Activity 2
Archeologists
Summary
Children take the role of archeologist. They are encouraged to come up with stories about the historic context, based on historic pieces that were found.
Goal
Set the stage for storytelling activities. Activate the children’s imagination.
Preparation
Gather images of object or places from your historic context. These can be actual images, or fabricated. Make sure they are detailed, but that it is not immediately apparent what it is. Put the images up on the wall.
Method
Assemble the children around the wall of images and introduce them to the activity. For now, they will be archaeologists who have to come up with stories about objects. You want them to imagine how things were used, by who, why, etc.
Let every child choose a scene in an image. Give them a minute to look at the image and think about their story. Give them some questions for direction: What is it/what is happening? what happened before? What happens after
Let the children explain the scene they selected from their imagination, one by one.
When appropriate, ask questions: Who is this used by? What is it? why was it made? Is it dangerous? How expensive is it? etc.
Each story should take about 2 minutes.
Tips and tricks
Keep a clear focus on storytelling. Ask the children to think about specific people and specific events.
If you don’t have access to any images that work for this exercise, consider using AI image generation software in order to develop the images. We used chat.openai.com for the example images, with the prompts included.
Example material
AI prompt: an old photograph of a worker in the industrial revolution holding a mundane object that she uses to entertain herself.
AI prompt: an old photograph of a worker in the industrial revolution holding a mundane object that he uses inside his house. The object's function is unclear, but it looks simple.
What can you expect from this method?
Storytelling Creativity: Observing how children interpret and elaborate on the images provided can give designers insight into the imaginative storytelling abilities of the target audience. This can inform the development of storytelling elements within the exhibition, such as audiovisual presentations or interactive narratives.
Engagement with Objects: The activity prompts children to consider the use, significance, and cultural context of historical objects depicted in the images. Designers can observe how children engage with these objects imaginatively, which can inform the design of interactive exhibits that encourage exploration and inquiry into historical artefacts within the exhibition.
Critical Thinking and Questioning: Through the questions posed by both the facilitator and the children themselves, designers can assess the level of critical thinking and curiosity stimulated by the activity. Insights into the types of questions raised and the depth of analysis applied to the images can guide the development of interactive elements that encourage visitors to critically engage with exhibition content.