Site Visit: Riley's Farm

For this month's blog post, I examine the best known Living History site in Southern California, Riley's Farm. Riley's Farm is known for a number of things, like apples and history. They operate a fully functional farm and orchard while during the spring and autumn months host school groups for historical themed education tours. While they offer many different time period tours and related amenities, their Revolutionary War era tour is the most popular and the flagship program of Riley's Farm.

British redcoats: The 4th Regiment of Foot

From the moment the students, called scholars, come bounding off of the buses, they are met with costumed living historians. If they are unfortunate, they are met with a redcoat British soldier who in merciless tones barks them into straight lines in soldierly bearing, the plain clothes colonists are more personable but just as firm as maintaining order. Each group of about 30-35 scholars is grouped into a "township" with a historical flag and the scholars remain in this group as they round-robin rotate between various classes. The flag and labeling colors determine if the township is "British" or "American" during the afternoon's mock battle. Once all the schools are assembled in townships upon the public house grounds (the tavern is a restaurant and bakery), they are given the morning instructions, such as the locations of the privy (restrooms), the function of a shilling (a reward for a good answer, volunteer action, or other do-goodery that can be accumulated for a prize at the end), and an explanation that this is all in good fun for the sake of experience and learning.

Master Rollain

Classes in the Revolutionary War tour include drilling with sticks in preparation for the afternoon mock battle, learning the nuances of etiquette, learning about the accouterments of soldiers, trying their hand at 18th century games, and experiencing some of the injustices of the maritime Vice Admiralty court, Stamp Act, and Quartering Act, to name a few examples. Classes are taught by the living historians in First Person, as if it were the 18th century. Once rotations are finished for the morning, the townships line up for a ration. The ration is one piece of corn bread, one piece of beef jerky, one piece of cheddar cheese, and one apple with a cup of lemonade. While meager to our modern point of view, it is brought to the attention of the scholars an account of a young boy about the scholar's age who wrote an account of receiving a handful of rice and a teaspoon of vinegar for his ration and was grateful to have even as little as that since food was so scarce in Washington's army at times. Most schools bring the students actual lunches in addition or opt out of the rations. During the lunch time, scholars could peruse the mercantile for souvenirs or purchase baked goodies from the Bakery once the line the teacher and adult chaperones make to order their lunches dies down.

Battle is joined!

The most exciting part of the scholar's day is the mock battle. Following the rations and the townships line up again an introduction is made regarding the historical context in which the reenactment will take place. The battle is supposed to be a recreation of the battle of St. George's Tavern, in Roxbury, MA just outside of Boston. Just like what happened, the British forces will advance upon the tavern which the colonists are defending. The townships are divided into the two respective sides with a formal parlay. Once the terms of the parlay are rejected the two sides have the chance to use their drill skills marching, "loading", and "firing" their sticks. They do not get too close as some students may get carried away, but it is very exciting to receive a "bayonet charge" or march upon well entrenched troops behind a stone wall.

Wrapping up

Following the battle the students are sat down to hear the final thoughts of the day regarding each and every one of their roles in protecting American freedoms. "Freedom is not free, it was paid for by the men and women who served and continue to serve. It is this reason that they say that Freedom is a chain and we are the next link in the chain. The very future of the republic sits upon the green right now." After the final dismissal, the scholars have a last chance to purchase from the Mercantile or get pictures with their favorite Living Historian before they board their vehicles to go home.

Concluding exhortation to understand our rights, liberties, and responsibilities as citizens

The experience blurs the line of education and entertainment. This sometimes gets the nickname "edutainment". There are many that are concerned with making education so palatable as to be a performance without accurate, meaningful content that it becomes not an educational experience at all, but a fun time that only deals with enjoyable topics. As far as entertainment goes, many of the staff members are actors and many are education or history buffs, so there is a mix of the two aspects. Classes are designed to get the students involved and participate and engage in the material. While the colorful characters and humor make a great and entertaining morning, it is hard to gauge exactly what the students are receiving from this time. This illustrates one of the struggles of interpretation: how to ascertain what students learn or receive when they leave and what sticks weeks, months, or years later. When asked about what they learned that day, the scholars respond with a general understanding type of answer, like "I learned about weaving." But the success of the Revolutionary War era program with the public, private, and home-schools of southern California demonstrates that what Riley's Farm does, they do well and continue to attract scholars mainly during the spring, but also in the autumn. It is certainly worth experiencing, even if only to get one of their famous 5lb apple pies.

You can visit Riley's Farm's website for more details and booking for a school group here: Riley's Farm

The back-half

One of the most frequently asked questions that I would receive as an interpreter or as a National Park Service employee would be how I got my job. Depending on what job I was in at the time would depend on the answer; interpreting for private enterprises is much easier to get into than getting into the NPS, for example. They are usually asking for themselves or for friends or relations that want to get into "this sort of thing." As I talk more and more about my experiences, it becomes clear that the giving programs and talking to people portion of the job is the only part that they see. Speaking with new employees as well, giving programs and tours only were what they were expecting in a job. Having a high demand "fun job" is the "front-half", the part that everyone sees, but there is another part of the job the public does not see, the so-called "back-half". The back-half is where the office politics and meetings and paperwork resides. The essential part of the business that sees the interpreter as an employee, rather than a public figure. It is a necessary evil as without it, nothing would get done; there would be no budget, no paper towels, no approval for programming, no clean up. New employees are so often thrown off balance by this whole other world on the other side of the wall which frequently they are unprepared to meet that it has become clear to me this must be addressed before more new employees are burnt out from their encounter with the back-half of being an interpreter. Therefore, I have decided to share some tips about surviving in the back-half.

