2150 2007-8 Museum Assignment Page
Last updated: 16 Jan 2008
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n.b. check the fine print on the coupon... it doesn't apply on Friday nights.
Museum Assignment, as handed out in class: click here to download as pdf.
Frequently Asked Questions (please check here before you email us to ask questions)
Strongly recommended: A quick self-guided tour.
www.rom.on.ca/visit/brochures.php
www.rom.on.ca/exhibitions/wculture/index.php
Spend the first 30 minutes or so just walking around these galleries to approximately locate everything, and to see which displays (and therefore which questions) interest you most.
Whenever you enter a gallery: Look around first. Walk through the whole thing quickly, to see how big it is, what the topics are, and what kind of order they are organized in, etc. (e.g., Very often a gallery is organized in chronological order, or reverse chronological order.) Also look up, down, and around – very often exhibits are labeled above or below eye level. There may be additional text on the wall next to the display.
Photography: Remember: cameras are fine, but no flash. (Light can degrade artifacts; this is why the lighting is kept low in some parts of the museum.) If you're trying to take a picture of labels, or of something behind glass, try it from a couple of different angles.
Reflections: As you go through the museum, think, of course, about the assignment questions, but also remember that you're looking at objects made by human hands, in places and times far away. Take a little time to think about how these items got here, to 21st century Toronto. Do the labels include information about the donors or collectors? When did the items arrive at the ROM? Are you comfortable with the displays, or are there things which disturb you (e.g. biased representations)? Also be aware that some objects are originals, and others are reproductions.
…Answers to Students’ Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Are these the same questions as last year’s assignment?
A: No.
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Q: Is this supposed to be one big essay?
A: No. If you're answering Part A and Part C, please answer each Part separately.
For Part A, you may answer 1, 2, 3, 4 separately, or you may combine 2-4 into a single piece.
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Q: Is point form okay or do I have to write in essay style?
A: You should primarily use complete sentences and paragraphs, but if you are including a list or some basic descriptive points for an artifact, you can include those in point form.
Either way -- always reference your answer fully.
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Q: Can I just use photographs instead of sketches?
A: No. You may certainly submit photographs as well as sketches, but we do need a sketch wherever the assignment has asked for one.
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Q: I really can't draw. I am worried about my diagrams.
A: Just make them as accurate as you can, and label them very clearly, and ensure that they are neat. They don't have to be perfect -- they just have to be recognizable. Do include as much detail as you can, however.
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Q: I could cite the location of the artifacts I talk about by putting a mark on the map of the ROM. Would this be OK?
A: Sure, you are welcome to do this, but please ALSO give a written description of where the particular exhibit/artifact is.
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Q: Regarding the citing in our museum project, is it necessary to cite our drawings/sketches? or.. is it acceptable to answer the questions accompanied by a sketch without referencing exhibit location, etc.?
A: Yes please, we do need the clearest description you can give us of an
object's location. Perhaps you are a very good artist, but sometimes people
(like me!) don't draw all that well.... so we need to know what you are trying
to draw, and the only way to be sure is if you tell us the object's location. So
yes – for each sketch, please note what the object is, what its label says, and
where it is located.
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Q: Will we be penalized if we go over the suggested length?
A: Yes -- if the question has asked for 1000 words and you write 1500, then we will deduct marks. You have a small grace margin, though... up to 1100 is okay. But Note! The suggested length truly is long enough to fit in all the necessary detail. So if you find that your answer is far too long, then you need to practice writing concisely, and also should ensure that your answer is staying right on topic. If your answer is rambling, then you won't get as good a mark as you would if it was brief, clear, and to the point.
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Q: What sort of labelling is required for the artifacts? Do I have to include measurements? I'm wondering because the assignment said to bring a ruler.
A: No, you don't have to measure the artifacts exactly, and you don't have to include a scale in your sketches. I just suggested that you bring a ruler in case you need help with your drawing. Sometimes it helps a bit if you can roughly check the size of things that you're trying to sketch.
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Q: Other than the basic labeling of the name of the artifacts, is there
any labeling on the sketches required?
A: It depends on how much information was
given in the museum display.... To avoid potential confusion, you should label
the sketch with all the identifying information that was included in the display
case about that particular object. Sometimes that will just be a name and a
date, and sometimes it will be more information than that.
The label doesn't have to be directly *on* the sketch though: for example, you
could write on the sketch "Sketch C: Goddess figurine: Please see Sketch C Note in the text" and
then in the written part of the assignment, type in "Sketch C Note" and give all
the details about the age, where the artifact is from, and in which display case
you saw it.
If the description is really long (say more than a paragraph of 100 words) then a summary is fine. Otherwise, please include the whole description in your assignment. (And no, this won't count for your word count for the assignment length.)
In every case, you should reference it.
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Q: What are the rules about the sketches? What size do they have to be? Do they have to be on blank paper? Can they be on the same page as the answers? Do they have to be coloured in?
A: It is important for the sketch to be neat, clear, and identifiable. There are no particular requirements about the size of the sketch, but it shouldn't be tiny.... about 10 cm tall minimum, or 6 cm if it is a very small object that you're drawing. You can put the sketches on their own sheet, or on the same sheet as your answer -- it doesn't matter, as long as it is clear which illustration goes with which answer. It doesn't matter whether the paper is lined or blank. Colour isn't necessary, but you can use colour if you wish.
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Q: How should I cite your lecture notes?
A:
Like this.
Denning, Kathryn, 2008. Anth 2150 Lecture, 15 Jan 2008. Available online at: http://www.yorku.ca/kdenning/+++2150%202007-8/2150-15Jan2008.htm
. Last consulted on 18 Feb 2008.