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<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" media="screen" href="/~d/styles/atom10full.xsl"?><?xml-stylesheet type="text/css" media="screen" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~d/styles/itemcontent.css"?><feed xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:openSearch="http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearch/1.1/" xmlns:georss="http://www.georss.org/georss" xmlns:gd="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005" xmlns:thr="http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0" xmlns:feedburner="http://rssnamespace.org/feedburner/ext/1.0" gd:etag="W/&quot;DUUER3k9cSp7ImA9WhRVE0U.&quot;"><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413859679785421437</id><updated>2012-01-12T11:53:26.769-05:00</updated><category term="Minds-on" /><category term="quality" /><category term="Roleplaying" /><category term="Storytelling" /><category term="beauty" /><category term="Museum Theatre" /><category term="Hands-on" /><title>Live Interpretation</title><subtitle type="html">Live Interpretation is all about living history, museum theatre, tours, roving interpretation and any other form of person-to-person interpretation.</subtitle><link rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://live-interpretation.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default" /><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://live-interpretation.blogspot.com/" /><author><name>Dale Jones</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11181940613798668092</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" width="32" height="24" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yqyyuOp3yLc/S5hKmYB2gCI/AAAAAAAAAAM/-E6PAOmXuZE/S220/P1000098.JPG" /></author><generator version="7.00" uri="http://www.blogger.com">Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>4</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>25</openSearch:itemsPerPage><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/LiveInterpretation" /><feedburner:info uri="liveinterpretation" /><atom10:link xmlns:atom10="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" rel="hub" href="http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/" /><feedburner:emailServiceId>LiveInterpretation</feedburner:emailServiceId><feedburner:feedburnerHostname>http://feedburner.google.com</feedburner:feedburnerHostname><entry gd:etag="W/&quot;AkcEQ3w5fCp7ImA9Wx9RGEs.&quot;"><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413859679785421437.post-5897938711273896376</id><published>2010-12-20T13:00:00.000-05:00</published><updated>2010-12-20T13:00:02.224-05:00</updated><app:edited xmlns:app="http://www.w3.org/2007/app">2010-12-20T13:00:02.224-05:00</app:edited><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="quality" /><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Museum Theatre" /><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="beauty" /><title>Thinking about Quality</title><content type="html">As I look back at the past year, one key thought regarding interpretation keeps bubbling to the surface -- the importance of &lt;b&gt;&lt;i&gt;quality &lt;/i&gt;&lt;/b&gt;in interpretation. Quality, however, is a subject we often talk about only indirectly.&amp;nbsp; Over the past several years I have developed and used a rubric for assessing live interpretation -- tours, museum theatre, living history, demonstrations, and floating interpretation.&amp;nbsp; As a last factor I always include overall impressions of the quality of the experience.&amp;nbsp; It's difficult to quantify -- it seems too ephemeral to measure, but it is there -- often in the form of someone "liking" something they have just seen, but being unable to put their finger on what it is that they like.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
I have noticed in my visits to sites that a quality interpretive presentation has the power to override elements of an experience that are not quite so good. A relevant example: A quality presentation can overcome a dreadful script in museum theatre. Several years ago I conducted an evaluation of an exhibition at the Hershey Museum to assess visitors' reactions to their visit. One element was a recreation of a 1930s tour of the factory. I had read the script before I went to Hershey, and it was without a doubt one of the most dreadful scripts I have read.&amp;nbsp; When I saw it performed, however, the actress was so charming, so charismatic, that she overcame the script and mesmerized the audiences.&amp;nbsp; When I analyzed the data, I discovered that the performance was indeed the favorite part of the experience for visitors, and that visitors who saw the performance learned much more than those who did not.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
On the other hand, who among us has not been on an historic house tour, with a guide that droned on and on, making us want to flee in desperation an incredibly boring experience. Even thought the house itself may be beautiful, with high quality objects, the lack of quality of the tour guide presentation can override the rest.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Much of this appreciation of quality lies in our appreciation of beauty -- our pleasure in a thing that is well done or constructed.&amp;nbsp; I saw a talk recently on Ted.com by Denis Dutton on the evolutionary basis of appreciation of beauty (see: &lt;i&gt;A Darwinian Theory of Beauty -- &lt;/i&gt;video &lt;a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/denis_dutton_a_darwinian_theory_of_beauty.html"&gt;here;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/a&gt;transcript &lt;a href="http://dotsub.com/view/3bb832a3-9339-4a05-9953-9f26c2ed118a/viewTranscript/eng"&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.) In his talk, which itself is a thing of quality with the addition of animation by Andrew Park, Dutton discusses the beauty of skilled performances: &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: Georgia,&amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,serif;"&gt;...one fundamental trait of the ancestral personality persists in our aesthetic cravings: the beauty we find in skilled performances. From Lascaux to the Louvre to Carnegie Hall, human beings have a permanent innate taste for virtuoso displays in the arts. We find beauty in something done well&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;So it is -- when we see or experience something well done, something of beauty, we enjoy it, we like it, we want to experience it again. &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
And here is my wish for you:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
