Syllabus HIS T 3102- H90 Public Historian HIS T 5140 001

(Graduate)

Topic s in Public History -- The Work of the

(Undergraduate)

Introduction to Historical Mus eu m Work I

Meet s: Wednesday 6:30pm-9:00pm Library Bldg. Rm. 403 West Hartford Campus Profes s or: Walter W. Woodward Office: 211 Library Bldg., West Hartford Campus Email: walt@uconn.edu Telephone: (860) 570-9089 Office Hours: Wednesday 3pm 5pm, or by appointment Course Description This course explores the many ways historians research, preserve and present historical topics to public audiences in museums, archives, historical societies, and through electronic media. It is designed to expose you to both the theories and practice of providing history for public audiences, through a combination of in-class study, presentations by public history experts from a variety of disciplines, and a hands-on service-learning experience at an area museum, archive, historical society, or other organization.
Note: This is a service-learning course which requires both class work and on-site work for part of the semester at an area historical institution. Students must be able to provide transportation to the institution they select and to arrange their schedule to allow them to complete their project at their selected institution.

Course Objectives Students completing this course will: 1. Gain familiarity with the many ways of practicing history besides teaching at a college or university. You will understand the practical aspects of working in each of the areas studied, as well as the major issues currently facing practitioners in those fields. 2. Develop a personal definition of public history, and be able to thoughtfully discuss the similarities and differences between academic and public history, and the relative strengths of each. 3. Acquire the skills to become a critical museum visitor, and to HIST-3102/HIST-5140 Course Requirements 1

thoughtfully assess and critique public history exhibits and experiences. 4. Gain familiarity with a significant sampling of the literature related to public history, while improving your ability to analyze and compare the arguments presented in journal articles and other literature. 5. Obtain practical experience as a public historian through completing a service-learning project at a public history institution, while making a critical and reflective assessment of that experience and your participation in it. Course Requirements: Readings: On most weeks, you will be required to read from three to five articles related to the weeks major topic. (See reading assignments.) Usually, this will amount to from 50 to 75 pages of reading per week. (Note that on several weeks, graduate students will be required to read additional articles.) Completing the assigned readings (which will form the basis for class discussion) prior to each class is essential. All readings for this course are available for downloading on HuskyCT. While this means you will not incur any costs for books in this course, you will need to buy one or two reams of paper and a cartridge of printer ink to print out the articles. Budget accordingly. Reporting on Your Readings: You will report on the readings you do in two ways: a) through writing abstracts of each article; and b) listing the key questions the author is trying to answer . Abstracts: You are required to produce a brief (one-page or less) written summary of each article read for the course, This abstract is to highlight the subject of the article, the authors primary argument(s), and the key points he or she makes in support of his or her claims. These summaries may be hand-written and recorded in your course journal (more about that later) or typewritten and stored in a binder. Regardless of how you choose HIST-3102/HIST-5140 Course Requirements 2

to record your information, you must bring your article abstracts of the weeks readings to every class. I will collect these abstracts from a number of students each week for grading purposes. Key Questions: In every article you read, the author is (implicitly or explicitly) trying to answer a number of questions related to the subject he or she is discussing. By analyzing (while you are reading) the questions the author has tried to answer, your understanding of any work is significantly enhanced. As part of your preparation for each weeks class, you will take two of the assigned articles and list the questions the author has asked/answered in that article. You will email me the authors/titles of the articles you have chosen, and the questions addressed in each article no later than the Sunday night before Wednes d a ys clas s. Send them to walt@uconn.edu . Guest Experts: During many weeks, we will welcome leaders from a variety of public history organizations to the class. They will describe their organizations, the nature of the work they do, the key issues they face, and the different ways students of public history might find employment in the field. These are significant opportunities to talk to, question, learn from, and establish relationships with leaders in Connecticuts public history community. Students interested in public history careers would be well advised to prepare for these meetings by researching the guests organizations prior to their visit, and developing a number of thoughtful questions related to their organization and you particular interests. Service Learning Project: As part of this course you will complete a service learning project with a local public history organization. This project will require from 20 to 30 hours of supervised engagement at the institution with which you are partnered. You will work out the particulars of your project and participation with your supervisor at

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the participating institution. The purpose of this part of the course is to provide you with hands-on experience as a public historian, and to supplement course knowledge with real world understanding. Selecting Your Project After considering the areas of public history employment presented in week one, you will select (during the second class) the area of public history in which you would most like to receive hands-on training. A number of area institutions have agreed to support our classs onsite learning activities in a number of areas: archival work, museum administration, museum education, curatorial; documentary research and production; etc. Once you select the area of public history you want to explore, I will endeavor to match you with the organization that can provide that experience. By week 3 (or 4 at the latest) you will be given the name of the organization, and an organizational supervisor. You will need to contact that person, meet with them, and arrive at a series of activity goals, learning objectives, and time requirements for your service learning project by October 7th Journaling Your Project: Reflecting thoughtfully on your public history experience is an essential part of your service learning project. For that reason, you are to keep a written journal of your activities during your project, and your thoughts and feelings about the service learning experience. How does what you are doing match your prior expectations? How does the organization you are working with serve the community? How does you work fit into the overall work flow of the organization? How effectively has your supervisor prepared you for the work you are to do? Questions such as these should guide your journaling. You are to record a reflective analysis of your experience each time you visit your organization. Doing so will simplify preparing your Project Presentation at the end of the semester.

