AMST 205
Material Aspects Of American Life
Course Requirements
AMST 205 consists of several interrelated parts: Readings; Class
discussions, presentations and activities; three writing and fieldwork
projects; and eight homework assignments. There will be no midterm or
final exam.
READINGS: The readings are important. 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. They
have been chosen to 1) provide instruction in techniques of artifact
analysis, critical thinking, and museum exhibition; 2) to provide a
variety of approaches to material culture studies and American studies;
and 3) to stimulate discussion and interest in deciphering American
culture. Please complete the readings the week they appear on the
course calendar.
CLASS DISCUSSIONS AND ACTIVITIES: Class time is very important.
We are committed to making our classroom experience as interesting and
meaningful as possible. We will be learning together and working
together as a team; what you do influences others. We need your
involvement. Your knowledge and experience are important resources
for us all.
Your responsibilities are to attend regularly, come to class on time,
and come prepared for the day's activities. 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 homework assignment or project is due, you should be prepared to
share your work with the class and discuss your findings.
HOMEWORK: There are eight homework assignments during the
semester, each worth 5 points. In these you will have an opportunity
to practice your new HTML skills and develop material for the larger
project assignments. It is very important that you keep up with the
assignments and with the rest of the class. Late submissions will not
be graded, but we will discuss them with you and completion will assist
you in doing the remaining homeworks and projects.
PROJECTS: There are three project assignments during the semester.
The first two are each worth 15 points. The first will give you an
opportunity to research and interpret the material culture of your own
bedroom, and the second will involve a visit to the Museum of American
History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., to critique
the ways in which others have done so.
The final project (worth 30 points) may be an individual or a team effort,
to construct an exhibit for the Virtual Greenbelt Museum. You will be
asked to apply the field analysis techniques and the computer skills
learned during the semester and to report your conclusions in a formal
manner. Your final projects may be chosen as part of the permanent
Virtual Greenbelt Museum displayed on the Internet.
GRADING: Your grade will be calculated roughly on the following
basis:
Homework 1-8 -- 5% each (40% total)
Project 1 -- 15%
Project 2 -- 15%
Project 3 -- 30%
In this course we work as a team -- students will not be competing
against each other for a limited number of high grades. For most
assignments, we will list the criteria for the evaluation on the
assignment sheet. You are welcome to make an appointment to discuss
our evaluation of your work at any time. Please stop in to see one
of us if you would like help with any aspect of your course performance.
RETURN to AMST205 Syllabus