In 2010, The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and the British Museum started a project to tell the history of humanity and human civilization across 2 million years of development, it was called A History of the World in 100 Objects. Obviously, the program focused on 100 single items from the museum. The core of the program was a BBC radio/podcast program that told short histories of the objects and placed the objects in a greater cultural context narrated by the Director of the British Museum, Neil MacGregor.
Assignment Overview:
You will create YOUR OWN MUSEUM EXHIBIT showing twelve items that you have selected from the British Museum's 100 Objects.
Your mini-museum exhibit should include twelve items that you feel best illustrate a universal theme in human development and that analyzes the forces involved in the development of human civilization over the last 2 million years.
You select both the theme and the twelve objects. You are the curator for this exhibition and the project will require you to know these twelve objects and their context and connnections thoroughly.
Your Task:
Click on the Icon in the upper right (the Sutton Hoo Helmet). The image of the Sutton Hoo Helmet is a link that will take you to the website for A History of the World in 100 Objects. Once on the website you will begin your research assignment.
Step One:
Review ALL one hundred of the objects in the British Museum's list. The list is available on the website.
Step Two:
Part One.
Identify the specific theme that you want to illustrate, analyze and elaborate on in your exhibit of the twelve objects.
Examples of themes: conflict, love, relationships, fashion, faith, art, taxes, power, etc. Broad ideas that are universal.
Part Two.
Select 12 objects that are the most significant in telling the story (abridged obviously) of the development of human culture in the past 2 million years. The objects should have the following:
1) a guiding a theme that unifies the objects,
2) a connection across time to the other objects in your exhibition,
3) a context for the objects (that is an explanation and analysis of the purpose and cultural implications of EACH of your objects).
Step Three:
Create your own BLOG that will serve as the online exhibit for your twelve objects. The blog should include a post that explains the guiding theme and why you chose that theme, and a series of posts that provide a cultural, social, historical, economic or religious context and analysis of the twelve objects and an explanaion of how each and every object fits your theme.
**All exhibit blogs WILL BE connected to this assignment blog in the comment section--this must be done from home**
Step Four:
Sit back and relax as you experience that feeling of profound satisfaction of a job well done.
Rubric:
1. The Exhibit:
a. The theme is focused and is clear in all 12 objects in the exhibit. All 12 are related by theme, design, usage or some other cultural aspect.
b. The objects are connected through the brief (3-5 sentence) descriptions you have written for each item.
c. The objects are placed in a specific and general context. A set of facts or circumstances that surround an item and give it greater meaning by placing it in a time period and cultural era.
2. The Blog:
a. Clarity
b. Quality of Research
c. Connections across time and space.
Thank you for your efforts. Consistent effort and good time management will be the keys to success on this project.
Email questions at any time to pendwe@abington.k12.pa.us
