We were introduced to humanities fields/disciplines in Unit 1). For example, if you were to choose “the divine right of kings,” you might explore the divine right of kings through the artwork of the late 1600s and early 1700s. Other ideas might include political individualism, specific controversies over divine texts, evolution of philosophy and religion over time, the nature of “truth” in a specific historical account, the rhetoric of nationalism, and how history is portrayed as linear or cyclical, a particular relationship you see in the evolution of modernism and post modernism. Or any other idea that you’ve seen emerge from this class.
You’ll be “reading” the art work for its significance, meaning, and importance for your presentation’s thesis. Much like you practiced in this unit’s discussion, the images you select don’t simply illustrate, they must have meaning. A painting of John Locke with his biography is wrong. An explanation of the painting of John Locke — or a painting from his era — and how the image illustrates or suggests ideas evident from his writings is right.
Once you have your thesis, construct a rough outline of the content you would like to include. You must have at least three main points to support your thesis and each of those main points needs to have at least two sub-points/details. (That’s a total of six-eight images). Then visit at least three virtual museums. Curate materials that support your project from both of the humanities disciplines you will be using. Download .jpg images of the images or provide a direct link to the image. (No less than two images/texts for each section of the outline. No more than four.)
Remember that the images need to do more than simply illustrate historical people or ideas. You need to “read” the images, much like you did in Discussion 6, in order to explain what they mean and how you know what they mean. Then, the meaning you assign the image needs to support the thesis of your project.
Use the “Museum Project Part 1 Submission Form” to complete the submission. Upload this completed form as your Museum Project Part 1. If you have questions about your thesis, how to write a thesis, or how to curate your project, consult your instructor before proceeding to Museum Project Part 2.
Important to note: You are not writing a history report; you’re creating an argument and supporting it. Remember your lessons on thesis statements from ENC 1101 or other college-level writing classes. A thesis is not a factual statement; instead, it is a statement of the project’s argument. In its very basic form, the thesis has a claim and three supporting details that can be argued. For example: “Saltwater fish make the best pets because they are easy to care for, provide decoration for a room, and teach us about chemistry.”
If you are unsure of how to create an outline or why it’s important, please visit the following YouTube videos:
How to Write an Essay Outline – Essay Writing Tips For Exams