First, what do I mean by the back-half? The back-half is home to office people. Depending on the organization it could be a building complex or a cubicle or two in a trailer. Often there is a head honcho of some sort. The exact name will be different depending on the organization but that person could be called a president, supervisor, owner, superintendent, or executive. There are also secretaries, budget and accounting people, Information Technology (IT) and graphic design people, Human Resources (HR), and supervisor managers. The climate controlled jungle is their turf and the interpreter, used to being outdoors and in all forms of weather, usually treads here but very little, usually to pick up checks or to called into meetings or performance reviews. Often these kinds of people simply do not understand what it is that you do and there can be some tension in expectations. For example, the "numbers" people want you to provide them with numbers, things like how many people went on a tour or participated in a program. As a result, the interpreter must not also give a program but track how many people participated in it. However, sometimes they ask questions that cannot be tracked. For another example: asking why more visitors visited during the month last year compared to this year. It cannot be done. The people who visited last year are gone. The ones who visited this year do not coordinate with the visitors this year and not all visitors will visit annually.

Tip # 1 Play nice. A classic organizational clash is the tension between programming and maintenance. Programming throws parties and Maintenance cleans it up. No matter how much the programming people take time to clean-up after the program or event, there is always a mess, according to maintenance people. There are never enough paper towels or toilet paper and the maintenance people take two hour breaks, at least according to the interpreters. On and on it goes. In rare instances do Maintenance and Interpretation get along well, so be prepared to deal with that. It is always in good taste to try and help Maintenance when you can. It may not absolve your department of all past wrong doing, but having them like you may get things done for you with less grumbling. Getting involved in interdepartmental pettiness is going to lead to less-than-professional problems that will affect your workplace. You work on a team, so be a team player.

The elusive Office Ninja evading a meeting

Tip # 2 Get out of a meeting if you can. Meetings are the necessary evil of any organization. Interpretation meetings are usually done standing as it prevents long and unnecessary material. Meetings in the back-half are usually done sitting and tend to drag on longer than necessary. Only under rare circumstances have these meetings been short and worthwhile. As a result, try to get out of meetings as much as possible. Someone will always find you later on and give you a quick briefing that will be more informative than actually being there. If you have questions, you usually go to the person with the problem or your immediate supervisor and get it taken care of much faster than trying to set up a meeting. Some meetings you cannot get out of, like a performance review.

The general rule is for Ryan's Inverse Relationship Model of
Fun and Responsibility is that the less responsibility one has,
the more fun you will generally have. Conversely, the more
responsibility one has, the less fun you will have.

Tip #3 Know what you want from this organization. Staying with an organization longer will bring on more responsibility and sometimes a promotion. But the strange thing becomes with more responsibility comes more likelihood to being a back-half person. Sooner or later the job you love to do because you get to be outdoors becomes the job you never wanted because you wear a sweater indoors since the air conditioning is so cold, but it is a bright, hot, sunny and sweltering day outside. This is a concept that I call "Ryan's Inverse Relationship Model of Fun and Responsibility", seen to the side. The less responsibility you have, the more fun you are having, whereas the more responsibility you have, the less fun you are having. I have known great interpreters that do not do programs or tours because they have been given office work to do. When they do these programs they do them quickly because they must get back in and get their work done before the deadline. To be honest, I do not want to end up there. For some, riding a desk is what they want to do and that is fine for them, but it is not why I want to be an interpreter. With the Park Service, being a GS-7 (or at big parks GS-9) is about the last grade where being outside is an expected part of the job, and anything higher means the only time you get to be outside is to get from the parking lot to the building.

Tip# 4 Math never goes away. Perhaps you got into interpretation because you hated numbers and math and got burnt out on business. Surprise! You still have to deal with math and business practices. That day may come when they ask you to run the register, close it out, or deal with ticket purchasing. What of merchandising and questions asked in the Visitor Center or Gift Shop? You will still be asked about prices, products, and inventory by visitors. Customer service is still part of your job as an interpreter, even if you are not working in sales specifically.

Tip #5 Don't get burnt out! The office is also a place for office politics. Pettiness, passive-aggressive behavior, interdepartmental squabbles, and clashing egos all manifest in the office. It can be a place of dread but if you be a positive person, help out, and do your best. The other office people will start to like you and are therefore less likely to mess with you. It is not always the case, but it does put you on good grounding. Find what you like about the organization and enjoy it and if need be, do what you need to do in order to remind you of that rather than become jaded by the bureaucracy. Visitors do not want to meet with unhappy workers instead of inspiring people who do what they love. Keep that passion for what you want to do and fight for it.

