Activity: Object Investigation

This series of questions can be used to examine and explore the many different ways that we can think about and understand objects in relation to history and culture. These questions can help us make sense of the information that we might find in a museum label or a historical source.  

1. Consider the materials and construction.

• What is the object made of?
• When was it made? How was it made? Who made it?
• Where did the materials come from? Did the maker need to have special training or knowledge?

2. How did the object connect to people?

• What role did the object play in people’s lives?
• Who used it? When? Why?
• What did the object mean to different people? How or why was its meaning different to different groups?
• Who might this have been made for? Why?

3. Consider multiple meanings.

• What ideas or values are symbolized by the object?
• What emotions might be conveyed by using or keeping the object?
• Would it mean something different to a person who didn’t make it?

4. Consider the object’s place in time.

• What place does this object have in history?
• What can the object tell us about that time-period?
• How can something from the past inform the present?