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How does form shape content?

What makes a good exhibition? Is it the techno touchscreens, or the spotlight highlighting a single object or the overall messages presented in the display?

In Interpreting the Museum students explore how curators use objects, multimedia, lighting and design to interpret and present Australian history. This program provides all students with the opportunity to use a digital camera and all photographs will be supplied for follow-up classroom activities.

Details

Aims

• Help students develop critical and reflective thinking skills essential for understanding how exhibitions unfold accounts of history.
• Enable students to examine object biographies and understand how the contextual framing of these objects influence the way visitors interpret and read the exhibit.
• Give students an opportunity to reflect on curation and its role relates to historiographical ideas and processes.

Structure

1. Introductory activity – as they examine a range of objects, students discuss the interrelationships between components of an exhibit and consider the methods used to exhibit objects and how their display impacts the interpretation of history.
2. Gallery activity – working in groups, students explore the Museum's galleries and photograph an exhibit of their choice, identifying the components and display methods used by the curator to convey the interpretation of history.
3. Reflection – students gather to discuss the exhibit they have documented and consider how the curators have presented their interpretation of history.

Exploring the Museum

You may like to allow extra time to visit other exhibitions and to explore other places in the Museum, such as Circa and Kspace. For everything you need to know about visiting, see Plan and book a visit.

Related resources

These activity ideas might be useful in your classroom.

You may also be interested in these teacher resources:

• The 1967 Referendum – a unit of work investigating the significance and impact of the 1967 Referendum
• A Walk through 'White Australia' at the National Museum – a unit of work exploring the representation of 'White Australia' in the Museum
• How do Museums Represent History? – a unit of work investigating how the Museum represents Australian history
• First Australians: Telling our Indigenous Stories – a unit of work exploring how the Museum presents Indigenous cultures and histories in exhibitions.

You can also see the full list of resources related to historical skills.