May your New Year bring you quality in all your endeavors!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Happy Holidays,&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Dale&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6413859679785421437-5897938711273896376?l=live-interpretation.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LiveInterpretation/~4/KnlAUCNDHZo" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://live-interpretation.blogspot.com/feeds/5897938711273896376/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://live-interpretation.blogspot.com/2010/12/thinking-about-quality.html#comment-form" title="7 Comments" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6413859679785421437/posts/default/5897938711273896376?v=2" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6413859679785421437/posts/default/5897938711273896376?v=2" /><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LiveInterpretation/~3/KnlAUCNDHZo/thinking-about-quality.html" title="Thinking about Quality" /><author><name>Dale Jones</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11181940613798668092</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" width="32" height="24" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yqyyuOp3yLc/S5hKmYB2gCI/AAAAAAAAAAM/-E6PAOmXuZE/S220/P1000098.JPG" /></author><thr:total>7</thr:total><feedburner:origLink>http://live-interpretation.blogspot.com/2010/12/thinking-about-quality.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry gd:etag="W/&quot;CkUEQXs4fyp7ImA9Wx5XFEU.&quot;"><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413859679785421437.post-4097636773574932250</id><published>2010-09-14T12:03:00.000-04:00</published><updated>2010-09-14T12:03:20.537-04:00</updated><app:edited xmlns:app="http://www.w3.org/2007/app">2010-09-14T12:03:20.537-04:00</app:edited><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Hands-on" /><title>HANDS-ON ENGAGEMENT</title><content type="html">&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: large;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;HANDS-ON ENGAGEMENT&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;a href="mailto:dalejones@makinghistoryconnections.com"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Dale Jones&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;a href="http://makinghistoryconnections.com/"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;M&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;aking History Connections&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;This is a follow-up to my previous post “&lt;a href="http://live-interpretation.blogspot.com/2010/06/minds-on-engagement-dale-jones-june-16.html"&gt;Minds-on Engagement&lt;/a&gt;.” To summarize briefly, last March, to collect information for a workshop at which I was presenting, I contacted several listservs and asked for examples of successful interpretive strategies that incorporate hands-on or minds-on engagement for use in a space where people are not permitted to touch objects (i.e., an historic house). From across the country, professionals sent examples. Below are their comments on hands-on engagements.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Everyone seems to agree that hands-on engagements, which take many forms, can enhance visitors’ experiences in a variety of ways, some of which are supporting interpretation, providing opportunities for social interaction, helping create long-term memories, and just offering a fun experience.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Overall approach&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;For hands-on to be most effective, several people noted that activities should be relevant to the interpretation and not done just for the sake of using hands-on.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;The approach really makes a difference in the strategy of engaging the object. Do they approach their objects from the perspective of a story, individual personality, manufacture, or just typically how it was used and its place in society?&lt;/i&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Tony Shahan&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Newlin Gristmill&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Using objects&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;How an interpreter utilizes an object can make a huge difference. See below.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Some objects can talk by themselves;&amp;nbsp; for example, if you present the Stanley cup to Canadians, you can write a book on the subject to accompany the display, but, by itself, the presentation of the cup will suffice to trigger our imaginations and conversations. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Likewise, if you put a harpoon or a broad-axe in the hands of a ten year old, this visitor will live a transformative experience, becoming a whaler or a lumberjack, at least in imagination.&amp;nbsp; Other objects will require an explanation that can be academic: how, where, when it was made, using what material, etc…&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;An object can also be presented in an evocative manner: what it meant to the maker, to the owner.&amp;nbsp; The interpreter can also embark upon a dialogue with the object: asking questions to the object or expressing his desire for it.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;An object can be presented in an animistic manner: does it have a soul? If this object could talk&amp;nbsp; what would we learn that has remained hidden for centuries?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Finally, an interpreter in costume, whether he uses the first or third person approach, is irreplaceable: he can provide insight on the relevance, deep meaning of the object and on the life and hopes and dreams of its maker or the one to whom it was destined&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Denis Blais&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Dramamuse&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Canadian Museum of Civilization Corporation&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Gatineau (Québec)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Reproductions&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Often relatively inexpensive replicas or reproductions of objects relevant to the interpretation can be purchased or made by local craftspeople and then used in a variety of ways as indicated below:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;We have wool cards and a spinning wheel in the room, so generally I am carding or something while I talk. The kids are allowed to card and to try the spinning&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Michelle Zupan&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Hickory Hill &amp;amp; the Tom Watson Birthplace&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Thomson, GA&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;We have replicated newspapers and sat out magazines of the era and encourage people to sit down and read them. