musings | in the halls and beyond the walls

At first glance, the students scattered around the Hall of South American Peoples seem to be talking in small groups. A closer look shows that the kids are intently studying the displays, observing artifacts, making detailed drawings, and recording information. It's all part of creating an individual "Amazon Diary."

A student's drawing of an artifact in the Hall of South American Peoples.
© AMNH

Now let's look at the group of students in the Hall of Biodiversity. There, students carry clipboards, observe and take notes, and record their observations on worksheets. Alone or in teams of two or three, the students list threats to biodiversity, describe examples of recent conservation efforts, and take notes on the array of creatures in the Spectrum of Life wall. The notes are stowed in backpacks and pulled out in the classroom, where the biodiversity lesson continues.

Another group of students walks with purpose through the Hall of Biodiversity towards the Hall of Ocean Life. As they round the corner, a collective "ahhhh" is heard. The group stops and spends a few minutes looking at the full-scale blue whale suspended from the ceiling. The excited group of students, captivated by seeing the blue whale, doesn't even notice the large rain forest diorama in the Hall of Biodiversity.

What's the point? A museum is one place that can be many places at once. Field trips can be designed to make the most of different teaching styles, learning styles, and teaching tools. The students studying the Amazon attend a school in New York City. Block scheduling allowed teachers to bring students to the Museum regularly to complete an extensive "diary."

The blue whale in the Hall of Ocean Life at the American Museum of Natural History.
Department of Library Services © AMNH

The students at work in the Hall of Biodiversity could make only one visit to the Museum this year, so their teachers chose to come at the beginning of their unit and had to make the most of the visit. The group admiring the blue whale was on a trip designed to expose students to the treasures of the American Museum of Natural History.

In-depth investigation in museum halls is possible - even if you make only one visit. How do you develop opportunities for research-based student investigations? The first step is to recognize that museum halls can be used in many ways to provide varied learning experiences and acquire different kinds of knowledge. Museums are valuable resources because they expose students to genuine artifacts. They provide stimulating opportunities for students to see, hear, and even touch objects and displays. Another benefit is that the informal museum setting often encourages learners to engage in their own ways with the material. The result is greater excitement about, enthusiasm for, and comprehension of science.

Museum halls help students develop and practice the scientist's habits of mind. Ongoing work with objects, artifacts, and dioramas gives students opportunities to ask questions, look for evidence, and interpret data. Students can be asked to locate specific objects in the halls and to describe the colors, sizes, shapes, and textures in words and drawings. This practice hones their skills of observation.

Museum halls also assist teachers to meet the challenge of teaching and to reinforce the big ideas in science, such as classification, collecting, and the search for patterns. Museums themselves are vast collections organized systematically. The suggestion that students should consider how objects and information are organized, or what characteristics are unique or shared, is rewarding in the museum and in the classroom.

Any of these strategies may be used with K-12 students and adapted accordingly. Like scientists, students of all ages can learn to ask questions, observe closely, and look for evidence.

Remember the "Amazon Diary?" Once students completed their research in the exhibit halls, they began a final project that combined fact and fiction. Each student created an illustrated journal of a journey in the rain forest. Students wrapped their imaginary narratives around the facts they had acquired about the people, organisms, and habitat of the Amazon. They then read their stories aloud, added sound effects such as rushing water or birdsong, and audiotaped the readings. Finally, they brought families and friends to specific locations in the exhibit halls and asked them to listen to their stories of the rain forest.		A student's sample cover design for the "Amazon Diary" CD. © AMNH