Description
For this assignment, you will curate a museum exhibit that focuses on the history of Latin America and
addresses relevant content from the course. Think about museum exhibits you have attended. They usually consist of
a series of artifacts and short explanations that contextualize the artifacts for the visitor. This is exactly what you are
expected to do for your final assignment. Think about the main themes covered in class and use your creativity to
select the artifacts. Your museum exhibit will consist of four main parts, each one corresponding to the four thematic
units of the course (see A below). For each theme or part, you should provide the historical background of the period
(see B below). Besides the background, you should identify 2 artifacts that illustrate each period (see C below). In
addition, you should justify your artifact choice by explaining why you think the artifact is representative of the
period (see D below).
General instructions
A- Thematic units – Your exhibit will be organized in four parts. Each part will correspond to the thematic units
discussed in the course:
✓ Original inhabitants and Conquest
✓ Africans and Slavery and colonial institutions
✓ Peasants and the Neocolonial order
✓ Women and Nationalism and revolution
B- Background – For each thematic unit, you need to provide the history of the period. This section should
discuss the historical processes that serve as background to the artifacts you have chosen.
C- Artifacts – Your exhibit will have a total of 8 artifacts, 2 for each thematic unit. You should include an image
of the artifact. Artifacts can be anything that represents or illustrates aspects of the period examined in the
unit. For example, it could be a painting, a song, a poem, a photograph, a material good, a cartoon, an
individual, a food, a commodity, a crop, a group of people, or anything that comes to mind.
D- Justification – Finally, you should explain why and how you think the artifacts are representative of the
the period under examination.
Format and additional important information
1- Sources
a. For this assignment you should use two different types of outside sources. For the historical context
of each unit, you should find any history book of the period and use its information. For example,
you can use the Encyclopedia of Latin American History and Culture by Jay Kinsbruner or A
Companion to Latin American History by Thomas Holloway
b. For the artifacts, you should rely on reliable internet sources. Any source is fine, and you can use
images from the recorded lectures
2- Bibliography – Please include a bibliography at the end of the document. Any citation style is fine.
3- Length – Ideally, each thematic unit should be around 750 words long.
Even though it says the suggested 750 words as the length for each part/unit, you do not need to stick to that number. Just make sure you present the historical background and clear justifications for your artifact choices.
