History Museum Concept

Museum Exhibit Concept: Historical Significance for Confederation (2,500 words)
Due: January 18 (concept map) / March 1 (submission)

a. Goal: To refine your expertise in one area of Canada"s history, connecting it to our local context here in London.

b. Learning Objectives covered by this Assignment:
i. Be able to identify moments of historical significance in Canada"s history
ii. Be able to identify and use collections of primary sources important for interpreting Canada"s past
iii. Be equipped with the skills to clearly express an historical argument in both written and oral form.
iv. Be familiar with basic museum and archival practices.

c. Task: 2017 marks 150 years since Confederation. Expanding on a topic we have developed during our lectures, readings or in-class activities, develop a concept for an exhibit at a local museum that establishes a person"s (Viola Desmond), an experience"s (trans-Pacific sojourning) or an event"s (the British Conquest) historical significance for Londoner"s as they recognize this commemoration. In addition to two monographs and three journal articles, you must draw on between 7-10 artifacts or images from the public displays at two or more museums, such as, but not limited to the museums listed below. You may also use one online collection from a national or internationally recognized museum or archive.

i. Banting House (London, ON)
ii. Buxton National Historic Site and Museum (Chatham, ON)
iii. Canadian Medical Hall of Fame (London, ON)
iv. Eldon House (London, ON)
v. Elgin County Railway Museum (St. Thomas, ON)
vi. Museum London (London, ON)
vii. Royal Canadian Regiment Museum (London, ON)
viii. Secrets of Radar Museum (London, ON)
ix. Woodlands Heritage Centre (Brantford, ON)

d. Exhibit concepts should include the following components and be structured in this order:
i. A title for the exhibit
ii. The museum that you think would be suitable to host your exhibit.
iii. A 150-word abstract summarizing the contents of your submission.
iv. A list of the three key points you would like a visitor to take away.
v. A 250-word justification of your topic selection and museum choice, demonstrating how the choice relates to our course themes and your anticipated audience. This is where you want to address our course goals, objectives and the museum’s mandate. Remember that this is a local exhibit.
vi. A 750-word topic overview that contextualizes your exhibit.
vii. A 750-word historiographical discussion of the key works that have shaped your understanding of this time and place. At a minimum, this section should discuss two books and three articles on your subject.
viii. A detailed 750-word description of the exhibit. Do not merely provide a physical description, but also carefully lay out the headings and themes through which the visitor will navigate. Use this section to demonstrate how the exhibit will visualize and convey the ideas explored in your topic overview. Be sure here that your three key take away points are clearly addressed here.
ix. An annotated list of the artifacts you plan to use in the exhibit. Annotations should indicate how the artifact will be used to build the argument conveyed in your exhibit description as well as how the artifact relates to your background research (i.e. historiographical essay)
x. A bibliography

e. Evaluation: The evaluation for this assignment will focus on the depth with which you have engaged with course content (as demonstrated through your choice of topic and the exhibit"s overall argument), the development of research skills (seen most clearly in your choice and justification of sources, artifacts and historiographical discussion), and the overall quality of your writing in the essay components of the assignment.