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;We have a Monopoly game sat up on the dining room table and our guides usually have a game going between tours. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;We have a rotary phone which we encourage people to pick up. When they do, they hear a two sided conversation going on, with a 3rd party trying to interrupt them so she can use the line. Of course dial phones and party lines are completely foreign to kids and many adults today. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;We allow people to open the fridge, check out the stove, walk through the garden, which the local garden club has adopted and keeps it up for us. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;In the kitchen….we have the one touchable item in the house. Since we had a number of irons in our collection, I had our exhibits staff paint one bright reddish/orange(to distinguish it for the others, and to represent heat). I explain that we will now break a rule, and that this bright orange iron is the only thing they may touch in this house. I then hand it to an adult, who passes it on. As they are handing this 7 lb. iron around, I ask them to imagine having to use this to iron clothes--no cool to touch, no handle, no steam, no temperature control. It might be 90 degrees outside, but the coal burning stove would have to be heated, this iron would have to be placed on the hot stove until it was hot enough. Then imagine trying to iron clothes for the master or mistress of the house without scorching or burning the clothes.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;I have a coal shuttle with the same reddish/orange painted on the handle with coal inside. This bucket weighs about 18 lbs, which I caution adults about before they try to pick it up. I then ask them to image having to carry this bucket from room to room, floor to floor as not only the stove, but also the fireplaces all used coal. These two touchable items have been very effective on the tour. And because the visitors are told that these are the only exceptions in these houses, we have never had a problem with people trying to handle artifacts.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Dawn M. Willi&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Lakeshore Museum Center&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Muskegon, MI &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;I've also wanted to have an historically accurate space in one room and then in surrounding rooms each kind of thing (tea service, chairs, lighting etc.) in the historic space would be available to see in multiples and close up and with reproductions....&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Jessica Neuwirth&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Where I could, I placed hands-on objects throughout the house that the docents could use. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Karen Yaffe Lottes&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;We give a brief introduction of the family that lived in the house and try to give them an idea of how long ago this family lived. Then each child gets an object to take with them on the tour. While on the tour of the house they need to figure out in which room their object might have been used, who used it and what it was for. We have a couple of key items that can be touched that are in the house too that the guide can take out and show or pass around.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Rebecca Floyd &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;The Mark Twain House &amp;amp; Museum&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Baskets, boxes, trunks, drawers, haversacks&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Sometimes it is useful to have a container to hold your activities.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;I am currently working on developing a series of backpack education kits for our environmental programs. When we are out on the grounds with the public, the backpack will act like a mobile classroom with the educational props necessary for the lesson but also allow us to do opportunity learning. A similar approach could work with haversacks, strategically positioned trunks, or drawers throughout the house.&amp;nbsp;&lt;/i&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Tony Shahan&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;We have special "touch" baskets in each room with materials that relate to what visitors see in the room.&amp;nbsp; These items can be passed along and discussed.&amp;nbsp; For example, eighteenth-century style playing cards in the parlor, a piece of sailcloth canvas where we have a floorcloth, etc.&amp;nbsp; It has been successful with both adults and children.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;In one of our children's tours, they carry around haversack bags with "mystery" objects in it which we have them open in specific rooms.&amp;nbsp; You could easily adapt something like this for adults too.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Sarah Coster&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Carlyle House Historic Park&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Use an item similar to one on exhibit for "show and tell." Have it with you in a pocket or basket (perhaps a needle-work tool, toy, kitchen gadget). It might be an original from the collection that's a less valuable duplicate or a good reproduction. Draw it out and discuss it, show it up close, compare it to the item on display in the room (and out of reach).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Carol Verbeeck&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;California Bound!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;In the sewing room I provided a basket with sewing cards already created (using knitting needles and cardstock) and visitors can practice a few stitches as seen from a copy of a period sewing book.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Kelly McCartney, Curator&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Historical Society of Frederick County&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Use the bag idea or touching basket idea that others have suggested but add a puzzle or game dimension to encourage social interaction. Have visitors guess the use of a mystery object (e.g. an ice cream fork in the dining room, a wireless curling iron in the bedroom).&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Leslie Goddard&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;There are other ideas like giving visitors an accessories kit of reproductions (think American girl dolls and all their associated stuff that’s almost more compelling than the dolls themselves to kids) that they could take along on a tour and figure out where each thing was used, what for, and let them experience how these things felt and worked...