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You are to bring your journal to every class! From time to time, I will collect your journal, review your entries, and return them to you at the last class. Project Presentation: You will notice that there are no assigned readings during the last two weeks of classes. That is to compensate you for some of the time spent on your service learning project, and to allow you to prepare a well-crafted, fifteen-minute presentation on your service learning project, to be given to the class on one of the last two weeks. Using the record you have created in your journal, you will describe every aspect of your service learning project, and reflect on its successes, limitations, value to you, and usefulness to the community. Museum Critique: One goal of this course is to make you a critical museum visitor. This will not only help you assess museum exhibits professionally, it will increase your appreciation for and enjoyment of all your museum experiences. On Wed. September 23, you will read Margaret Lindauers article The Critical Museum Visitor. Using her guidelines, you will visit a history or history related museum of your choice and develop a 3 to 5 page critical as s e s s m e nt of that museum. This will be due no later than October 28. Mid-Term Examination: There will be a one-hour Mid-Term Examination on Wednesday October 14. This will cover the assigned readings, class discussions, and expert presentations. Note that this examination does not begin until 7:15pm!!!!

Final Examination: There will be a one-hour final examination given during finals week December 14 19. It will concentrate on the material covered since the midterm examination, including readings, class discussions, and guest experts.

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FOR GRA D U A T E STU D E N T S: In addition to completing all the assignments above, graduate students will prepare a 7 to 10 page paper on a public history topic related to the area of public history in which they have conducted their service learning project. This paper can vary in focus and approach, according to your interest, but I must approve the topic before you begin research. Graduate students will meet with me individually before the mid-term to discuss their topic and how to approach it. The final paper is due the last day of class.

Grading: Assignment Discussion and Participation Abstracts & Key Questions Service Learning Project & Journal Project Presentation Museum Critique Mid Term Exam Final Exam Research Paper Total:

Undergraduate 10% 15% 30% 15% 10% 10% 10% 100%

Graduate Students 10% 15% 25% 10% 10% 10% 10% 10% 100%

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Attendance: Because of the nature of this course, attendance is critical. More than one unexcused absence from a scheduled class will have a significant adverse affect on participation. Failure to complete the obligations of your service learning project in a timely and professional manner will cause substantial deductions from your project grade. Electronics Policy: Use of electronic devices for non-class related activities (such as text messaging, tweeting, cell phoning) is not permitted in this class. If I note that you are ignoring this policy, I will significantly reduce your participation grade. Due Dates and Deadlines: Papers and projects are due on the assigned dates. Any late submissions will be penalized a grade level for each day they are overdue. Foe example, a C+ paper turned in one day late would receive a grade of C; two days late, a C-; three days late, a D+, etc.

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REA D I N G AS S I G N M E N T S HI S- 3102/HI S 5140 TOPI C S IN PU B L I C HI S T O R Y/I N T R O TO MU S E U M WOR K

WED. SE P. 2 --- WHAT IS PUB L I C HIS T O R Y ?
Course Requirements Service Learning Component Journaling Research Paper for Graduate Students

All Students Read:

Douglas Greenberg, , History is a Luxury: Mrs. Thatcher, Mr. Disney, and (Public) History, Reviews in American History 26.1 (1998) 294311. Presentation & Article: Walter Woodward, Shaping the Peoples History of America: Needs and Opportunities in the Field of Public History, CHS Miscellany 1 (February, 2009), 1-8

WED. SE P. 9 --- WHO OWN S HIST O R Y ? Students Select Service Learning Field
All Student s Read:
Carl Becker, Everyman His Own Historian, The American Historical Review 37.2 (January, 1932) , 221-236. Alan Brinkley, Historians and Their Publics, Journal of American History 61.3 1027-1030. Edward Lilenthal, Struggling with History and Memory, Journal of American History 82.3 (December, 1995), 1094-1101. Thomas A. Woods, Museums and the Public: Doing History Together, Journal of American History 82.3 (December, 1995), 1111-1115.

Graduate Student s Also Read:

Katherine T. Corbett and Howard S. Dick Miller, A Shared Inquiry Into Shared Inquiry, The Public Historian 28.1 (Winter, 2006) 1528.

WED. SE P. 16 --- WHATS WRO N G WITH MU S E U M S ?