The back-half is in nearly every kind of service job. Some of it is better integrated than others, while others are more distant and allow interpreters and program people to focus on their jobs and less on paperwork. While it can be daunting, it is important to realize that it is there and it is essential to the job that you do, because without the office, there would be no organizational infrastructure to support interpreters and program people in preforming their jobs.

History is Interpretation

History, as a discipline, is built one the foundation that it must be factual. If it is factual it can be verified and should be verified. Once the facts have been verified, they are arranged in a pattern that makes some sort of sense. This sense is aimed at being a collection of useful information, usually making a persuasive argument and presenting evidence that supports the claims made. When relating facts and claims, the writer must interpret facts. Even a primary document is an interpretation of facts. The writer, editor, or compiler of a primary document must first understand the facts (as they understand them at the time) and relate them as they know them to be true or verified. From letters or emails to bank statements, these are interpretations.

The Attack on Pearl Harbor is not told by
any one perspective but multiple points of
view; sailors, pilots, mechanics, civilians,
and until recently, the Japanese all have had
a point of view in this event that demand
we, today, must understand if we are to
understand the world in which we now live.

For example, a writer wishes to record an event that they thought was important that happened that day. It can be anything, but let it be assumed that it was of huge importance, the attack on Pearl Harbor for instance. They write a letter to a family member describing the events and their thoughts. They describe it as they saw it, as it happened based on where they were when things happened. At the time, there was no warning that this would happen. There was no indication that Japan was preparing to go to war with the US. While the sinking of the USS Arizona is of significant note, the eye witness writer may not have witnessed anything in relation to its sinking. They may have been at Hickam field as a mechanic compared to being a sailor on a repair tender. So they write based on what they knew and experienced, thus the facts, but could not know all the true details, such as a third wave of attacks by the Japanese that was cancelled. Those facts, while true, would not be known until much later and may not have been known by them. It would be the role of the secondary writers to investigate the whole picture.

 A secondary source is therefore an interpretation of an interpretation. A writer or editor or compiler of secondary documents, such as text books and articles, interprets the facts as related by the primary documents and the examination of several primary documents yields an interpretation of several points of view, sometimes conflicting points of view.

Using the above example of Pearl Harbor, the secondary writer could have gathered the letter written from Hawai'i and a first hand account of a Japanese submarine sailor and made a comparison of the two to create an interpretation of what the attack on Pearl Harbor was like from both sides using only two perspectives.

Leopold von Ranke. One of great minds in
the discipline of history, indicated we should
try to write history as it actually was, which
was an actual revolution in historical practice
at the time.

A historical interpreter examining primary and secondary documents as well as artifacts and other objects, in an attempt to make meaning out of the collection is having to balance and examine so many points of view. The job then becomes to reduce, simplify, condense, and distill the information until it becomes a solid nugget of an interpretive program, display, exhibit, or presentation that can also appeal to all kinds of visitors. These programs, displays, or presentations is what is typically what this blog is concerned with, yet there are times when further reflection upon the "why's and how's" of the origination of interpretation opens new understanding that all history is really interpretation. When considering that the perception of the writer and the ability of the writer to communicate is an interpretation of facts, it seems that history is interpretation and discussing anything from a historical perspective is again interpretation.

The challenge becomes trying to interpret in a manner that is true to what actually happened, "wie es eigenlich gewesen" as Saxon-German historian Leopold von Ranke originally stated. The problem with history is that perception is not necessarily the truth, or what actually happened. It does not always take into account a wider understanding but a subjective and limited one, like a single account of the Pearl Harbor attack does not have a wide understanding of the event. Since we cannot totally trust the perception, intention, and ability of the writer, either primary or secondary writers, to convey all their perceptions accurately, truthfully, and honestly, interpretation of what can be known is truly the only option as a matter of course. It is because of this that the conclusion is history must be interpretation.

Tilden Freeman understood that if information is
not made meaningful to a person, that they are
likely to forget or ignore that information and he
used that concept to create his Six Principles of
Interpretation 

But having useful information or interpretation is never going to sell; encyclopedias are outdated and have never sold well because they do not make great reading. They are used as references. The internet has taken their place as collections of facts and information. However, history is recorded as such because it has meaning, which is at least two of Tilden Freeman's principles of interpretation: "Any interpretation that does not somehow relate what is being displayed or described to something within the personality or experience of the visitor will be sterile" and "Information, as such, is not interpretation. Interpretation is revelation based on information. But they are entirely different things..." illustrate this point. If a historical narrative intrigues a reader with the premise, idea, concept, topic, or story, the reader will likely read the narrative to satisfy that intrigue. If it is written poorly, they may find something else to do, but if it does satisfy the intrigue, then the reader will find meaning in reading the narrative and be better for it. This next comment will need more exploration than can be allowed here, but the classic writing style of historians and ivory tower academics does not appeal to the general public; they write to impress other historians. Rather, journalists and professional writers often make better historical narratives because they have learned to write to sell and appeal to the public. One of those selling points is making the content meaningful to the reader, sometimes in the form of excellent narrative style, or presentation of the content in such as way that the reader gains meaning from reading. Therefore, history is interpretation.

