Read object evidence carefully
See this course’s project requirements
A six-object exhibition storyboard with an interpretive question, evidence notes, original labels, an accessible reading order, and a revision log.
Keep your working files in your own notebook or software. Save a private description, checklist, and work link in My Proof.
What to include
- A visitor brief with title, question, scope and intended experience.
- An evidence ledger for the collection with special notes on uncertain provenance.
- A six-object selection matrix with section, role, evidence and exclusion notes.
- Six original object labels with identifiers, concise interpretation and evidence limits.
- A six-object storyboard with headings, descriptions and a complete text reading version.
- A complete exhibition packet with corrected labels, rights note and revision evidence.
Review and revise
Use these criteria to check your work and choose what to improve.
- Every required section is present and traceable to the supplied case facts.
- Decisions separate known facts, assumptions, and unresolved questions.
- Records, calculations, and instructions agree with each other and the stated rules.
- The final revision addresses a changed case and explains what someone should do next.
Want more background?
The idea in everyday life
Original fictional North Quay collection cards: O1 weekly school timetable, 1980, printed by North Quay School, weekday subject grid; no individual owner recorded. O2 paper bus pass, 1992, Route 4 printed on it; holder and actual trips unknown. O3 cloth pencil case, 2001 in a donor note, visible stitched repair; note says used at college, but that claim is unverified. O4 three handwritten Spanish-verb revision cards, 2010 in the collection register; writer unknown. O5 printed calendar, 2024, fictional contributor Mina’s record: Tuesday work shift 17:00–21:00 and Wednesday seminar 10:00; permission for this invented text is included. O6 study-group note, 2016 in the register: “Bring chapter 3 notes”; author and group members unknown. O7 decorative vase, 1970 in the register, no recorded connection to learning. O8 unmarked key, date and use unknown. All descriptions and records are invented for this course; no real collection images are needed. Focus on O2 and O3. For this exercise use three evidence labels: Observed for a feature explicitly described on the object card, Recorded for a register or donor statement, Unknown for information not supplied. A recorded claim may still be unverified.
An object record can contain different levels of certainty.
Read object evidence carefully — guided practice
Distinguish visible features, recorded claims and unknown history.
Use a text editor, a free document editor, or paper. Start from the following fictional records; they reset this lesson even if your earlier answer differed. Original fictional North Quay collection cards: O1 weekly school timetable, 1980, printed by North Quay School, weekday subject grid; no individual owner recorded. O2 paper bus pass, 1992, Route 4 printed on it; holder and actual trips unknown. O3 cloth pencil case, 2001 in a donor note, visible stitched repair; note says used at college, but that claim is unverified. O4 three handwritten Spanish-verb revision cards, 2010 in the collection register; writer unknown. O5 printed calendar, 2024, fictional contributor Mina’s record: Tuesday work shift 17:00–21:00 and Wednesday seminar 10:00; permission for this invented text is included. O6 study-group note, 2016 in the register: “Bring chapter 3 notes”; author and group members unknown. O7 decorative vase, 1970 in the register, no recorded connection to learning. O8 unmarked key, date and use unknown. All descriptions and records are invented for this course; no real collection images are needed. Focus on O2 and O3. For this exercise use three evidence labels: Observed for a feature explicitly described on the object card, Recorded for a register or donor statement, Unknown for information not supplied. A recorded claim may still be unverified.
1. Separate O2 features and history
Classify the printed route and the missing holder.
You should see: Route 4 is Observed; holder is Unknown.
An inscription does not identify an undocumented person.
2. Separate O3 evidence types
Classify stitched repair, note date and college-use claim.
You should see: Repair Observed; 2001 and college use Recorded; college use unverified.
A donor statement is not the same as independently confirmed history.
3. Draft a cautious interpretation
Explain a possible connection while preserving the gap.
You should see: Repair suggests continued use; exact repair reason is unknown.
Interpretation can invite thought without inventing motivation.
4. Create an evidence ledger
List each assertion beside its source and certainty.
You should see: Each sentence is linked to card feature, register, donor note or unknown.
The ledger gives later label editing a reliable reference.
What to finish
An evidence ledger for the collection with special notes on uncertain provenance.
Watch for this
Turning a plausible story about an object’s owner into an established historical fact.
How can I tell I understand it?
Check your result against the worked example, then explain the changed case without using an unstated assumption.
Quick knowledge check
Answer all 3 questions. Get at least 2 right and the lesson completes automatically.
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Pass the check. We’ll save the progress.
Answer all 3 questions above and get at least 2 right. You can review the explanations and try again.
Go to the knowledge checkOptional course overview video · same video as Lesson 1
What's a Curator? | The Art Assignment | PBS Digital Studios
From The Art Assignment. Watch here or open it on YouTube .
Optional course overview. Follow the written steps below at your own pace.Tools, templates, and lesson sources
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Sources and further reading
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Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12
Inspected planning and interpretive design stages; the course is a small text-only storyboard, not a physical exhibit specification.
Access: Public page inspected without an account.
Reuse: Reference link only. Course prose and practice data are original; no third-party text, figures, or templates are reproduced.
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12
Inspected museum discussion of clear, visitor-oriented gallery text.
Access: Public museum article; no account.
Reuse: Reference only; no museum text, object photographs or example labels reproduced.
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12
Inspected accessibility guidance index and interpretive-media considerations. No claim that a text storyboard certifies a physical installation.
Access: Public page inspected without an account.
Reuse: Reference link only. Course prose and practice data are original; no third-party text, figures, or templates are reproduced.
Source & access notes · checked 2026-09-12
Inspected CC0-marked collection assets and rights information; open access does not mean every object has identical rights.
Access: Public museum page; no account needed to read.
Reuse: No collection assets downloaded or copied. All practice object cards and labels are original.
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