All Student s Read:
Charles F. Bryan, Jr., In State Historical Agencies, Museums, and

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Societies: A Constant State of Change, in James B. Gardner & Peter S. LaPaglia, Public History: Essays from the Field (Malabar, Florida, 2006), 295-306. Harold Skramstad, An Agenda for American Museums in the Twenty First Century, Daedalus 128.3, 109-128. Cary Carson, The End of History Museums: Whats Plan B? The Public Historian 30.4 (November, 2008), 9-27. James B. Gardner, Contested Terrain: History, Museums, and the Public, The Public Historian 26.4 (Fall, 2004), 11-21

Guest Presenter: Kate Steinway, Executive Director, Connecticut Historical Society Reinventing Connecticuts Oldest History Institution

WED. SE P. 23 DO WOM E N HAV E A HIS T O R Y ? For Museum Critique Written Assignment, All Students Read:

Margaret Lindauer, The Critical Museum Visitor, in Janet Marstine, ed., New Museum Theory and Practice: An Introduction (Malden, MA, 2006) 203-225.

All Student s Read:

Alice P. Kenney, Women, History, and the Museum, The History Teacher 7.4 (August, 1974), 511-23 Edith Mayo, Putting Women in Their Place: Methods and Sources for Including Womens History in Museums and Historic Sites, in Jennifer B. Goodman and Gail Lee Debrow, eds. Restoring Womens History Through Historic Preservation (Baltimore, 2003), 111-128 Patricia West, Uncovering and Interpreting Womens History at Historic House Museums, in Jennifer B. Goodman and Gail Lee Debrow, eds. Restoring Womens History Through Historic Preservation (Baltimore, 2003), 83-96.

Graduate Student s Also Read: Reach Advisors, Connecticut Cultural Consumers Survey, Executive Summary, February, 2009 Guest Expert: Katherine Kane Executive Director, Harriet Beecher Stowe Center Feminist History in A Historic House Museum

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WED. SE P. 30 -- SHO U L D HI ST O R I A N S BE ENT R E P R E N E U R S , TOO?

All Student s Read:
Jannelle Warren-Findley, Contract Historians and Consultants, in James B. Gardner & Peter S. LaPaglia, Public History: Essays from the Field (Malabar, Florida, 2006), 75-86.. Shelley Bookspan, Something Ventured, Many Things Gained: Reflections on Being a Historian 67-74. Website: http://www.lifestoryproductions.com/home.html Visit LifeStory Productions, Analyze Website. Tammy S. Gordon, Heritage, Commerce, and Museal Display: Toward a New Typology of Historical Exhibition in the United States, The Public Historian 30.3 (August, 2008) 27-50. Alan S. Newell, Personal and Professional Issues in Private Consulting, The Pubic Historian 28.1 (Winter, 2006), 107-110

Guest Expert: Anne Smith Finn Historical Entrepreneuer , Finding Your Places in History

WED. OCT. 7 HIS T O R Y PUBL I S H I N G : IF IT DOE S NT HAV E FOOT N O T E S, IS IT STILL HIS T O R Y ?

All Student s Read:
Daniel Greer, Editors and Publishers: Making Books for Readers, in James B. Gardner & Peter S. LaPaglia, Public History: Essays from the Field (Malabar, Florida, 2006), 103-115. Robert B. Townsend, History and the Future of Scholarly Publishing, American Historical Association Perspectives (October, 2003), 32 41. Lisa Jardine, Why Cod Wins Out Over Colonialism, New Statesman (6 June 2005) , 48-49. Erika Dreifus, All in the Family: Writing for Family History Magazines, Writers (April 12, 2006)), 1-3. Read: Martha L. Collins, How to Write Local And Regional History, at

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http://writelocalhistory.wordpress.com/

Graduate Student s Also Read:

Margaret Stieg Dalton, The Publishing Experiences of Historians, Journal of Scholarly Publishing (April, 2008), 197-240.

GUE S T EXP E R T: Elizabeth Normen, Publisher, Connecticut Explored

WED. OCT. 14 --- Cla s s Begin s at 7:15 PM Mid- Term Exa m: Hour

WED. OCT. 21 --- MU S E U M EDU C A T O R S ; TEAC H E R S ? GUID E S ? OR STU D E N T S, TOO?