&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Jessica Neuwirth&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Manufacturing or process or activity&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Coordinating the hands-on activity with the process being interpreted can be a great way to get people, especially kids, interested in the process. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;With manufacturing [interpretation] typical strategies are having replicas that can be handled (or sat on), modeling or other manipulatives that connect to construction methods or materials. For example, with blacksmithing you could have wooden mallets, hammer cold modeling clay (it has a similar textural feel to hot metal in working with it), then they learn techniques in safe manner, have a tiny bit of experience and therefore some connection when they go visit the blacksmith&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Tony Shahan&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Journals and Activity Sheets&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;The physical act of writing can involve students in a very simple way. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;We give students journals, printed on cardstock, where students can write about or draw something they see in the room. This is a basic "hands-on" activity that is a good way to start observation and discussion. Sometimes I will vary it by asking students to write a question about the room. I explain that asking questions is a good way to learn about a subject. (I usually use this in our collection of arms and armor, but it could work elsewhere.) I have found that this approach engages their attention. Frequently other students will have the same question. Also, if someone knows the answer to any of the questions, it allows that student to shine. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;You could also ask them to write a few words to describe the space. That naturally leads to a discussion about what they noticed, and what prompted their reactions to what they see.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;We sometimes use Venn diagrams to ask students to compare/contrast two different spaces. In a historic house you could use that to compare, for example, public and private spaces or areas that might be from different historical periods. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;For younger students, we have developed activity sheets that are like a "seek and find" with images that students can find in the room. That makes it a game and everyone (including parents) likes the slightly competitive aspect of trying to find them all. You could create a sheet like this with images to find, plus background information about each object or decoration. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;James Stein&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Museum Educator, Philadelphia Museum of Art&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;A scavenger-hunt list works well with children, too. One challenge with this approach is that kids seem to want to make a timed event out of it, so finding a way to re-direct that energy may be necessary.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Carol Verbeeck&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Students do a “History Hunt” of the permanent exhibit.&amp;nbsp; There are 5 -6 groups of 5 students and a parent with each group.&amp;nbsp; Each student gets a “history hunt” – 81/2 x 11 paper with&amp;nbsp; 6 color photos of something in the exhibit.&amp;nbsp; (There are 6 different history hunts so they are moving in different directions.)&amp;nbsp; When they locate each primary source in the exhibit, they have to “read” the exhibit to discover:&amp;nbsp; What it is, date, how it was used.&amp;nbsp; These are all collected, taken back to school and cut apart to create timelines.&amp;nbsp; From the timelines, students are able to write an historical narrative.&amp;nbsp; Adults have answer keys to the history hunts in order to offer more information and guidance.&amp;nbsp; Teachers also receive a Pre and Post Visit “teacher’s guide”.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Michele Dunham&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Primary Document Reproductions&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Visitors are looking for ways to help them find meaning in their experiences, and incorporating reproduction primary documents is an invaluable way of engaging them.&amp;nbsp; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;[W]e pass out 2 or 3 reader cards and have the students read from their card. These are excerpts from diaries kept by Southern children during and after the Civil War. The kids are asked to interpret what they read - like the importance of a cannonball destroying the smoke house table (Carrie Berry of Atlanta). In the bedroom we do the reader cards again. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;When we go out to the back porch we look at photos of soldiers from Georgia, Army camps, and such, and talk about the life of a soldier, then hear from the man who was born in the house and a reader card from his autobiography on how he saw the life of a soldier as a young 6-7 year old.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Michelle Zupan, Curator&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;The rest of the activities consist of looking at a copy of a advertisement, photo, or receipt from our archives and having the docent engage the visitors in a dialogue.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Kelly McCartney&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Clothing &amp;amp; Costuming&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;The opportunity to try on reproduction period clothing can be fun and valuable for both young and old. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;[We have used] costumes in a non-costumed site. One thing we have done that any historic site could do, is have a costume with all layers made and a mannequin of the same size. This allows us to challenge kids to figure out what order all the layers would go on in, and allow them to tie the ties, button the buttons, etc. without worrying about ruining historic clothing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Trena Winans-Bagnall&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;The house itself – it’s physicality&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;The simple act of encouraging people touch to touch the exterior and relevant parts of the house (that are touchable) is a good strategy.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Call attention to wear marks, careful repairs, etc. that tell visitors how well-used or well-loved an item might have been. Make it personal.