Choose Your Experience

Req 5a — Museum Visit

5a.
Visit a museum either in-person or virtually to see American Indian exhibitions and collections. Discuss with your counselor what you observed or learned from two exhibitions and identify 10 artifacts by tribe or nation, their shape, size, and use.

A museum case can look quiet at first glance, but it is full of clues. The shape of a bowl, the weave of a basket, the curve of a canoe paddle, or the design on a shirt can tell you about materials, climate, travel, trade, and ceremony. This requirement is really about learning to observe carefully instead of walking past objects too fast.

What to Look For

Pick two exhibitions or collection areas if possible. As you move through them, slow down and ask the same questions each time:

If you are identifying 10 artifacts, variety helps. A stronger set might include clothing, tools, containers, art, and transportation items rather than ten objects that all serve the same purpose.

Study grid showing four Indigenous artifacts with visible differences in shape, material, and use.

Museum note-taking guide

Use this structure for each artifact you record
  • Artifact name or short description
  • Nation or tribe
  • Shape
  • Approximate size
  • Material
  • Use
  • What you learned from it

In Person or Virtual

An in-person museum gives you scale, texture, and room layout. A virtual exhibit lets you zoom in, revisit objects, and sometimes read more detailed labels. Either way, take notes while you observe. Do not count on memory later.

When you discuss two exhibitions with your counselor, compare them. One exhibit might focus on clothing and identity, while another highlights travel, dwellings, or ceremonial life. That comparison shows you were paying attention to themes, not just collecting artifact names.

The Witness Blanket: Weaving Together Healing and History — Spotlight Features
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian Explore exhibitions, collections, and online resources that can support an in-person or virtual museum visit for this requirement.

After a museum visit, you will probably notice objects more carefully everywhere else too. The other option for this requirement focuses less on artifacts and more on respectful behavior at a living community event.