# Museum Visit

Part of the Indian Lore Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/indian-lore/guide/index.md)

*5. Choose Your Experience*

> **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:

- Which nation or region is this object connected to?
- What material is it made from?
- About how big is it?
- What shape stands out right away?
- What was it used for: food, travel, clothing, ceremony, storage, play, or art?
- What does it suggest about daily life or environment?

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.](https://ik.imagekit.io/doulacoop/tr:w-800/mbu-assets/merit-badges/indian-lore/guide/museum-artifact-observation-grid?v=ec34f11d)

**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.

> **Tip**
>
> Try to write one observation that goes beyond the label. For example: "This basket was made for carrying food, and the tight weave suggests it had to hold small seeds without spilling." That kind of statement shows real thinking.

> **Be Prepared! If you choose a virtual museum visit**
>
> Before you start:
>
> - **Open a notebook or digital note sheet** so you can record artifact details immediately.
> - **Choose two exhibit sections first** instead of jumping around randomly.
> - **Zoom in on labels and object photos** to catch material, size, and nation details.
> - **Take your time.** A virtual visit still counts as a real visit when you observe carefully.

Video: [The Witness Blanket: Weaving Together Healing and History — Spotlight Features](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67sP4EvEhyU)

[Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian](https://americanindian.si.edu/): 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.

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- Previous: [Choose Your Experience](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/indian-lore/guide/req5/index.md)
- Next: [Contemporary Gathering](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/indian-lore/guide/req5b/index.md)