Welcome to module 2
Learning Objectives
Overview
Module 2 will show students how diverse the museum field is, by introducing the various types of museums that exist around the world as well as describing how those museums are organized internally.
At the end of this lesson students will be able to:
- Describe how a natural history museum is different from an art museum
- Identify four ways museums can be classified
- Name the general divisions of a museum’s organizational structure
lecture THEMES
Types of Museums
Not all museums are the same. Watch this video by instructor Angela Linn to be introduced to a few ways museums can be categorized. (12:35)
Cultural and Heritage Preservation
Josh Reuther discusses the concepts and practices of cultural preservation and heritage conservation in relation to museums. (20:42)
STUDYING BIODIVERSITY – A context for Natural History Museums
Join faculty curator Steffi Ickert-Bond as she explores natural history museum types, and their mission with collections at the core of biodiversity studies, as well as some examples of the rich kinds of information that are captured by natural history museum collections contributing to societal well-being. (14:16)
vocabulary
In module two you’ll learn about many different kinds of museums. If we don’t mention examples of every kind of museum listed here, try to look them up on your own to understand how they differ from one another. This list is not exhaustive but is representative.
- Art Museum
- Anthropology Museum
- Natural History Museum
- University Museum
- Open Air / Living History Museum
- History Museum
- Virtual Museum
- Botanical Garden
- Cultural Center
- Zoo
- Science and Technology Museum
- General Museum
- Children’s Museum
- Aquarium
- Ecomuseum
Activities / Assignments
Reading / Video content
NOTE: This week your required assignments include eight very short videos and several articles so you can get a sense of a wide range of museum types. Don’t be overwhelmed when you look at the list. Each video title shows the length so you can plan the time needed to view each one.
Required:
VIDEO
American Alliance of Museums – The World is Better Because of Museums (2:55)
Alutiiq Museum – Becoming a Center for Living Culture (6:11)
Iceland – The Settlement Exhibition (871 +/- 2) – (3:25)
National Museum of African American History and Culture – Sweet Home Cafe (2:00)
Museum of Science and Industry – Sparking Interest in STEM Careers (3:00)
Beyond the Gardens: The Plant Family Tree (9:07)
Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) – (2:33)
The African Burial Ground Celebrates 20 Years (1:58)
READING
- “Species of Museums: A Museological Bestiary” – K. Latham and J. Simmons (2014)
- “Working in a Small Museum” – J. Klein (2012)
- “Bering Strait Narratives and Collaborative Processes of Exhibit Development in Nome, Alaska” – A. Chan (2020)
- “Goodbye, EMP: Seattle landmark changes name (again) to Museum of Pop Culture” – B. Kiley (2016)
- Circular organizational chart
- Linear organizational chart
Recommended:
- “Herbaria are a major frontier for species discovery” – Bebber et. al. (2010)
- “Exploring Alutiiq Heritage One Word at a Time” – A. Steffian and A. Laktonen Counceller (2020)
- “Inupiat Heritage Center Celebrates 20 years” – S. Oliver (2019)
For Exploration:
Quiz
Log into our course shell in Canvas and go to ‘Quizzes’ on the left side menu.
Take ‘Quiz 2: Vocabulary relating to the types of museums’.
You will have up to three attempts to match the vocabulary and definitions. Click over to Canvas to take quiz 2.
Meet Up
Time to get together! This is optional but highly encouraged. We will meet via Zoom at 12:30-1:30 pm (AKST) on Friday, January 27. The link to the session can be found in this Google Document (you must be part of the class to view the document). If you are unable to join the meeting will be recorded and you will be expected to review the recording prior to writing your discussion post (see below).
Discussion
How is a natural history museum different from other museum types?
- Create a new post on this website and answer this question based on your personal experience. Your post should be roughly 500 words and should include an image. Think about material this week and personal experiences you have had to help illustrate your ideas. Alternately, find a recent news article to share about a museum, what are some of your thoughts relating to the article.
- At the end of your post, include a question for your fellow students to answer.
- Respond to each others’ posts (you will need to respond to/comment on at least two other posts).
- Select “2. Types Discussion” from the list of discussion categories on the right-hand side of your posting window on the dashboard.
Looking Forward
Learning Objectives
Overview
Module 2 will show students how diverse the museum field is, by introducing the various types of museums that exist around the world as well as describing how those museums are organized internally.
At the end of this lesson students will be able to:
- Describe how a natural history museum is different from an art museum
- Identify four ways museums can be classified
- Name the general divisions of a museum’s organizational structure
lecture THEMES
Types of Museums
Not all museums are the same. Watch this video by instructor Angela Linn to be introduced to a few ways museums can be categorized. (12:35)
Cultural and Heritage Preservation
Josh Reuther discusses the concepts and practices of cultural preservation and heritage conservation in relation to museums. (20:42)
STUDYING BIODIVERSITY – A context for Natural History Museums
Join faculty curator Steffi Ickert-Bond as she explores natural history museum types, and their mission with collections at the core of biodiversity studies, as well as some examples of the rich kinds of information that are captured by natural history museum collections contributing to societal well-being. (14:16)
vocabulary
In module two you’ll learn about many different kinds of museums. If we don’t mention examples of every kind of museum listed here, try to look them up on your own to understand how they differ from one another. This list is not exhaustive but is representative.
