Good Afternoon Lonnie,
Object-based tours focus on the specific artifacts and specimens in an exhibit..... such a tour should reveal how those artifacts and specimens can provide information about the subjects and themes of the exhibit ......and specifically, in a larger sense....how the artifacts' and specimens' inherent and attributed information become the central components of understanding cultures and/or the natural world.
On the subject of object-based lesson plans, I am reminded of an excellent article by John Hennigar-Shuh from the 1970s. The article is entitled "50 Ways to Look at a Big Mac Box" ....Source: "Teaching Yourself to Teach with Objects" by John Hennigar-Shuh, Journal of Education, Volume 7 (4) p. 15
An important note to the reader of Hennigar-Shuh's article: The author organizes his 50 questions according to "Bloom's Taxonomy." Bloom's Taxonomy -in the Cognitive Domain as well as the Affective Domain -- the first series of questions are low level processes. Note that as the questions progress; the questions are higher level processes. For more on Bloom's Taxonomy please see the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloom%27s_Taxonomy
The article was written in the late 1970s in Canada, at a time when the Big Mac box was constructed of Styrofoam http://www.flickr.com/photos/bolio88/5482432651/
Henigar-Shur's questions to be asked about a Big Mac Box are:
1. Smell it.
2. Taste it.
3. Feel it all over.
4. Does it make a noise?
5. What are its measurements? Height, weight, diameter?.
6. Describe its shape, colour and any decoration.
7. Can you write a description of it that would give a clear picture to someone who has never seen a Big Mac box? (A sketch would help).
8. Why is it the size it is?
9. Are all MacDonald's boxes the same size?
10. Have the sizes of MacDonald's boxes changed over the years?.
11. How much has the box's shape been determined by the material used, the method of construction and the box's function?
12. Why isn't the box plain white (or black, or purple)?
13. What is the function of the decoration?
14. What does the lettering tell you?
15. Why are symbols, logos and trademarks so important in our society?
16. How much is the name "Big Mac" a reflection of the fashions of our time?
17. What does the circled R signify?
18. What material was used to make the box?
19. What raw material was used to produce this material?
20. Is this a renewable resource?
21. What does this say about attitudes towards conservation in our society?
22. Why was this particular material chosen?.
23. What are its advantages, disadvantages?
24. How might the box have been different is a different material had been used, for example, wood, ceramics, metal or paper?
25. What can you learn from looking at the box and lettering about how the box was made?
26. At what stage of manufacture do you think the lettering was applied?
27. Have you ever seen anything like this being made? What does this suggest to you about our society?
28. Is the box well designed?
29. Does the box work well for the purposes for which it was designed?
30. How might the design be improved?
31. If someone 20, 50 or 100 years ago had set about to design a container for a hamburger, how might they have done it differently?
32. Did people eat hamburgers then?
33. What might the hamburger container of the future be like?
34. What does the number on the inside bottom of the box signify?
35. Is this a clue as to where the box was made?
36. Where was the box made?
37. What did these boxes replace? Hint: http://www.flickr.com/photos/jasonliebigstuff/4714948278/
38. Why not just serve a hamburger on a plate?
39. What does the box tell us about the people who use it, the people who pass it out and our society in general?
40. Show the Big Mac Box to as many people as you can within a 10-minute period. How many people failed to recognize the box? What does this tell you?
41. Would you get this response in Moose Jaw, SK, Bourbon, CA or Perth, Australia? What does this tell you?
42. Where is the headquarters of MacDonald's? What does this tell you?
43. Do you deserve a break today?
44. How many of these boxes are used across North America every day?
45. For how long is each box actually used?
46. What is done with them after they have been used?
47. Why do you find Big Mac boxes on sidewalks and lawns and beaches?
48. Is there anything that could be done to recycle these boxes?
49. Is there anything that could replace them?
50. What do you think is the single most significant thing about a Big Mac Box? Why?
END
Interpretive tours, on the other hand,.....may or may not....... utilize object-based interpretive techniques. Some interpretive tours may be focused on revealing meanings and concepts by use of illustrative media, multi-sensory techniques, story-telling, and may not be object-based. A tour of an underground cavern maybe defined as an interpretive tour....."don't touch" but let me show you how to observe and learn -- and then to reflect and understand.
My mentor on the subject of Interpretation is Freeman Tilden, and his signature work is Interpreting our Heritage. I highly recommend it. I still have my well-worn paperback copy, which I purchased new in the late 1960s for $1.65 at the University of Arizona Student Bookstore.
Best Wishes for Success!
Wesley
Wesley S. Creel
Administrator of Programs
Pink Palace Family of Museums
3050 Central Avenue
Memphis, TN 38111
Website www.memphismuseums.org
Office 901.636.2370 new telephone number
FAX 901.636.2391 new FAX number
e-mail [log in to unmask]
Please consider including the Pink Palace Family of Museums in your charitable giving plans
along with your other charitable interests.
Please visit all our great facilities as well as our website: www.memphismuseums.org Our mission: The Pink Palace Family of Museums inspires people to learn how history.science, technology and nature shape the mid-South. Through rich collections, thought-provoking exhibitions, and engaging programs, we encourage our diverse community to reflect on the past, understand the present, and influence the future
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-----Original Message-----
From: Museum discussion list [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lonnie Goodwin
Sent: Monday, August 31, 2015 4:00 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [MUSEUM-L] object-based tours
Hello all,
I'm curious, can someone describe to me the differences between interpretive tours and object-based tours or lessons? I have the sense that object-based tours are more hands-on and interactive, but I was wondering if there are other differences.
Also, does anyone have an example of an object-based tour script or lesson plan I could peruse?
Thanks,
Lonnie Goodwin
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