Process for Students

The Virginia History Museum has requested that you curate an exhibit of Famous Virginians and their role in the founding of our country.

You will be working in a team to create this display. Three different museum jobs are curator, archivist, and museum technician. Curators, archivists, and technicians work together to describe, analyze, and exhibit valuable objects and collections. Another aspect of their job is to plan the display and provide educational information about the exhibit to the public.

You will do research to find biographical information. You and your team will look at primary and secondary sources to come up with a museum exhibit telling how your famous Virginian was important in the creation of our nation.

Step 1: Choose the person you will research.

1. Click on your person's name to find American Memory/Library of Congress and other internet resources.
   Do background research on your person.

   George Washington	Thomas Jefferson	James Madison
   George Mason	Patrick Henry	Martha Washington

   
   
2. You will be entering your information onto a research grid. Decide together how to complete the research grid.(Alternate questions, work together, etc.)

Step 2: Choose a visual image

1. Each of you will choose a visual image from the collection archives.

2. Use the image questionnaire to evaluate the primary source you have chosen.

Step 3: Creating your exhibit

1. Use your research and image archive to develop a multimedia exhibit to be presented to other 4th grade museum visitors.

2. You must include the following slides:

   • Birth, education, family life

   • Important jobs or positions

   • Role in founding the country

   • Famous documents or speeches

   • Why do you think this person is important?

   • Bibliography

   • Credits

3. Each slide must contain text and an object to view as part of the exhibit.

4. You may draw, use portraits from the grid or select other relevant pictures from your research to include on the slides.

5. Check your work against the rubrics for presentation and evaluation.

Step 4: Present and display your exhibit to other fourth grade museum viewers.
Follow this presentation tip sheet to help you practice for the museum tour.