Joseph Allen Skinner: The Collector

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