- Art Museum
- Anthropology Museum
- Natural History Museum
- University Museum
- Open Air / Living History Museum
- History Museum
- Virtual Museum
- Botanical Garden
- Cultural Center
- Zoo
- Science and Technology Museum
- General Museum
- Children’s Museum
- Aquarium
- Ecomuseum
Activities / Assignments
Reading / Video content
NOTE: This week your required assignments include eight very short videos and several articles so you can get a sense of a wide range of museum types. Don’t be overwhelmed when you look at the list. Each video title shows the length so you can plan the time needed to view each one.
Required:
VIDEO
American Alliance of Museums – The World is Better Because of Museums (2:55)
Alutiiq Museum – Becoming a Center for Living Culture (6:11)
Iceland – The Settlement Exhibition (871 +/- 2) – (3:25)
National Museum of African American History and Culture – Sweet Home Cafe (2:00)
Museum of Science and Industry – Sparking Interest in STEM Careers (3:00)
Beyond the Gardens: The Plant Family Tree (9:07)
Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) – (2:33)
The African Burial Ground Celebrates 20 Years (1:58)
READING
- “Species of Museums: A Museological Bestiary” – K. Latham and J. Simmons (2014)
- “Working in a Small Museum” – J. Klein (2012)
- “Bering Strait Narratives and Collaborative Processes of Exhibit Development in Nome, Alaska” – A. Chan (2020)
- “Goodbye, EMP: Seattle landmark changes name (again) to Museum of Pop Culture” – B. Kiley (2016)
- Circular organizational chart
- Linear organizational chart
Recommended:
- “Herbaria are a major frontier for species discovery” – Bebber et. al. (2010)
- “Exploring Alutiiq Heritage One Word at a Time” – A. Steffian and A. Laktonen Counceller (2020)
- “Inupiat Heritage Center Celebrates 20 years” – S. Oliver (2019)
For Exploration:
Quiz
Log into our course shell in Canvas and go to ‘Quizzes’ on the left side menu.
Take ‘Quiz 2: Vocabulary relating to the types of museums’.
You will have up to three attempts to match the vocabulary and definitions. Click over to Canvas to take quiz 2.
Meet Up
Time to get together! This is optional but highly encouraged. We will meet via Zoom at 12:30-1:30 pm (AKST) on Friday, January 27. The link to the session can be found in this Google Document (you must be part of the class to view the document). If you are unable to join the meeting will be recorded and you will be expected to review the recording prior to writing your discussion post (see below).
Discussion
How is a natural history museum different from other museum types?
- Create a new post on this website and answer this question based on your personal experience. Your post should be roughly 500 words and should include an image. Think about material this week and personal experiences you have had to help illustrate your ideas. Alternately, find a recent news article to share about a museum, what are some of your thoughts relating to the article.
- At the end of your post, include a question for your fellow students to answer.
- Respond to each others’ posts (you will need to respond to/comment on at least two other posts).
- Select “2. Types Discussion” from the list of discussion categories on the right-hand side of your posting window on the dashboard.
Looking Forward
Types of Museums
Not all museums are the same. Watch this video by instructor Angela Linn to be introduced to a few ways museums can be categorized. (12:35)
Cultural and Heritage Preservation
Josh Reuther discusses the concepts and practices of cultural preservation and heritage conservation in relation to museums. (20:42)
STUDYING BIODIVERSITY – A context for Natural History Museums
Join faculty curator Steffi Ickert-Bond as she explores natural history museum types, and their mission with collections at the core of biodiversity studies, as well as some examples of the rich kinds of information that are captured by natural history museum collections contributing to societal well-being. (14:16)
vocabulary
In module two you’ll learn about many different kinds of museums. If we don’t mention examples of every kind of museum listed here, try to look them up on your own to understand how they differ from one another. This list is not exhaustive but is representative.
- Art Museum
- Anthropology Museum
- Natural History Museum
- University Museum
- Open Air / Living History Museum
- History Museum
- Virtual Museum
- Botanical Garden
- Cultural Center
- Zoo
- Science and Technology Museum
- General Museum
- Children’s Museum
- Aquarium
- Ecomuseum
Activities / Assignments
Reading / Video content
NOTE: This week your required assignments include eight very short videos and several articles so you can get a sense of a wide range of museum types. Don’t be overwhelmed when you look at the list. Each video title shows the length so you can plan the time needed to view each one.
