Help preparing teaching notes/handouts

[Halbrust]

Discussion of widget construction techniques.

Source of information covered will include extant finds, written sources, as well as modern reproductions.

Information covered will include (in no particular order): … [SNIP]…, how to recreate a period widget, how to recreate a usable SCA widget that maintains the aesthetics of the original pieces

The above is the class description (minus actual topic) of what I’ll be teaching in a few months.

Right now I’m trying to format all my info into coherent groupings that still cover all the bases.
With the model of who-what-where-when-why in mind I created these topics/groups.
• Size
• Shape
• Materials
• Construction method
• Decoration

Do you see anything missing?
I think those 5 categories are the things that need to be addressed when building/making just about anything. Whether you are making it, or discussing things that were already made.

Help?

-Halbrust

[Karen Larsdatter]

When I write a class handout, I write it to cover EVERYTHING I plan to talk about in the class -- so if I fail to cover some aspect, or if the student forgets what I've said, it's all covered.

(I also generally post a version of my class handouts on my website, and revise them as additional information comes in -- so you can see some examples at http://larsdatter.com/oxburgh.htm or http://larsdatter.com/kloster.htm or http://larsdatter.com/documentation.htm for example. The benefit of having an online version is that it gets out to even MORE people, I can link to relevant examples, and I can update it if I discover that some part of the handout was unclear and/or if there is new information about the subject.)

So, I don't know what sort of widget you're talking about, but here's what I'd cover and how I'd go about covering it in a handout:

Historical Widgets: Who owned them? who made them? where did they come from? how were they made? when was this sort of widget common? what materials were they made from? what extant widget finds are relevant? what do these extant widgets tell us about widgetry? how about period illustrations and period descriptions of widgets and the widget-making process?

Recreating the Widget: Here's how I make widgets (materials, tools, procedure, etc., showing photos of the widgetization steps, if applicable). Here's some ideas for making your own widget. Here's how you can make a more historically-accurate widget. (Helpful: here's a photo of a widget I've made, or some widgets I've made in use at SCA events.)

Sources: URLs for the Museum of Widgets, the Widget World Mailing List, etc., in addition to books in a conventional bibliographical format. If necessary, sources for materials (especially in the case of specialty widgetcraft catalogs/websites, etc.).

[Thomas Powers]

Have a "clueless newbie" review your instructions to find out where the hidden assumptions are at.

Also if there are other ways to do something you might mention them. Not every shop has an XYZiggurator but if you can do it, albeit more slowly, with a hammer and a cold chisel a lot more people will be willing to try.

And a double plus plus on suggestions on how to do it more medievally! (Materials, Methods and Design!)

[Karen Larsdatter]

Been giving this subject some more thought. May end up developing a new article for www.larsdatter.com - check back soon for a link to a draft.