All Student s Read:
Anna Johnson, Museum Education and Museum Educators, in Johnson, et al eds. The Museum Educators Manual: Educators Share Successful Techniques (Lanham, MD 2008), 7-14. John Falk & Lynn Dierking, Museums and the Individual, in Learning From Museums: Visitor Experiences and the Making of Meaning (Walnut Creek, CA, 2000), 69-89. Robin S. Grenier, , The Role of Learning in the Development of Expertise in Museum Docents, Adult Education Quarterly 59.2 (February, 2009), 142-157. Edward Taylor, Making Meaning of Local Nonformal Education: Practitioners Perspective, Adult Education Quarterly 56.4 (August, 2006) 291-307. Proposed Connecticut Curriculum Standards

Guest Experts: Rebec c a Furer, Connecticut Historical Society; Rebec c a Taber Conover, Old State Hou se

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Or WED. OCT. 28 HIS T O R Y ARC H I V E S: WHAT SHO U L D WE SA V E ? HOW SHO U L D WE SA V E IT? Mark Jone s, State Archivist / Bill Faude , Hartford Town Record s All Students Read:
Roy H. Tryon, Archivists and Records Managers, James B. Gardner & Peter S. LaPaglia, Public History: Essays from the Field (Malabar, Florida, 2006), 57-74 Mark Lamb, The Archivist and the Historian, The American Historical Review 68.2 ( January, 1963), 385-391 Mark Vajcner, The Importance of Context for Digitized Archival Collections, Association for the Study of History and Computing 9.1 (April, 2008). 1-11. Haley, Melissa, Unriddling, The American Scholar 73.3 (2004) 105-111. Jessica Lacher-Feldman, , Presenting Historical Resources Information on the World Wide Web: A Case Study of the Development of the New York State Office of Cultural Educations Website and the OCE History Resources Advisory Council Web Pages, Journal of the Association of History Computing 2.2 (August, 1999), 1-24

Guest Experts: Mark Jones, State Archivist / Bill Faude , Hartford Town Record s

NOV. 4 - HI S T O R I C A L DOC U M E N T A R Y S : REA L HIS T O R Y ?

All Student s Read:

IS REE L HIS T O R Y,

Nina Gilden Seavey, Film and Media Producers: Taking History off the Page and Putting it on the Screen,, James B. Gardner & Peter S. LaPaglia, Public History: Essays from the Field (Malabar, Florida, 2006), 117-128. David Glassberg, Watching the Civil War, in Sense of History: The Place of the Past in American Life (Amherst, Ma, 2001), 87-108. Gerald Herman, Creating the Twenty-First Century Historian for All

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Seasons, ., The Pubic Historian 25.3 (Summer, 2003) 93-102. Shelley Bookspan, History, Historians, and Visual Entertainment Media, Toward a Rapprochement., The Pubic Historian 25.3 (Summer, 2003) 9-14. Simon Schama, Fine-Cutting Clio, The Public Historian 25.3 (Summer, 2003), 15-25 Natalie Zemon Davis, Movie or Monolog: A Historian Filmakers Perspective. The Public Historian 25.3 (Summer, 2003) 45-

48. GUE S T EXP E R T: Carol Kane, Film Maker

NOV. 11 Historic Preservation: Cultural Resource Mana g e m e nt

All Student s Read:
Antoinette J. Lee, Historic Preservationists and Cultural Resource Managers: Preserving Americas Historic Places, James B. Gardner & Peter S. LaPaglia, Public History: Essays from the Field (Malabar, Florida, 2006), 129-139. David Glassberg, Rethinking New England Town Character, in Sense of History: Th131-163 . Edward A. Chappell: Viewpoint: Vernacular Architecture and Public History,, Buildings and Landscapes 14 (2007), 1- 12 Patrick W. OBannon, Nothing Succeeds Lke Succession: Ponderings on the Future of Public History The Public Historian 24.3 (Summer, 2002) 8-16.

GUE S T EXP E R T: Helen Higgin s, Exec. Director, Ct. Trust for Historic Preservation

NOV. 18 - History and the Web Who Own s Digital History? Whats Web 2.0
All Student s Read:
Herminia Din and Phyllis Hecht, Preparing the Next Generation of Museum Professionals, in Din and Hecht, eds., The Digital

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Museum: A Think Guide (Washington , 2007) 9-18. Matthew MacArthur, Can Museums Ever Allow Online Users to Become Participants, in Din and Hecht, eds., The Digital Museum: A Think Guide (Washington , 2007) 57-65. Deborah Seid Howes, Why the Internet Matters: A Museum Educators Perspective, in Din and Hecht, eds., The Digital Museum: A Think Guide (Washington , 2007) 67-78. Read and Watch Nina Simon, Museum 2.0 , http://museumtwo.blogspot.com/2006/12/what-is-museum20.html

Guest Experts: Anne Farrow, Mana gin g Editor ECH O (Ency clopedia of Connecticut History Online) and Scott Wand s, Editor, Heritage Resource Center, Connecticut Humanities Council, Brett Thomp son, IT Mana g er, Connecticut Humanities Council

NOV. 25 THA N K S G I V I N G BR E A K NO CLA S S WED. DEC. 2 - Service Learning Presentation s WED. DEC. 9 - Service Learning Presentation s DEC. 14-19 FINAL S WEE K

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