Museum visit and critical review
This assignment requires that you locate a museum of interest and a particular exhibit of art or artifact.
Research both the exhibit and the museum and write a critical review of 4-5 pages. You may wish to
explore an exhibit that connects to your major field of study and can be used for the other writing
assignments in this course (although this is not required).
Write a 4-5 page critical review of a museum and art exhibit or artifact.
You will submit one working draft and one final draft of this assignment in Canvas.
Cite any sources that you use (5-7 sources required). Include a title page and References page
in APA (American Psychological Association) format.
This assignment offers the opportunity for experiential research at a museum of your choice. You may
choose from the list provided on Canvas or find another museum not on the list, perhaps a museum or
site in your local area. Discuss your ideas with your instructor before proceeding. You might even visit
more than one museum before settling on your final selection.
This writing assignment should be designed as a critical review and not simply a report of facts or listing
of the history of the exhibit. Call on your rhetorical analysis skills (learned in ENGL 101) and determine
context. Why does the exhibit exist in its current form in the museum you have chosen? Would it work
in another museum instead? Who (with what qualifications) was in charge of setting up the exhibit?
Where is the art or artifact from? Who created it? For whom was the artifact intended? Who is the
audience? When was it created? What style or period does it belong to? Why and how does it fit into
the time and culture it represents? Are there vital parts or considerations missing? Are there possible
misrepresentations? Does it make a significant impact in some way?
Conduct research in the NJIT library (online and in person) as well as on the internet to learn all you can
about your topic. See how various professionals view your topic and begin to organize your own claims
for your critical review. Take into consideration the readings and discussions about interdisciplinarity
and multidisciplinarity from class as you explore your topic. How might your exhibit be seen from two
disciplinary lenses? This research work is a vital part of the prewriting process as you shape your outline.
Collect a variety of sources: peer-reviewed journal articles, books and ebooks, Google Scholar sources,
web pages ending in .edu, .gov,.org, white papers, proposals, reports, whatever reliable sources work
for your critical review.
Prewriting for the critical review
Research both before and after your visit to the museum. Include your voice in the critical review. Begin
taking notes, paraphrasing, outlining, mapping visual organization of your critical review. You have
chosen your sources because they support your goals and claims for your written work. Consider how
paraphrases, summaries and quotes can be used to reach those goals. Synthesize your thoughts and
claims with your research. Write out your discussion and explanation of the exhibit and work on how
your discussion and claims can be combined with the research you have collected. Consider how your
This assignment requires that you locate a museum of interest and a particular exhibit of art or artifact.
Research both the exhibit and the museum and write a critical review of 4-5 pages. You may wish to
explore an exhibit that connects to your major field of study and can be used for the other writing
assignments in this course (although this is not required).
Write a 4-5 page critical review of a museum and art exhibit or artifact.
You will submit one working draft and one final draft of this assignment in Canvas.
Cite any sources that you use (5-7 sources required). Include a title page and References page
in APA (American Psychological Association) format.
This assignment offers the opportunity for experiential research at a museum of your choice. You may
choose from the list provided on Canvas or find another museum not on the list, perhaps a museum or
site in your local area. Discuss your ideas with your instructor before proceeding. You might even visit
more than one museum before settling on your final selection.
This writing assignment should be designed as a critical review and not simply a report of facts or listing
of the history of the exhibit. Call on your rhetorical analysis skills (learned in ENGL 101) and determine
context. Why does the exhibit exist in its current form in the museum you have chosen? Would it work
in another museum instead? Who (with what qualifications) was in charge of setting up the exhibit?
Where is the art or artifact from? Who created it? For whom was the artifact intended? Who is the
audience? When was it created? What style or period does it belong to? Why and how does it fit into
the time and culture it represents? Are there vital parts or considerations missing? Are there possible
misrepresentations? Does it make a significant impact in some way?
Conduct research in the NJIT library (online and in person) as well as on the internet to learn all you can
about your topic. See how various professionals view your topic and begin to organize your own claims
for your critical review. Take into consideration the readings and discussions about interdisciplinarity
and multidisciplinarity from class as you explore your topic. How might your exhibit be seen from two
disciplinary lenses? This research work is a vital part of the prewriting process as you shape your outline.
Collect a variety of sources: peer-reviewed journal articles, books and ebooks, Google Scholar sources,
web pages ending in .edu, .gov,.org, white papers, proposals, reports, whatever reliable sources work
for your critical review.
Prewriting for the critical review
Research both before and after your visit to the museum. Include your voice in the critical review. Begin
taking notes, paraphrasing, outlining, mapping visual organization of your critical review. You have
chosen your sources because they support your goals and claims for your written work. Consider how
paraphrases, summaries and quotes can be used to reach those goals. Synthesize your thoughts and
claims with your research. Write out your discussion and explanation of the exhibit and work on how
your discussion and claims can be combined with the research you have collected. Consider how your
audience will receive your critical review. What impact do you want to have on your audience? Read
critical museum reviews for reference.
Drafting the critical review
After carefully considering examples of critical museum reviews, structure and write your first draft.
Follow the format and style of language you have noted in these reviews.
Create a logical flow from one developed paragraph to another. What would your reader want to know
first, second, third, fourth? Consider transitional phrases and other techniques covered in class to
ensure coherence. Consider flow both within and between paragraphs.
If you don’t complete at least one rough draft for each essay, you will not receive a grade for the
essay. On Canvas you need to submit your rough drafts and final drafts for the essays separately.
