the final project
Before thinking about what still needs to be done, think about what you already have done:
- you explored/researched what a museum is and how it is set up, focused, organized, etc.
- you brainstormed, designed, sketched out your own museum idea
- you fleshed that out thinking about specific items in the collection, the point of your narrow focus, and how one particular "thing" in your museum has a really interesting or surprising or controversial or trend-creating background that would make a great study
- you did that study and produced a formidable, interesting research paper with a narrow focus, supporting source material, and all of the required documentation
You've done a lot, and everything you have done will come into play here. You really have done most of the Final Project, some on paper, some in your mind.
So let's finish this!
presentation
You may present this project in several ways:
You may make it more like a catalog (a book, not a brochure), in which case it will not be in MLA format. If you choose this option, you can post the pages on a site like Imgur, or you can come by and drop off the physical book to my office (NEA 273); e-mail me to see when I will be there.
You may create a website (pictures are required, and you may also include audio and video, if you like). NOTE: students often find this the most fun/interesting option. Be sure to usee a FREE version of an easy-to-use site like Wix, or Simplesite or Weebly (there are many others); you would need to e-mail me the link.
You may create a video walk-through (with a written script which you'll turn in, along with a Works Cited list).
You may write a traditional, MLA-format paper with illustrations and a Works Cited page (you would want to separate different sections (rooms) with bold in-paper headings/titles). NOTE: this is the least-interesting, least-creative option.
If you have some other idea for the presentation, please check it with me first.
contents
This might actually be quite long; it includes a lot of things; many you have already done (your floor plan, the Special Exhibit, a lot of pictures, and so on). Here is what you would usually find in a museum catalog or on a museum website:
an About Us (or Welcome to the Museum of XYZ) section, which may have some background/history of the museum and probably the museum mission statement
a page with Admission, Hours, Location, Directions, Parking, Contact Information is especially important on a website, but some of that is often found in a catalog as well; these often go in the About Us or Welcome section.
a floor plan (an absolute must; think of this as a map visitors will follow)
sections on key exhibits with a few representative pictures and the accompaning informative text. Make sure there is informative and interesting information on each exhibit, not just a few sentences. I've sent you here before, but if you've not looked yet, check out the individual exhibit pages on the Museum of Jurassic Technology site here: mjt.org website
a more in-depth section where you put your Research Paper (yes, the whole thing); this section showcases your Special Exhibit; you already did this (though you may move things around a bit to make it look more attractive on the page); this is actually word-for-word your research paper, including pictures, direct quotations, citations, and the Works Cited information. NOTE: it this were part of a catalog or website, it would NOT be in MLA format; double spacing looks weird on a web page or in a book
- Other misc. sections might include "What to do at the Museum," "Special Events," "Visit the Cafe and Gift Shop" (if you have one or both), "Thanks to our Sponsors," etc.
And, yes, there are samples
Here are some very successful student samples (this list is also in the Files section on Canvas)
The Little Red Horse Museum is, well, you'll see
A Museum devoted to Turbo-chargers (the Works Cited page is oddly CENTERED, but it IS there)