Course Requirements

AMST 205 consists of the following interrelated parts: readings; class discussions, presentations, and activities (some of these will occur online); three virtual exhibition projects and an exhibition review; a final portfolio submitted in lieu of a final exam.

Readings: We have chosen the readings with one or more purposes in mind: 1) to provide instruction in techniques of artifactual analysis, critical inquiry, or museum exhibition, 2) to showcase a variety of approaches to understanding "things," modern consumer culture, and material culture studies, and 3) to stimulate discussion and interest in deciphering American culture. It is important that you complete the readings by the date on which they appear on the course calendar. Be an active reader! Take notes, think about what you have read, and come to class prepared to discuss or argue with or ask questions about the readings.

Class Discussions and Activities: In an active learning course, class time is very important. We are committed to making our classroom experience as stimulating and significant as possible; you must do your part to contribute to the quality of our time together as well. Since we are operating as a team, what you do influences others. We need your involvement.

What, then, are your responsibilities? You'll need to attend regularly, come to class on time, and come prepared for the day's activities. For many of our classes, we'll ask you to help present a portion of the class content, either orally or online. This may consist of clarifying a concept, summarizing the major points of a passage from the reading, preparing a "devil's advocate" critique of an idea, or compiling questions for the class to address in our discussion. On other occasions, we'll divide up to work on a specific in-class exercise. You can contribute your attention, your leadership skills, your good ideas, and/or your reporting skills in making those activities a success. On days when a major project is due, you should come to class ready to describe your project and summarize your findings.

In an active learning course, we think of our role as teacher/student and yours as student/teacher. Your knowledge and experience are an important classroom resource.

Projects: There will be four assigned projects during the semester, all related to museum exhibitions. In material culture studies, the museum exhibition is one of the primary ways through which researchers communicate their ideas and findings. In these projects, you will have the opportunity to research and interpret a little bit of the history of American culture or to critique the ways in which others have done so. In each project, you'll be asked to analyze a specific type of cultural artifact--by applying the field analysis techniques we learn during the semester--and to report your conclusions in a virtual exhibition presented online, using a World Wide Web site on the Internet. For each project you will receive a sheet describing the assignment in detail and, where appropriate, instruction for learning the technical knowledge you'll need to help create the exhibitions. The four projects are: 1) analysis of an artifact symbolic of your college experience, 2) a museum exhibition review, 3) analysis of an artifact of appearance or lifestyle, and 4) a comparative analysis of the living space embodied in the Greenbelt Museum--a c. 1930s-1940s townhouse--and another historical or contemporary living space of your choice. Specific due dates for the projects are listed on the Course Schedule.

Quizzes: There may be two or three quizzes during the semester. Their purpose is to test your understanding of basic course concepts and to help you grasp the major themes and arguments in the assigned readings. Quizzes may or may not be announced in advance. They will be evaluated as a part of your class participation grade.

Final Portfolio: In lieu of a final exam, students will submit a final portfolio that showcases their work for the class and summarizes what they have learned during the semester. The portfolio will take the form of a set of linked pages on the web and should include, at minimum, revised and updated versions of class projects. The portfolio will be due at the end of the Final Exam period for AMST 205, 10:00 a.m. on Dec. 19th.