At the end of the draft include a separate References page using American Psychological Association
(APA) citation style 12-point, Times New Roman, double-spaced.
Our Writing Rubric (on Canvas) will help you shape and revise your writing. Prove your qualifications
(ethos) by presenting your claims and support with well-researched facts, creating a conversation
between your sources, yourself and your audience. Be passionate (pathos) about your topic but not in
emotional language. Be committed to offering the most convincing organization of meaningful details in
your own discussion and from your research.
Your overall effort during drafting and revision, engaging in the writing process, will strengthen your
final essay (and count toward your participation grade).
You will receive written feedback from your instructor to help you revise these drafts. During class you
may be asked to volunteer your essay for whole-class review or peer review. Your final draft should
show evidence of your efforts to revise and engage in the writing process.
Have your draft ready at the beginning of the class on the day it is due. We may work in small groups
and share our essays, or view essays on the board during class time (for those who volunteer to share
their essays with the class). Students are usually grateful (and not too stressed) to receive this help on
their drafts. We will take turns to allow for as many students as possible to benefit from this class review
of their work. We will work through the rubric to determine what you, the writers, need to do to
improve your essays. The writers may request that certain elements of the essay be examined. Grammar
and punctuation errors are not considered much at this stage.
You do not need to commit to everything you write on this first draft, and don’t worry about
grammatical perfection or polish before the final draft. Revision means making changes to your focus,
organization and development to better suit your goals for the essay/article.
Questions in class, by email or in office hours are welcome at any point. Don’t wait until the essay due
date to reveal any problems you are having with writing the essay.
Completing the final draft of the critical review
10% of total grade
critical museum reviews for reference.
Drafting the critical review
After carefully considering examples of critical museum reviews, structure and write your first draft.
Follow the format and style of language you have noted in these reviews.
Create a logical flow from one developed paragraph to another. What would your reader want to know
first, second, third, fourth? Consider transitional phrases and other techniques covered in class to
ensure coherence. Consider flow both within and between paragraphs.
If you don’t complete at least one rough draft for each essay, you will not receive a grade for the
essay. On Canvas you need to submit your rough drafts and final drafts for the essays separately.
At the end of the draft include a separate References page using American Psychological Association
(APA) citation style 12-point, Times New Roman, double-spaced.
Our Writing Rubric (on Canvas) will help you shape and revise your writing. Prove your qualifications
(ethos) by presenting your claims and support with well-researched facts, creating a conversation
between your sources, yourself and your audience. Be passionate (pathos) about your topic but not in
emotional language. Be committed to offering the most convincing organization of meaningful details in
your own discussion and from your research.
Your overall effort during drafting and revision, engaging in the writing process, will strengthen your
final essay (and count toward your participation grade).
You will receive written feedback from your instructor to help you revise these drafts. During class you
may be asked to volunteer your essay for whole-class review or peer review. Your final draft should
show evidence of your efforts to revise and engage in the writing process.
Have your draft ready at the beginning of the class on the day it is due. We may work in small groups
and share our essays, or view essays on the board during class time (for those who volunteer to share
their essays with the class). Students are usually grateful (and not too stressed) to receive this help on
their drafts. We will take turns to allow for as many students as possible to benefit from this class review
of their work. We will work through the rubric to determine what you, the writers, need to do to
improve your essays. The writers may request that certain elements of the essay be examined. Grammar
and punctuation errors are not considered much at this stage.
You do not need to commit to everything you write on this first draft, and don’t worry about
grammatical perfection or polish before the final draft. Revision means making changes to your focus,
organization and development to better suit your goals for the essay/article.
Questions in class, by email or in office hours are welcome at any point. Don’t wait until the essay due
date to reveal any problems you are having with writing the essay.
Completing the final draft of the critical review
10% of total grade
Grammar and mechanics will be addressed once you feel that your draft is fully developed and
organized, ready in terms of composition practices. It is assumed that overall as a freshman at NJIT you
have good control over grammar and mechanics, but in the final stages we all need some refining.
Final drafts, 4-5 pages: Your final draft should be your best attempt at all of the components on the
rubric. The final drafts may look quite different from your first draft and that is acceptable. That
intensity of revision is encouraged, in fact.
Your final essay should be double-spaced and follow standard formatting expectations (typically Times
New Roman 12 point or Arial 11 point font). At the end of the assignment include your separate
References page using American Psychological Association (APA) citation style.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Some of the ideas presented in this assignment are borrowed from MIT Open Courseware, Science
Writing and New Media: Explorations in Communicating About Science and Technology, designed by Dr.
Janis Melvold, Department of Comparative Media Studies/Writing, MIT.
organized, ready in terms of composition practices. It is assumed that overall as a freshman at NJIT you
have good control over grammar and mechanics, but in the final stages we all need some refining.
Final drafts, 4-5 pages: Your final draft should be your best attempt at all of the components on the
rubric. The final drafts may look quite different from your first draft and that is acceptable. That
intensity of revision is encouraged, in fact.
Your final essay should be double-spaced and follow standard formatting expectations (typically Times
New Roman 12 point or Arial 11 point font). At the end of the assignment include your separate
References page using American Psychological Association (APA) citation style.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Some of the ideas presented in this assignment are borrowed from MIT Open Courseware, Science
Writing and New Media: Explorations in Communicating About Science and Technology, designed by Dr.
Janis Melvold, Department of Comparative Media Studies/Writing, MIT.