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Carol Verbeeck&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Separate space for activity&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Sometimes an historic space is not conducive for an activity but a nearby space allows for relevant activities.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;We have a no touch guided tour that takes about an hour. We have experimented with two kinds of experience that we primarily market to schools and home schools.&amp;nbsp; One -the students still go on a no touch tour that we try to keep shorter. Then we take them to a space where one of our teachers leads them through an activity where they get to see and touch toys, games, books, and clothes that were typical of the time period. We show them pictures of the members of the family and reiterate some of the details form the tour.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;i&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;The other attempt we are making is that since the house is guided it doesn't allow for a lot of interaction within a family that may be on the tour. We have exhibits separate from the house that have places where a family can sit together and read a book, draw, color or play a game related to some aspect of the house or its history.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif; text-align: right;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Rebecca Floyd &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;The value of hands-on activities in engaging visitors, enhancing learning, connecting family and group members, and in helping to create long-term memories has become clear through recent research, confirming what many of you have known for a while. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;This list above is only a beginning of possibilities. Please feel free to add your own thoughts and comments below.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Thanks!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Dale&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;a href="mailto:dalejones@makinghistoryconnections.com"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;dalejones@makinghistoryconnections.com &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Dale Jones&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6413859679785421437-4097636773574932250?l=live-interpretation.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LiveInterpretation/~4/9MBzZu_0gqo" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://live-interpretation.blogspot.com/feeds/4097636773574932250/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://live-interpretation.blogspot.com/2010/09/hands-on-engagement.html#comment-form" title="2 Comments" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6413859679785421437/posts/default/4097636773574932250?v=2" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6413859679785421437/posts/default/4097636773574932250?v=2" /><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LiveInterpretation/~3/9MBzZu_0gqo/hands-on-engagement.html" title="HANDS-ON ENGAGEMENT" /><author><name>Dale Jones</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11181940613798668092</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" width="32" height="24" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yqyyuOp3yLc/S5hKmYB2gCI/AAAAAAAAAAM/-E6PAOmXuZE/S220/P1000098.JPG" /></author><thr:total>2</thr:total><feedburner:origLink>http://live-interpretation.blogspot.com/2010/09/hands-on-engagement.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry gd:etag="W/&quot;D0QHQXo-eSp7ImA9Wx5TEko.&quot;"><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413859679785421437.post-1295095562596852415</id><published>2010-07-27T18:05:00.003-04:00</published><updated>2010-07-27T20:02:10.451-04:00</updated><app:edited xmlns:app="http://www.w3.org/2007/app">2010-07-27T20:02:10.451-04:00</app:edited><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Storytelling" /><title>Great Live Interpretation at ALHFAM</title><content type="html">&lt;div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;Last month I was at Old Sturbridge attending the 2010 ALHFAM (Association for Living History, Farms, and Agricultural Museums) conference.&amp;nbsp; While there I was privileged to see a truly great example of live interpretation done by a master of the trade – Jim O'Brien. Jim, who is Coordinator of Special Events at Old Sturbridge Village, presented “Tales of a Yankee Peddler” and told stories about his encounters while traveling. It was an engaging, fun way to present stories and information about the time period of 1830s Massachusetts. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;" /&gt;&lt;br style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;" /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;Jim incorporated many interpretive techniques, but some of the ones that shone were:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;ul style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Movement: Jim’s use of movement made his presentation visually interesting – bouncing and rocking in his chair to simulate riding on a stage coach; leaning forward to stress a point; standing for emphasis; and using hand movements effectively.&amp;nbsp; He used movement vertically and horizontally and also provided almost pantomimed actions that supported his story. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Stories:&amp;nbsp; His presentation unfolded through short, well-told stories. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Historical plausibility and authenticity:&amp;nbsp; Jim’s background research on peddlers was apparent through the stories that he crafted in historically plausible ways – they were excellent extrapolations of solid research. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Expressive voice: He used variation in volume – loud when necessary contrasted with soft and quiet; his expressiveness in both his character and in character’s voices that he created was engaging; pacing – parts of the stories were fast, others slow.&amp;nbsp; All of those combined to create interesting stories that were enjoyable to hear. &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Audience involvement: Jim directed attention to specific people in the audience with comments and questions and let the whole audience feel involved by doing that.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;Practice: Jim’s presentation – his stories, voice, and physicality had clearly been done before – perhaps not scripted, but well-practiced.&amp;nbsp; &amp;nbsp;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;br style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;" /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;There were other factors contributing to Jim’s success including&amp;nbsp; accurate clothing and a peddler’s box of reproductions that he could refer to and use, but it was Jim’s skill that pulled it all together into a great bit of live interpretation.