Instructions: As you go through the aquarium, be sure that you see a feeding and any interactive shows that are available during your visit. Some concepts to think about as you move through this experience: space, presence, interactivity, aura, consumption. Make sure you get an aquarium map and any other literature available and make sure that you spend time reading whatever text is available with the exhibits. When you return home, be sure that you visit the Audubon’s website and ask yourself about how the website relates to the aquarium in terms of these issues and concepts.

Below are several questions to help you think about your experience in terms of class concepts and discussions.

1. Think about the ways that both humans and the sea life are "contained." How does the aquarium coerce you into being a "docile body"? Who/what are you being articulated with? What sorts of strategies and "body object articulations" does the aquarium use?

2. Spend some time thinking about the aquarium’s use of space, crowd control techniques, etc. What sorts of strategies are used to control bodily movement through space? What sorts of ways does the aquarium attempt to create "presence" and what are you being present with?

3. Think of the aquarium as a "reader" for elementary school children. Put yourself into the position of the child in the audience. What sorts of lessons does the aquarium teach children? How do children "read" the aquarium, and how does the aquarium "coerce" children to be a certain way, or what way are they coerced to be? In what ways does the aquarium ‘educate’ you? How is the information presented here?

4. What is the ideal way you are expected to move through the "text" of the aquarium. What are some ways to use the text of the aquarium "differently" than the ideal way? Where is there room to resist? Observe visitors and determine "how" they are using the text of the aquarium.. In what ways do they follow the ideal way or create their own ways?

5. Spend some time thinking about the consumerism at the aquarium. In what ways is consumerism naturalized? What are some of the different commodities? What is pornographic, obscene, commodified, fetishized, commercialized, or consumed and how is this accomplished?

6. What is the relationship between humans and sea life (or humans and nature) established by the "rhetoric" of the aquarium?

7. Were there any instances of "the machine breaking down" that exposed interface? Were there any places for resistance to the dominant meanings promoted by the museum?

After participating in the lab experience, write a 5 page (typed) paper in which answer any one of the following questions. To answer your question, select a text for analysis; your text can be anything related to Aquarium or the IMAX. You may NOT use the Matrix film as your text for analysis.

In your paper, be sure to 1) define the terms and concepts that you are using; 2) support your analysis with at least FOUR concepts from class. Be sure that you define your terms and concepts (put concepts for evaluation in bold); 2) support your analysis with quotes from at least FOUR authors since lab 2; 3) support your analysis with examples from the lab experience to illustrate. You are welcome to stray from the questions above, but your paper must be -focused- and must meet the page limits. You may use any readings from 10/7 to 10/21 in your paper.

1. Ability to draw concepts from the reading material into your essay.

2. Ability to demonstrate understanding of concepts from course readings, lectures and discussions.

3. Significance and appropriateness of concepts chosen for discussion in the essays.

4. Fit between concepts and illustrations.

5. Specificity and amount of support material from readings, lectures and discussions to illustrate the concepts

6. Thoughtfulness and insightfulness of arguments.

7. Coherence of essay--ability to organize ideas and create an argument.

8. Writing mechanics.