Choose any of these museums:
California Science Center
La Brea Tar Pits and Museum
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Write
a 5-page paper (typed, double-spaced) about one or more of the exhibits that have
a California theme. The paper should describe the content, subject matter, and
formal qualities of the exhibit. More importantly, evaluate the
exhibit critically. Fashion any critical thesis, if need be, but typical questions to address might be: What are the exhibit’s aims? Does it
express a point of view? Is it educational? How informative is it? What is its overall
significance?
Do research on the exhibits before and after visiting
the museum, to get the most out of the visit and to add context and depth to
the critical essay. Include reference to NO LESS than 5 scholarly
sources.
The essay should be crafted as an essay with an introduction, thesis,
body of supportive evidence and a conclusion. Be sure to cite all sources used.
The Chicago Manual of Style Author-Date system is most common in cultural
geography, so please use that. Title and Sources pages do not count as part of the 5 pages.
A good paper must have:
1. An introduction: The first paragraph or two should
introduce the essay in a no-nonsense, meaningful way. ***Beware of the fatuous
first sentence! ***
2. Thesis statement: There should be a clear thesis
statement within the introduction.
3. Body: The body of the paper should be logically organized
and provide evidence to support the thesis.
4. Objectivity: Avoid speaking as yourself, asserting
personal opinions, drawing from personal background experiences, etc. Write in
the third person. Use facts and precise, detailed observations from your museum
visit and research to make an argument.
5. Good Grammar/punctuation: The paper should be
grammatically correct and free of punctuation and spelling errors