The academic takes the raw factual information and make it meaningful to other academics while other writers take the same raw factual information and turn it into a best-selling book or landmark article. The raw facts do not speak for themselves. Objects and artifacts are the same way. Facts, objects, and artifacts must be arranged so that information is made meaningful or useful to the reader or the visitor. So whether one is an prestigious academic or a minimum wage interpreter, both are interpreting facts and making them meaningful to their respective audiences. It is because of this that the conclusion is again stated, that history is interpretation.

Interpreters Toolbox: High Level Activities

It's 2018 and a great way to start the year off right is to finish off the on-going series on the Interpreter's Toolbox and finding techniques and methods for making the interpreter's program more than a lecture.

So a review before jumping into the main focus. This series used a concentric center using four zones from which Interpretation comes from: Planning, Subtle Skill, Verbal, and Active. Simply characterized as: this is about what you think, how you act, what you say, and what you do. The beginning of this series started with the innermost of the rings and was based upon the interpreter demonstrating a shift in perception on how interpretive techniques should be used, growing from things within the interpreter to complicated things that the interpreter and the visitors will do. At last we come to the techniques that offer the most bang for the buck experience for the interpreter and the visitor. The are considered high level because of the coordination and complexity needed to master some of the skills involved, but any conducted activity can be made more intense or engaging with some adjustment.

Arts and crafts engage the creative side of visitors 

The first activities that are high level are arts and crafts. Making stuff is highly engaging. It is a high level engagement because the visitors, among them children, will need to pay attention to the instructions or rules, and follow them. Arts and crafts also need clear instructions and organized materials to use and likely oversight to help troubleshoot mistakes, spills, and other problems. The kind of arts and crafts will determine what kind of materials will be used. As for ideas, the internet is full of them; it is a matter of finding what you want or adapting what you find into what you want. Use key words like "DIY", or "make your own"; Pinterest is great for finding results but the links often do not have instructions on how. Maker websites abound with how-to steps and Youtube is great for more visual learners to learn and plan. It may sounds like kiddie things but some arts and crafts projects may be fun for adults too. It may be just popsicle sticks, glitter, and glue, but coordinating those materials into a something requires a lot more planning, guidance, instruction, and fine motor manipulation in order to create than one might think.

Dancing can be fun, right?

Dance is another high level activity because in many cases, the more sophisticated the dance, the more fine motor movement is needed. This does not mean that if a person cannot uses the arms or legs that they cannot participate; instead the dance must be altered in order to include everyone. A dance is coordinated set of movements, usually to music so there are two parts, the music and the motions. Music can be live or a recording, but make sure to do a sound check before because no one likes waiting on the music while someone goes and fiddles with the machines. It would be even more engaging to allow some people to play the music live if the instruments are easy and the music very simple because not everyone wants to dance. The motions can be adjusted to whatever the situation dictates and whatever the reason is for the dance. Many cultures have group dances where all the members of the community join in. Children are reluctant to dance in pairs of the opposite sex. Adults often are not taught the classic social dances as often as they used to, so instruction and sharing and being open to mistakes are some of the things the interpreter may need to emphasize when explaining what to do.

Exploration and discover activities are among the best ways to get people engaged with a resource. The Junior Ranger Program that the National Park Service does is one example of exploring the National Parks and discovering things that the average visitor does not always notice using a book that guides their attention. Maps, handouts, scavenger hunts, hands-on interpretive waysides, and Points of Interest are all things that help promote a higher level of engagement with the resource. For example, a descriptive map will help the visitor find things that would interest them. Hands-on interpretive waysides could also help keep interest along the way from destination to destination. Here the visitors curiosity drives their interest.

Playing Rounders at Harpers Ferry NHP 

Children learn by playing and a game is among the best ways to engage them but also adults. Games can be made up, secretly hiding as a quiz, or established schoolyard favorites. They also could be adaptations of popular board or television games, adapted for the purposes of the interpreter. Prizes may be given, which helps create a little bit of a incentive, but be careful that they are awarded fairly. As usual, think safety with some of the games. Dodge-ball may not be a great idea with the classic big red rubber ball, but maybe something else that will not knock the wind out of someone could be used instead. Fun is the motivation for engagement and while children are automatically drawn to games, adults want to have fun too and many love reliving their childhood games and showing their children how it was really done back then!

Poetry as an activity is probably the toughest to do. One cannot necessarily teach poetry unless they have a highly developed sense language mastery. Having a sense of rhythm and rhyme helps too. Having a pattern that will be used is also important, the names are not as important as the pattern in which they operate. But if the interpreter chooses to make it an open option to the visitors to create any kind of poetry they would like, it will dispel a lot of the extra stuff and allow the visitors to respond in their own way. Having a wall dedicated to some fine examples would be a plus for some people, sharing with the group might be too, although some will be hesitant to share so be prepared to deal with reluctant people.

Reenacting something or playing a role help put visitors in the
place of the historical figures they came to learn about
and let them see the decisions they had to make. 

