Teaching Without a Wreck: Using Museum Collections in the Classroom
Author(s): Michelle M. Damian
Year: 2017
Summary
Spring 2016 marked the first time maritime archaeology was taught to undergraduates at Harvard University. No diving was required for this introductory class, so in order to give the students the experience of researching and identifying a "wreck site" the class partnered with the Peabody Museum of Anthropology and Ethnology. The museum collection contained a number of models that were not on display due to space constraints. The class therefore used the museum ship models as substitutes for an actual shipwreck site. Students were required to choose a model and, with only minimal initial information, researched its historical background and construction. This paper will discuss the merits and challenges present in this approach and the benefits for both students and the museum.
Cite this Record
Teaching Without a Wreck: Using Museum Collections in the Classroom. Michelle M. Damian. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Fort Worth, TX. 2017 ( tDAR id: 435446)
This Resource is Part of the Following Collections
Keywords
Geographic Keywords
North America
•
United States of America
Spatial Coverage
min long: -129.199; min lat: 24.495 ; max long: -66.973; max lat: 49.359 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology
Record Identifiers
PaperId(s): 432