Exploring the information contained in a historical item beyond the text written on it – research is not always word-based.
Multisensory material culture
This activity is designed to increase comfort and confidence when handling archival materials - many students are nervous about touching old stuff!
Recommended Duration:
One full class session.
Objective:
Factor physical and material elements into the interpretation of primary sources.
Outcome:
Students will be able to describe the visual, tactile, auditory (and when relevant, olfactory) characteristics of an artifact and explain how those elements influence our understanding of the artifact’s context.
Activity
Students will be presented with a range of books and artifacts, and they will be asked to examine them with attention paid to the sensory experience of the items – visual, tactile, auditory, and/or olfactory. They will be asked to describe their sensory experiences, and to consider how those aspects influence our understanding of the items as primary sources. Students will be asked to focus on one or two senses to explore, though of course doing up to all four is allowed. Encourage choosing one of the “primary” (Visual, Tactile) and one of the “secondary” (Auditory, Olfactory) to ensure equal work for each student.
Standards (based on Guidelines for Primary Source Literacy):
- Factor physical and material elements into the interpretation of primary sources including the relationship between container (binding, media, or overall physical attributes) and informational content, and the relationship of original sources to physical or digital copies of those sources. (GPSL 4E)
Interested in booking an instruction session?