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;span style="font-size: small;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Trebuchet MS&amp;quot;,sans-serif;"&gt;ALHFAM is a wonderful organization of dedicated professionals. For more information, visit ALHFAM at&amp;nbsp;&lt;a href="http://www.alhfam.org/"&gt;alhfam.org&lt;/a&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6413859679785421437-1295095562596852415?l=live-interpretation.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LiveInterpretation/~4/ypE8IG1i9L0" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://live-interpretation.blogspot.com/feeds/1295095562596852415/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://live-interpretation.blogspot.com/2010/07/great-live-interpretation-at-alhfam.html#comment-form" title="1 Comments" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6413859679785421437/posts/default/1295095562596852415?v=2" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6413859679785421437/posts/default/1295095562596852415?v=2" /><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LiveInterpretation/~3/ypE8IG1i9L0/great-live-interpretation-at-alhfam.html" title="Great Live Interpretation at ALHFAM" /><author><name>Dale Jones</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11181940613798668092</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" width="32" height="24" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yqyyuOp3yLc/S5hKmYB2gCI/AAAAAAAAAAM/-E6PAOmXuZE/S220/P1000098.JPG" /></author><thr:total>1</thr:total><feedburner:origLink>http://live-interpretation.blogspot.com/2010/07/great-live-interpretation-at-alhfam.html</feedburner:origLink></entry><entry gd:etag="W/&quot;DU4MSX4yeyp7ImA9WxFUEk4.&quot;"><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6413859679785421437.post-2951523238148338160</id><published>2010-06-16T22:39:00.021-04:00</published><updated>2010-06-22T16:19:48.093-04:00</updated><app:edited xmlns:app="http://www.w3.org/2007/app">2010-06-22T16:19:48.093-04:00</app:edited><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Museum Theatre" /><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Minds-on" /><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Storytelling" /><category scheme="http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#" term="Roleplaying" /><title /><content type="html">&lt;div style="text-align: center;"&gt;&lt;span style="font-size: x-large;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;MINDS-ON ENGAGEMENT&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Last March, to collect information for a workshop at which I was presenting, I contacted several listservs and asked for examples of successful interpretive strategies that incorporate hands-on or minds-on engagement for use in a space where people are not permitted to touch objects (i.e,  an historic house). From across the country, professionals sent examples.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Responses were practical and thoughtful, and I organized them into the categories below. I also looked up sources people mentioned and found relevant comments in listserv archives and in a few blogs. Responses fell into four broad categories:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
•    Minds-on engagement&lt;br /&gt;
•    Hands-on activities&lt;br /&gt;
•    Personal connections&lt;br /&gt;
•    Overall approaches&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Tony Shahan from Newlin Gristmill in Pennsylvania framed the conversation with his comment about engaging visitors, relevancy and connections:&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;blockquote&gt;Activities should match the themes  – a natural connection or flow. I always feel the key is to make relevant connections not just keep hands or minds busy.&lt;/blockquote&gt;With that in mind, below  are engagement strategies.&amp;nbsp; I'll post “Minds-on Engagement” first followed by “Hands-on” in my next posting, although often the line differentiating the two is blurred.  The contributor’s name follows the comments.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;MINDS-ON ENGAGEMENTS&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Everyone seems to agree that using hands-on activities can be an effective way to engage visitors.  Other times there just is no way to do that either because of space or budget limitations to buy suitable reproductions. But in all visitor encounters, there is the opportunity to engage them mentally.  The strategies below for engaging visitors rely on activities or approaches that don’t involve handling or touching objects.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Storytelling&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A well-told, relevant story is one of the most successful ways to engage visitors, as noted below.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;blockquote&gt;Use storytelling techniques to make the "stuff" come alive for visitors -- anecdotes about an item, the person that used it, etc. Transform it from a "thing" to a story.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Carol Verbeeck&lt;br /&gt;
California Bound!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;They do a typical tour of the farmhouse – storytelling skills are what keep them engaged. It is about the people and asking the questions to engage the students in thinking like a historian.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Michele Dunham&lt;br /&gt;
Rochester Hills Museum at Van Hoosen Farm&lt;b&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;b&gt;Roleplaying&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Roleplaying can be done in a variety of ways to help put visitors in the mindset of someone living in another time or culture.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;blockquote&gt;One of the most engaging historic house museums tours I have been on was at the James J. Hill House in St. Paul, Minnesota.  This brilliant tour placed visitors in the role of potential servants.  We were toured through the house, which has very few artifacts if any (the tour was awhile ago, I can't remember all the details) and our possible duties in each room were described.  It helped that this tour was well researched and designed and the staff involved in the tour were talented and well trained.  It really was incredible!&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Lisa Craig Brisson&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
A role playing activity can be great and pull the whole story, object, and experience together or can be a play acting time without real purpose that distracts from your interpretive themes.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Tony Shahan&lt;br /&gt;