If the interpreter works at a historical place, why not do a reenactment? Not all reenactments are battles! Most historical things that people can reenact involve no weaponry. Hold a trial, argue legislation and pass it, write significant letters with the visitors in the same setting in which they actually happened. Being a part of a historical conducted activity like a reenactment of something significant greatly increases the likelihood of creating a positive experience on behalf of the visitors. For this, the interpreter needs to give clear direction and should provide a script for the reenacting visitors to use. Using reproduction clothing and using props or artifacts (be careful with artifacts) can heighten the experience.

Like reenactment, role playing is another play acting resource. These are short parts of a play where the visitor participate in certain roles. Roles could be whatever is needed and need not necessarily be people, for example one role is erosion another is time and another is the resource like a statue. The visitors play the roles and see what the interactions result.

Scavenger hunts, mentioned above with exploring and discovering, is a technique that is a popular game. Most scavenger hunts are lists of things to collect and return. Usually the one or the group with the most items or returns first win. Since many places cannot remove items from the grounds or have items that are too heavy and given the proliferation of the camera phone, many use a "camera scavenger hunt" where the list are clue of what to look for and take their photos. This facilitates familiarity with the ground and gives a sense of "permission" to find things. By doing this activity visitors must learn how to navigate the grounds and the names of things as well as their orientation to one another quickly, safely, and hopefully, in a fun way.

Acting in a skit is another method for participation and engagement with visitors. As with all acting activities, some will be shy and others are born for the limelight, so do not make anyone perform if they do not want to, nor give the one ambitious person three roles. Skits are short. Having the visitors make up their own is the best, especially if they are older students and adults. After years of working as a camp counselors, if the kids make the skit, it needs to be rehearsed by someone with a brain and a short attention span because children's skits become long pointless actions with no end. Skits can have a moral, but must should illustrate some point that supports the goal of the interpreter.

Singing used to be very popular in pre-recording life. Now that people make careers and win talent shows based on how well one sings, we as a culture are very content to let them sing for us while we pretend to sing in our rooms, cars, and showers. As a result, people are self conscious about their ability to sing, so making one person sing a song may not get a great results. However, if some of the barriers can be broken down the group may respond, such as singing along with them or leading the singing. Having a recording that plays along with the visitors may be helpful too. It may also be a rewarding experience to get a song of the times sung.

John Brown puppet and Ryan at Harpers Ferry NHP 

The category of theater is going to be a complex one. There is little time or ability to do a full five act play unless they are volunteers but visitors themselves do not have the time to commit to making something like that work. But there are other kinds of theater styles that may be better suited for visitors with limited time. A short play with actions based on a script can be a single act play. Skits were already mentioned and are great because they are short. Reenactments are also a form of theater since there is a degree of acting in recreating an actual event. A Reader's Theater is a another example of theater that could be appropriate. This entails having a play script with narrator and speaking parts but no action and it is read aloud in a group. Think of the old time radio shows of yesteryear; they are basically reader's theaters. The use of puppets in a theater is great for children since there is an imagination component that they can participate in, or simply watch and enjoy. Puppets being used by interpreters or volunteers will probably need some quick crash course in how to use the puppets. There is also the consideration of use of props in plays as well as set-up and take down so plan accordingly.

For most of last year, the descriptions of interpretive techniques and methods demonstrated that there are many ways to engage the public. Interpreters should take the time to examine the merits of each technique and method and ascertain the full potential and effective use of each before being used as some of the ones discussed here and in previous posts have problems, concerns, and drawbacks as well. Yet by the interpreter taking the time to craft a great program and using appropriate interpretive techniques, the visiting public will get a fuller and richer experience when visiting. In this series, making full use of planning, subtle techniques, verbal skills, and engaging activities moved from within the interpreter to active participation with increasing complexity. It is my hope that this series helps the interpreter with their craft and make visiting historical site and places a better experience so that future generations will continue to visit and appreciate these places and continue to fund and support their upkeep and expansion.

Interpreters Toolbox: Low Activities, Part 3

This post will finish the last of the lower skill level activities that do not require much or are easy to perform with visitors. With the conclusion of this 'low-level' activity, the new year will have the very last installment of this Interpreter's Toolbox series with high level activities. More details next month, but for now, enjoy and learn about these last few techniques and make the program better.

The camera captures what our eyes see

Photograph - A picture taken by a camera. Similar to illustrations, photographs enjoy some degree of authenticity in recording history. While an illustration may be an artist's interpretation, photographs are perceived as pure, raw evidence. However, this is not the case. Clever photographers have manipulated photos for their purposes ever since photography's creation, so be critical of the pictures used. Candid photos tend to be trusted as reliable evidence more than studio shots, but it really all depends. As far as a program goes, it is better to use photos provided by the interpreter as evidence or to gather opinions and observations about the image and analyze the results. Taking photos as part of a program will be tricky because the visitor will have to know to bring a camera before the program begins. The common use of digital photography and integration with computers can be an interesting use for image collection, crowd-sourcing  information, and artistic expression.

Predictions can be tricky but make sure the visitors
have all the evidence they need in order to make a
good one.

