HIST 611 Conservation & Preservation

This course will provide an introduction to preservation and conservation, answering the question: What is preservation and conservation? For the purpose of this course, we will define preservation and conservation by the following guidelines:

1. The student will examine historic preservation and conservation — focusing on the United States and practices of other countries.
2. The student will examine the untold history of the preservation and conservation movement in the United States.
3. The student will explore how laws, public policies, and cultural attitudes shape how we preserve or do not preserve the built environment.
4. The course will give the student a grounding in the history, theory, and practice of historic preservation and conservation.
5. The course will involve the student in activities from library, museums, and archives, including disaster planning, environment planning, treatment and repair of books, and special problems of non-book materials, as well as historic buildings, landmarks, and basic conservation treatment.

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will complete the related checklist found in the Course Overview.

Discussions (2)

Discussions are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the student will participate in 2 Discussions by posting a well-constructed, discerning thread in response to the provided prompt in each Discussion. Each thread must be 400–500 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge by citing scholarly sources or evidence from the course textbooks. In addition to the thread, the student will reply to 2 classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 200 words, show great thought and discernment, and use information gained from the module readings, videos, and personal insights. In the thread and both replies, the student must use Turabian formatting for citations. 

Discussion: Conservation vs. Preservation

For this Discussion, the student will use the assigned readings and video from the module to respond to 2 questions.

Discussion: Roles of Libraries and Museums

For this Discussion, the student will choose 1 of 2 questions to answer.

Research Proposal: Step 1 Assignment

For this assignment, the student will apply the course topics and materials to a written project focused on the synthesis of the reading and material from the course. The student will select a topic in historic conservation or preservation on which to conduct research using qualitative, quantitative, or mixed methods. The assignment will consist of four required elements: Purpose Statement (maximum of 1 page), Historical Research Question/Thesis Statement (2–3 pages), Annotated Bibliography (10 sources — 5 primary and 5 secondary, sorted alphabetically), and Rough Draft Outline. The assignment must be at least 10 pages, including a title/cover page and bibliography pages. The assignment must meet Turabian formatting requirements as defined in the assignment instructions.

Article Review Assignment

For this assignment, the student will choose two (2) articles from among a list in the assignment instructions and conduct article reviews focusing on the following specific aspects of the articles: Introduction, Research Questions/Theses Statement, Review of Previous Research on the Topic, Method of Analysis, Identifying Critical Arguments, Results, and Conclusion. For each article, the student will paraphrase and summarize the research. Each article review must be at least 700 words and include a title page and page numbers. On the top of the first page of each review, the student must show the bibliographical reference to the article in Turabian format. In-text citations of the article must be provided in parentheses and with page numbers. No other sources except the articles themselves may be used for this assignment.

Architectural Style Assignment

For this assignment, the student will provide six different photos of homes or buildings with architectural significance in his or her present neighborhood or community to describe and evaluate their architectural style. The photos should be original and document the building or home from a close distance, focusing mainly on the front, with no interior photos. Affix the photos to a Word document, and under each photo, evaluate each home or building in 250 words. The student should use the course readings to help with the evaluation, but no citations should be included in this assignment.

Disaster Plan Assignment

For this assignment, students will write a disaster plan for a library or museum. This assignment is designed to teach students how to create and maintain emergency carts or equipment for all types of emergency preparedness. The assignment must be 15–20 pages, including a cover/title page, in 12-point Times New Roman font. Pictures, diagrams, and floor plans are strongly encouraged. No citations should be used for this assignment.

National Register of Historic Places Assignment

For this assignment, the student will learn how to nominate a historical place. The student may nominate a location that has already been nominated or one that has not been nominated. On a separate page, the student must show several pictures of the location, more than the form requests, and explain why the student thinks it should be nominated. The form to use for this assignment can be found under the Resources section of the assignment prompt.

Research Paper and PowerPoint/Video: Step 2 Assignment

For this assignment, the student will apply the course topics and materials to a written research paper focused on the synthesis of the reading and material from the course. Based on the information gathered for the research paper, the student will present summary information in a PowerPoint presentation with a cameo (real-time) of the student presenting the PowerPoint. The student must incorporate the instructor’s feedback for the final stage.

The research paper and PowerPoint will include five main sections (subheadings may be included as needed): Introduction, Historical Research Question/Thesis Statement, General Overview and Rationale, Conclusion, and Bibliography. The research paper must include 15 sources, 10 of which must be primary sources. The research paper must include a cover/title page, footnotes (no in-text citations or endnotes), page numbers (middle bottom of each page), and a bibliography (with centered heading) on a separate page, with sources in alphabetical order. The paper must follow Turabian format throughout, be double-spaced, have 1-inch margins on all sides of each page, use 12-point Times New Roman font, use justified paragraphs, and place headings and subheadings in bold font. The paper must be 10 pages, including the title page and bibliography.

The PowerPoint will summarize the research paper with a maximum of 20 slides and a cameo within the PowerPoint on each slide. The presentation should use a relevant slide outline and color scheme to match the paper. The student should use an appropriate number of graphs, citations, historical maps, and references in the presentation and use appropriate heading sizes, fonts, bullet points, and graphics. The PowerPoint must also follow Turabian format and collect the same sources used in the research paper.