Newlin Gristmill&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: left;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Questions/Dialogue&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Engaging the audience by asking or responding to questions or facilitating conversation can lead to a great experience and engage visitors mentally. Unfortunately, not responding to visitors or failing to vary a presentation, as is noted in a couple responses below, can lead to a really bad tour experience.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;blockquote&gt;With children, I like to ask lots of questions about what they see, rather than the usual "This is a _______" approach. Instead, "What could you use to _________?" "How is it different from what you use today to ________?"&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Carol Verbeeck&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;I might ask older students what are some reasons to have a period room inside an art museum? You could similarly ask your audiences what are some reasons to preserve a historic structure? That makes people think about why they're there in the first place. You could also ask what did they learn from seeing the real thing that they wouldn't have learned from reading about it or seeing it online, which makes a slightly different point.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;James Stein&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Museum Educator, Philadelphia Museum of Art&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;As we conduct tours, we try to help our guests get into the history by asking them to compare their lives to how the family lived in 1890.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Dawn M. Willi&lt;br /&gt;
Lakeshore Museum Center, MI &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: left;"&gt;Tours are boring when one has to stand through a routine, with no real personal interaction. We have to laugh at the right time, or be awed, or surprised, on cue. Often, when I have a special interest, it won't be addressed because either a) the interpreter doesn't have the information; b) there isn't time, they can't stop long enough to deal with special interests and still keep on time with the other tours going on, or c) they simply don't care, so don't ask for questions."&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Donna Nortman&lt;br /&gt;
from Linda Norris May 2, 2008 blog&lt;br /&gt;
The Uncataloged Museum&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;Most recently I toured several historic houses with some good friends who are not in the field. We selected homes of great interest to us -- either for the architectural design or the significance of its residents and the roles they played in history. In each situation -- I was embarrassed by the quality of the information shared and the manner of delivery. On a number of occasions, it was clear that among the visitors on these tours, some were more informed or as informed as the volunteer tour guides. However, the guides did not encourage discussion or exchange of ideas. Rather, they controlled information and ensured that theirs was the only voice heard. In addition, there was a lot of focus on material cultural and not ideas. I came away from each experience disappointed and our group of travelers would have lively follow-up discussions based upon our "interpretation" of what we saw and how it connected to our prior research on related topics."&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Marianne Bez&lt;br /&gt;
from Linda Norris May 2, 2008 blog&lt;br /&gt;
The Uncataloged Museum&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: left;"&gt;Not a single place where the guide asked us if we had any questions. Not one!&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Linda Norris, Harder to Do--Guided Tour or Exhibit?&lt;br /&gt;
Sunday, January 3, 2010&lt;br /&gt;
The Uncataloged Museum&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: left;"&gt;&lt;b&gt;Imagination&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;Oftentimes finding ways to stimulate visitors’ powers of imagination is one of the best ways to engage them.  I have found that visitors can have their imagination piqued and become more immersed in the experience just by asking them to close their eyes and imagine an activity or event.  Like storytelling, you want to use evocative language. In the bedroom, we have all of the lady's under garments laid out on the bed with her dress hanging in the wardrobe. I'll ask the women on tour to imagine having to wear all of these clothes, even in the summer heat. Since our houses are not air conditioned, this is especially effective when it is hot outside.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Dawn M. Willi&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Incorporate senses&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
A great way to engage is to use the senses of touch, smell, taste, and sound. It can be quite simple – spices, scents, a recording of music the people would have listened to – but it should be relevant to the interpretation.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;blockquote&gt;Incorporate senses -- just focus on senses other than touch. Have visitors sing a period song around the piano -- (something simple like “Bicycle Built for Two” is easy). They could even try to guess the tune from some sheet music before you play a snippet on an unobtrusive CD player.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Leslie Goddard&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;We have a Depression Era radio which we've gutted and refit with an IPod so that it plays soap operas and radio shows from the 30's, which people will often sit and listen to. It has been a huge success.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Dawn M. Willi&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;The kids are then invited (with the teacher's permission) to try a piece of homemade hardtack (we get a predictably mixed reaction from that).&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Michelle Zupan, Curator&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Hickory Hill; the Tom Watson Birthplace&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Thomson, GA 30824&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Activities in room&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Sometimes a simple activity is a great way to connect with audiences. Below are activities that can occur within a room or space in which objects cannot be handled.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;blockquote&gt;In the front parlor we discuss common parlor games and include laminated cards of such games that visitors could try right there. In the dining room there are laminated illustrations of silverware and visitors can practice “setting” the table because there are no artifacts on the table.