Prediction - The use of information to make a judgement about the outcome. This technique gives the visitors the chance to give some input as to where the narrative will take them. It requires the visitor to use what knowledge they have to make a guess as to what happens next. As the narrative unfolds the predictions can be compared and contrasted to get a sense of how close to the narrative the visitors predicted the course would take.

Presentation of evidence - Making giving evidence in support of a position. This really intertwines with making a case or argument because they flow into each other so easily. Presenting evidence can be done by the interpreter or by the visitors in a program from prepared documents, images, or objects. Since objects and documents do not necessarily speak for themselves, the visitor could therefore interpret the meaning of their selected piece of evidence in making a case.  Depending on how the program is used, this technique could be very interactive as a high level activity.

Problem solving - Working on problems. Problem solving can be as simple or as complicated as desired, which is why it is in this section. Problems to be solved can be posed as a question, written down, on a worksheet, or debate/discussion. How it takes place is up to the interpreter.

Process analysis - Dissecting a method and evaluating the results. Analysis is a higher form of cognitive ability according to Bloom's taxonomy so it should probably in the higher activity level but there are higher levels still in that hierarchy. It is also not much of an 'activity' but more like a discussion method. This technique can be preformed after a demonstration, activity, reenactment, or production and analyzed to see how it was perceived by the visitors and see if there can be further improvements.

"The 'Pine Cone' "
The greatest tool ever devised for
outdoor education programs world
wide for sensory experiences.

Quiz - Assessing comprehension and understanding. This technique uses an informal exam to see if the visitors are learning anything. Most adults do not remember school with fondness so making the quiz fun and enjoyable and low-key is essential. Students on the program get enough quizzes and tests as it is so it is important to make your program not like school. But perhaps asking 3 questions just to see if the visitors are listening reinforces parts of the program that the interpreter wants the visitor to remember. Sometimes repeating information in the form of a question is basically a quiz, for example, "What did I say was the most important part of this building?" This technique can be foreshadowed with the simple (but alarming!) phrase "There will be a test at the end!"

Sensory experience -  A technique that stimulates or focuses on a one or maybe two senses. A touch box or a table is one simple example of this. Some higher end museum or sites will have a electric blower that blow smells into the visitors faces to get a whiff of something, since smell is one of the most under utilized senses stimulated in visitors and people in general. This can be done on the cheap by saying "Get a good deep breath and see if you can identify some of the smells here". Listening exercises help get a sense for the soundscape of the location. Sight is by far the sense people most use on a daily basis but the use of a microscope, magnifying glass, or binoculars can change a visitor's perspective. Taste can be dicey as a sensory experience because food in general is open to bureaucratic oversight, but plucking a honeysuckle flower for a taste is probably all right. Check with the management with taste or food.

Showing and telling some slick tin whistle jams

Show and tell - Finding an object and explaining before the group. This classic "Old School" method is well understood and easily used. Find an object and explain it to the peers. Finding an object uses resources. Setting up some boundaries is a good idea, like "remember to put it back where you found it" or "this object cannot go home with you" or "no, that is a priceless piece of American history and I don't have keys to this exhibit case". Presenting this object is the most difficult part of the activity since presenting to an audience can be stressful. Public speaking is frequently stated as being a top phobia. Usually most people simply will share with people they know, less so with people they do not know, and less still will share with complete strangers in a large group. This will be a test of "Knowledge of Audience".

Specimen - A sample of many. An example is usually a spoken or written case, whereas a specimen is a physical example from many. Specimen has a biological connection but can be applied broadly in this category to include all objects examined. Examining an object is the point of having a specimen, to look at, touch, smell, and listen.

"I've got the tool you need!"

Tools - Object used to solve problems. Tools are really a subsection of objects, since they are concrete items but they are used to preform for sort of specific task. Tools can be scissors to shovels, office supplies to agriculture gadgets to weapons. Be careful in considering what kinds of tools to use and their safe use by visitors, if that is what the intention of the tools are for. Using the tools to accomplish some actual work or as part of a demonstration or activity helps the visitor get a sense of connection to the past by the tools' correct use.

Next month will be the intense high-level activities that I would imagine most people are going to be looking for. Look for it in the new year!

Interpreters Toolbox: Low Activities, Part 2

This post will continue the elaboration of activities that do not require much or are easy to perform. Last month was the first installment and is proceeding alphabetically. Each of these activities are about being interactive with the visitors on a 'low' level compared to a 'high' level of interaction and interpretation. This part of the series is about doing.

Illustration - An illustration is a depiction using some kind of medium to make some sort of message. From that vague description comes a wide variety of options and choices and how they will be used. For example, is the interpreter making an illustration or are the visitors? What materials will they use? It can be crayons on lined paper, markers on posters, oil on canvas, or a desktop publishing software. Content and intent can vary depending. Give time to work on the illustration and discuss what it means with the visitors as a discussion about an artistic expression can yield some interesting exchanges of ideas.