Required:
VIDEO
American Alliance of Museums – The World is Better Because of Museums (2:55)
Alutiiq Museum – Becoming a Center for Living Culture (6:11)
Iceland – The Settlement Exhibition (871 +/- 2) – (3:25)
National Museum of African American History and Culture – Sweet Home Cafe (2:00)
Museum of Science and Industry – Sparking Interest in STEM Careers (3:00)
Beyond the Gardens: The Plant Family Tree (9:07)
Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) – (2:33)
The African Burial Ground Celebrates 20 Years (1:58)
READING
- “Species of Museums: A Museological Bestiary” – K. Latham and J. Simmons (2014)
- “Working in a Small Museum” – J. Klein (2012)
- “Bering Strait Narratives and Collaborative Processes of Exhibit Development in Nome, Alaska” – A. Chan (2020)
- “Goodbye, EMP: Seattle landmark changes name (again) to Museum of Pop Culture” – B. Kiley (2016)
- Circular organizational chart
- Linear organizational chart
Recommended:
- “Herbaria are a major frontier for species discovery” – Bebber et. al. (2010)
- “Exploring Alutiiq Heritage One Word at a Time” – A. Steffian and A. Laktonen Counceller (2020)
- “Inupiat Heritage Center Celebrates 20 years” – S. Oliver (2019)
For Exploration:
Quiz
Log into our course shell in Canvas and go to ‘Quizzes’ on the left side menu.
Take ‘Quiz 2: Vocabulary relating to the types of museums’.
You will have up to three attempts to match the vocabulary and definitions. Click over to Canvas to take quiz 2.
Meet Up
Time to get together! This is optional but highly encouraged. We will meet via Zoom at 12:30-1:30 pm (AKST) on Friday, January 27. The link to the session can be found in this Google Document (you must be part of the class to view the document). If you are unable to join the meeting will be recorded and you will be expected to review the recording prior to writing your discussion post (see below).
Discussion
How is a natural history museum different from other museum types?
- Create a new post on this website and answer this question based on your personal experience. Your post should be roughly 500 words and should include an image. Think about material this week and personal experiences you have had to help illustrate your ideas. Alternately, find a recent news article to share about a museum, what are some of your thoughts relating to the article.
- At the end of your post, include a question for your fellow students to answer.
- Respond to each others’ posts (you will need to respond to/comment on at least two other posts).
- Select “2. Types Discussion” from the list of discussion categories on the right-hand side of your posting window on the dashboard.
Looking Forward
Reading / Video content
NOTE: This week your required assignments include eight very short videos and several articles so you can get a sense of a wide range of museum types. Don’t be overwhelmed when you look at the list. Each video title shows the length so you can plan the time needed to view each one.
Required:
VIDEO
American Alliance of Museums – The World is Better Because of Museums (2:55)
Alutiiq Museum – Becoming a Center for Living Culture (6:11)
Iceland – The Settlement Exhibition (871 +/- 2) – (3:25)
National Museum of African American History and Culture – Sweet Home Cafe (2:00)
Museum of Science and Industry – Sparking Interest in STEM Careers (3:00)
Beyond the Gardens: The Plant Family Tree (9:07)
Museum of Food and Drink (MOFAD) – (2:33)
The African Burial Ground Celebrates 20 Years (1:58)
READING
- “Species of Museums: A Museological Bestiary” – K. Latham and J. Simmons (2014)
- “Working in a Small Museum” – J. Klein (2012)
- “Bering Strait Narratives and Collaborative Processes of Exhibit Development in Nome, Alaska” – A. Chan (2020)
- “Goodbye, EMP: Seattle landmark changes name (again) to Museum of Pop Culture” – B. Kiley (2016)
- Circular organizational chart
- Linear organizational chart
Recommended:
- “Herbaria are a major frontier for species discovery” – Bebber et. al. (2010)
- “Exploring Alutiiq Heritage One Word at a Time” – A. Steffian and A. Laktonen Counceller (2020)
- “Inupiat Heritage Center Celebrates 20 years” – S. Oliver (2019)
For Exploration:
Quiz
Log into our course shell in Canvas and go to ‘Quizzes’ on the left side menu.
Take ‘Quiz 2: Vocabulary relating to the types of museums’.
You will have up to three attempts to match the vocabulary and definitions. Click over to Canvas to take quiz 2.
Meet Up
Time to get together! This is optional but highly encouraged. We will meet via Zoom at 12:30-1:30 pm (AKST) on Friday, January 27. The link to the session can be found in this Google Document (you must be part of the class to view the document). If you are unable to join the meeting will be recorded and you will be expected to review the recording prior to writing your discussion post (see below).
Discussion
How is a natural history museum different from other museum types?
- Create a new post on this website and answer this question based on your personal experience. Your post should be roughly 500 words and should include an image. Think about material this week and personal experiences you have had to help illustrate your ideas. Alternately, find a recent news article to share about a museum, what are some of your thoughts relating to the article.
- At the end of your post, include a question for your fellow students to answer.
- Respond to each others’ posts (you will need to respond to/comment on at least two other posts).
- Select “2. Types Discussion” from the list of discussion categories on the right-hand side of your posting window on the dashboard.
Next week we’ll learn about the people working in museums who are as dynamic and varied as the museums themselves!
Did you know?
Fun tidbit not to be tested on.
There are more museums in the U.S. than there are Starbucks and McDonald’s combined. – Source
Fun tidbit not to be tested on.
There are more museums in the U.S. than there are Starbucks and McDonald’s combined. – Source