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Kelly McCartney&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Historical Society of Frederick County&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;Another surprisingly effective and simple activity is that we typed up a variety of rules about manners at the table and put each rule on a separate card. We pass them out to kids and have them go around and read them. To make this work really well, it helps to act out bad manners a bit and discuss why they might have had those rules. They love it!! I am amazed how many kids come back years later for day camps and remember specific rules from that simple activity.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Trena Winans-Bagnall&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Midland County Historical Society&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;• Play a parlor game (pick a verbal game).&lt;br /&gt;
• Act out period good manners and bad manners.&lt;br /&gt;
• Play "I Spy" with an object, trying to find its historic counterpart in the room.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
These types of activities are often presented as "kids" activities, which always strikes me as so unfortunate. Adults frequently enjoy them even more than the kids and prefer them over the hands-off, didactic lecture approach. When incorporating hands-on, sense-activating activities, you give visitors more than just information, you give them the feeling of the period. And that contextual and sensory information helps anyone enter into the history more emotionally.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Leslie Goddard&lt;/div&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;In each room, they “play” Same and Different – comparing their houses with this house.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;In the kitchen, there is a wooden dough box that houses 26 artifacts, one for each letter of the alphabet and these are used to tell the story of how Joshua Van Hoosen lived on the farm. Although the students are not able to touch these artifacts, they do get to “role play” when the girls put on aprons (letter A) and the boys bandanas (letter B). They stretch with a rhyming activity halfway through the alphabet.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;The group is divided into 5 small groups and they rotate through the house (very tight space!) and sometimes outside in nice weather, to do their chores-carding wool, weaving, stuffing a mattress with newspapers, carrying water with wooden buckets and yoke, doing laundry with washboards. We do not use water for any of these – make believe only. When I do smaller camp groups, we actually use water outside. They make butter in the kitchen and move upstairs for an economic role-play called “I Need a Pair of Socks”.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;blockquote&gt;The key is active engagement and imagination.&lt;/blockquote&gt;&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Michele Dunham&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
The interpretive angle we take is the Civil War Through a Child's Eyes. The cabin is 3 rooms, so we start in the main room and brainstorm about what the room was used for and how that compares to today.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;div style="text-align: right;"&gt;Michelle Zupan&lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Humor&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Interpreters often forget the value of humor – humor that is relevant and appropriate of course. One of the participants in the workshop pointed out how effectively that the guide’s description of why they could not touch anything was both effective and funny. While none of the listserv respondents mentioned humor, in visitor studies I have conducted, visitors often mention humor as one of the reasons they enjoyed an interpreter or tour guide.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;b&gt;Museum Theatre&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
While there were no responses on museum theatre, I have to say that when done well, it is an incredibly effective way of engaging your visitor. I have used it in one form or another for over 25 years ranging from one person to mult-actor shows, covering a wide range of time periods and topics for tens of thousands of visitors. I could go on for hours about its power and effectiveness, but I’ll do that another time. In the interim read about my recent keynote at the Connecticut League of History Organizations on &lt;a href="http://www.ctculture.org/chc/program_resources/hrc/public/tips-for-doing-great-museum-th.html"&gt;&lt;i&gt;Tips for Doing Great Museum Theatre&lt;/i&gt;&lt;/a&gt;.&amp;nbsp; &lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Next post I'll share information on "Hands-on Engagement" that I received.&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Thanks!&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;br /&gt;
Dale&lt;br /&gt;
&lt;a href="mailto:dalejones@makinghistoryconnections.com%20"&gt;dalejones@makinghistoryconnections.com &lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;
Dale Jones, June 16, 2010&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/6413859679785421437-2951523238148338160?l=live-interpretation.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/LiveInterpretation/~4/NyBL3r1ujAY" height="1" width="1"/&gt;</content><link rel="replies" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://live-interpretation.blogspot.com/feeds/2951523238148338160/comments/default" title="Post Comments" /><link rel="replies" type="text/html" href="http://live-interpretation.blogspot.com/2010/06/minds-on-engagement-dale-jones-june-16.html#comment-form" title="4 Comments" /><link rel="edit" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6413859679785421437/posts/default/2951523238148338160?v=2" /><link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://www.blogger.com/feeds/6413859679785421437/posts/default/2951523238148338160?v=2" /><link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/LiveInterpretation/~3/NyBL3r1ujAY/minds-on-engagement-dale-jones-june-16.html" title="" /><author><name>Dale Jones</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/11181940613798668092</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel="http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail" width="32" height="24" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_yqyyuOp3yLc/S5hKmYB2gCI/AAAAAAAAAAM/-E6PAOmXuZE/S220/P1000098.JPG" /></author><thr:total>4</thr:total><feedburner:origLink>http://live-interpretation.blogspot.com/2010/06/minds-on-engagement-dale-jones-june-16.html</feedburner:origLink></entry></feed>