Live Animals - Having or using live animals as part of the interpretive experience. Children will connect to animals almost instantly while adults will be a bit more reserved. The biggest concern is safety, not only for the visitors but also for the animals themselves. Be choosy in which animals to include and only bring out one at a time per interpreter. This way an interpreter can be directly responsible for the animal rather than trying to wrangle more than one with squirrely kids screaming. While attending a zoo demonstration for rescued animals, they suggested to shake hands in the air instead of applauding for an animal as the noise could stress, upset, or frighten the animal and this would be a good method for maintaining a enjoyable experience for all.

Living History allows visitors to get a sense of what things were
like back then.

Living History - The use of historical replica clothing and props to create a change of scenery in attempt to give a chance to step back into history and time. This is broken into two categories: third and first person. Third person is more casual, the interpreter is from the present time describing actions, clothing, and props of other and themselves. First person is best understood as 'acting' from the time and reacting as if they were really living in that time and the visitors were strangers. In some cases getting visitors into the dress of the time period helps gain some empathy of the time period, but can be expensive. Getting visitors to preform an action singly or as a group without a costume change is more likely to produce more meaning and memories as well as foster intellectual and emotional connections, but this will go into more detail in the high level activities.

Magic - Sleight of hand, illusion, or preplanned theatrics. Being entertaining is a perk for the visitors but it is likely that the interpreter is not an entertainer by trade and so magic tricks are superfluous. Yet if the interpreter can find appropriate ways to incorporate some magic into the program as a hook or as an icebreaker, it does show some utility.

Mapping can be as elaborate or as simple as you make it

Map - a representation of an area of land showing features. This can be used a number of ways. Using a preexisting map to find things like a "Where's Waldo" of the location. Or alternatively visitors could make their own map of the location as an activity.

Mirroring - Mimicking the actions of another. In this case, visitors mimic or imitate the interpreter or a lead visitor. Incorporating physical action into the program requires more of the visitor rather than being a passive observer or learner in a program. It requires that the visitors see and observe actions to emulate and do likewise. Imitation is one of the first and fundamental learning skills we are born with so using it in a program could mean quick absorption of information in order to participate in  some form of the program.

Modeling - Like mirroring, but this is what the interpreter does first and the visitors mirror. The interpreter models a behavior or action, then the visitors mirror the action. Depending on what is required a particularly adept visitor could demonstrate the action or behavior before the group. It is best to check with the visitor to see if they are comfortable being in front of people, some people do not like being in front of their peers ( or speaking for that matter).

Music - Sounds of beat and rhythm and harmonious patterns. Music is another universal attribute of human experience that can be appreciated by nearly everyone. Music does not necessarily have to be made by the visitors, but certainly worth a try if there are enough resources for all to participate or to take turns participating. Otherwise, the interpreter makes the music in some way, by either making it themselves or simply having someone else preform, or even just pressing 'Play'.

Naming - Overtly labeling things for clarity. The act of naming allows a basic point to start identifying basic nouns that are important to the program without assuming that the visitors already know them. This can be made to a low level activity by polling the crowd for the names of things and repeating the answer so all can hear.

Object/Prop -  Like an artifact but is generally not from the time period. It can be a reproduction item; made to look like something manufactured or used during the time period discuss. Or it can be a modern object that can be used to help explain or explore the present program like a magnifying glass, for example. Props are generally going to be something that the visitors can use, not not always. However, having the visitors interact with something provided is a technique that incorporates participation and interaction with the environment. Objects are limited only by the resources available to procure them for whatever purposes the interpreter wants so there is a very wide array of things the can be used; so many tings can be a prop or an object used in a program for whatever purpose.

Observing with an object

Observation - Examining surroundings. Making casual observations privately can become an activity by making the observations part of the program as a group activity. Here is an opportunity for opinions and observations from the group to get new perspectives and hopefully some new insights from the shared experience. Since each visitor will be different, some of the answers to what they observe will be different and hopefully will make for a fuller experience for the group.

Pace - The speed in which progress takes place. While this was covered in the verbal zone in terms of how fast a person speaks, it also applies to how fast an interpreter covers their content and makes their way from one point or location to the next. Movement is usually a sign for a transition in material so use the pace to keep everyone together but fast enough for the slowest person but not so slow as to drag a shamble to where ever the interpreter wants to go next. Basic movement together is a low activity that helps foster a low-grade sense of togetherness and teamwork, even among strangers. As a activity technique it is more of a supporting technique that assists with other techniques to make a more comprehensive whole program.

Interpreters Toolbox: Low Activities, Part 1

At long last the techniques and methods of activity and actually doing and working with the visitors in a tangible way are the focus of the next few months of material. To back up and recap, the purpose of this series is to re-conceptualize how interpretive methods and techniques are categorized. The organization has been from within the interpreter, to steadily moving out. The first was planning zone, followed by subtle things that the interpreter does, followed by the things that the interpreter communicates, mostly by speaking but could also be applied to writing. Now the series turns to doing, not just on the part of the interpreter but the visitors' as well. This series will break the doing into two parts: low level activity and high level activity, and transition from low to high over time. The low level activities will be broken into three parts and will be release once they are ready, but maybe at not the same blistering pace as with verbal techniques. These are also listed in alphabetical order to make it easier to follow. So here are some methods and techniques to use with visitors:

Artifacts give you the real deal, but check with your museum
person before you start handling things; some may require
special attention or may not be handled at all! Here: the
firing chamber to a Hall's Carbine removed.

