Learning Objectives

This resource will help educators incorporate material culture into their curriculum through an exploration of the collection of Joseph Allen Skinner. The resource introduces the idea of what a collection is and who Joseph Allen Skinner was as a collector. It will also guide educators in helping their students develop background knowledge and contextualizing a future class visit to the Museum. This resource has five components:

• Learning Resource Overview
  This overview provides: 
  • a brief description of each element of the lesson plan 
  • suggestions for differentiated instruction 
  • materials needed for the lesson plan 
  • list of common core standards met by the lesson
     
• Slide Presentation: Joseph Allen Skinner: The Collector
  This presentation will help the educator:
  • use the slide show to facilitate a classroom discussion
  • adjust questions and content to reflect topics covered in class
     
• Educators’ Guide to the Slide Presentation
  This guide will:
  • provide educators with background information and an image key for each slide
  • suggest guiding questions for each slide to encourage classroom discussion
     
• In-Class Activity: Creating a Classroom Collection
  This activity will have students:
  • ​consider what is important to the group
  • create a collection that represents a significant moment in time that the students experienced together (a day, a year, an event, etc.)
     
• Optional Take-Home Activity: Curating a Personal Collection
  This activity will help students:
  • develop their own ideas on collecting
  • consider what a personal collection says about them