Artifact- An object from that time period; found in the location, belonging to a person related to the program, or something else. This artifact could be handled or behind glass, although if it could be responsibly handled, that is probably more preferable since it doubles the power of place with an object directly related to the place. But not every artifact should be handled by the visitors. Handling the artifact, talking about it, explaining the significance of it to the program helps give a visual and interactive component to the program.

Assignment- Giving the visitors a job to do. It can range from picking up trash to being partner in a crowd-sourcing endeavor. By asking a visitor (or a group or team of visitors) to participate in some way, this not only helps create memories, meaningful relationships to the resource and program, but also helps instill a sense of ownership in the program and the resource. Giving visitors something to do helps them interact with the interpreter and the resource. Do not make it like homework, they are there to have fun on a visit, not "do stuff because"; the more a program is meaningful and provocative and less like school, the better.

Brainstorming or using focus groups is a great way to get a
lot of people involved in a relevant task

Brainstorming- Coming up with ideas in a group or by themselves. This usually involves a writing tool and surface to write on. This activity can be done for a short amount of time and can lead into other higher activities involving group participation.

Focus groups- A group of individuals given a task to work on a certain topic and give ideas and opinions. Much like brainstorming, the point is not necessarily to come up with ideas but to share already held ideas or thoughts and come to some sort of group opinion.

Call and response- Most common in song, this technique involves the interpreter (or visitor leader) to give the call to which the majority will respond. This will usually have a prepared text to call from and a understanding of what the response will be.

Dressing the part of a soldier for the flag lowering ceremony
can be an experience that stays with a visitor for a long time.

Costumed interpretation - "Dressing the part" can help make more of an understanding of the resource if the visitors or the interpreter dress in a manner typical or specifically for the time period. The use of period costuming gives an appreciation of the manner in which people lived. For example, the lightness of the clothing may be surprising to the visitors if they dress because of a perception that the clothing was heavy and hot. Or conversely, how restrictive the clothing was. If located at a historical location having people in period clothing helps make the connection to the past stronger since "being there" is combined with "like it was", even if it is not actually how it was, how the visitor may perceive the situation may have a profound impact.

Scything isn't easy and adding an offset 3 foot blade may be a
hazard to those around the demonstrator. Make sure you think
through the safety implications and standards before
demonstrating something that could be dangerous.

Demonstration - One of the best activities is demonstration. The different between demonstration and role play or reenactment or participation is how involved the visitors are. A demonstration can be used as a teaching aid before the visitor participates but in some circumstances, the visitor may not be able to participate for safety reasons. For example, a demonstration of a corn seeder out in a field would lead to having a visitor plant seed using the tool, but using a scythe might not be the best tool to have a visitor use since they have the possibility to hurt themselves or others if used incorrectly.

Example- Demonstrations are essentially examples, as are descriptions, use of evidence, reenactments, role-plays, and other moments used to illustrate a point. They help to explain something by doing it or talking about it. This does not have to be the realm of the interpreter. For example, have the visitors find examples of what the interpreter is talking about as they go through the location or point out items that could be used if at a single location; let them find examples.

My old Boy Scouts of America handbook was my first Field Guide Book.
As you can see, it is quite used.

Field guide (book)- Using a field guide to help aid in the interpreter's use of knowledge on a topic could be beneficial and to distract from the fact that the interpreter may be new and still learning. But having field books for every person on a program may help visitors learn to identify and learn about certain things found in the field guide. This can also be made into a different activity entirely by bringing some paper, pencils, and crayons and creating a field guide book based on what the visitors are able to find after some direction and instruction from the interpreter.

Gathering- This activity involves getting information or ideas from visitors. This can be done verbally or it can be written down and turned in. Both methods have advantages. For example, if the interpreter wants ideas, suggestions, or opinions to be given in an open discussion, doing a verbal gathering of information may be preferred. If the topic needs to be discreet because of a controversial nature, writing them down and turning them in may be better than blurting out an answer that may upset other visitors with different thoughts. This technique is great for seeing differences of opinion or collecting data on certain things to craft a better interpretive program for that particular group of visitors.

Graphics- Using the artistic creativity of the visitors, creating images that have to do with the program. They can be informational (this is a deer), allegorical (the deer represents the wildness of the land), biological (these are the parts of the deer), environmental (deer is an example of parts of a food web system), and so on. It can be done on poster board, spare sheets of paper, paper plates, Powerpoint slide; any available medium should work. The creative process stimulates others, while the artistic side of the creating a graphic stimulates others.

Gotta break the ice somehow.

Icebreaker- This was covered in the verbal zone of interpretive techniques but rather than doing an introduction or word icebreaker, an icebreaker can involve some more levels of interaction and participation. Some icebreakers can be downright active once the ice is broken doing simpler activities in a progression, once familiarity and trust is built. Things like passing things to one another in a sharing game, moving from person to person doing silly things, and trust activities are all sorts of limitless examples of things that can be done without breaking a sweat or would be considered a 'game'.