musings | what's new

Dealing with the complex issues raised by the events of September 11^th is an ongoing challenge for teachers across the country. The Museum's Education Department aims to support teachers with a variety of programs and educational materials, one of which is this issue of Musings. Instead of discussing a new product or upcoming event, this issue's "What's New" feature focuses on some of the ways in which people in the Education Department have responded.

Joanna Grossman, Geographic Information Science and Remote Sensing Specialist, Science Bulletins, Education
© AMNH

Joanna Grossman is an expert in GIS, which stands for Geographic Information Systems (or Science). "It's a software that allows you to collect data on anything you want, and to map it precisely in multiple layers," she explains. "For example, you can use a map of streets, stop signs, or even an image of an area, and overlay them all in one map in their exact locations. This is called geo-referencing." At the Museum, Joanna applies GIS technology to mapping different global phenomena, such as algae blooms and ozone depletion.

GIS can be used with remotely sensed images and satellite data. Its application to the site of the World Trade Towers collapse was therefore immediately apparent. "There was an urgent need for GIS staff at the state-of-the-art facility the emergency management center had set up on Pier 92—an enormous convention center with tons of tables, chairs, and PCs—and every city, state, and federal agency you can think of, plus utilities, non-profits, and all branches of military and law enforcement," Joanna reports. She went down there on the Monday following the disaster—going every other night for several weeks—and has now been there a couple of nights a week since. "Usually data is given to me by an agency that needs it mapped. For example, the Department of Health gave me a list of addresses with fuel tanks underground, and asked whether we could map where the tanks were in relation to images of the site." She and her colleagues have mapped all kinds of water main breaks and utility outages, and are currently assessing the level of impact on all the structures in lower Manhattan. Reflecting on the gratitude, meals, and blankets that have come her way as she works, Joanna says, "I feel lucky to have been able to help rebuild New York."

Kevin Orangers, Moveable Museum Manager, Education
© AMNH

As Moveable Museum Manager, Kevin Orangers has developed two exhibitions that travel to schools and community events across New York City, each housed in its own 37-foot-long Winnebago. Kevin points out that "the greatest resource of the Museum is its collections, and this program allows those resources to leave the Museum walls."

One exhibition is about paleontology and relates to dinosaurs. The other, called "Structures and Cultures," exemplifies the Museum's commitment to presenting culture in a way that helps people begin to think about and understand cultural differences. "It's an anthropological investigation of the resources and objects used by three different nomadic cultures in their daily lives. This investigation allow us to reflect on how everyday objects can help us to understand culture," Kevin explains. "It also shows how the structures we build, whether skyscrapers made of metal and glass, or gers made of wood and felt, directly reflect who we are as people." Accompanying curricular materials enable teachers to discuss what makes cultural groups unique, as well as what unites humanity across this great diversity.

"The best way to reach schools is by public outreach," says Kevin. Since the attacks, many schools in the four outer boroughs have ruled out trips into Manhattan, so this mobile mission has become more important than ever. Undeterred by security checks and traffic jams, Kevin asserts that, "in times of crisis like this one, I can think of no better program than 'Structures and Cultures' to provide a framework of cultural awareness for both teachers and their students."

Teddy Yoshikami, Manager of Multicultural Programs, Education

As Manager of Multicultural Programs at the Museum, Teddy Yoshikami continues an initiative that began in the 1970s to reach underrepresented communities whose voices were seldom heard in the Museum and similar institutions. "Our programs today give people from various cultures an opportunity to speak for themselves and from their own perspective, and have broadened to collaborations on a more regular basis," Teddy explains. Her staff collaborates closely with different community groups and organizations to provide cultural programs for school groups and general audiences. It's a big charter, because the programs cover almost all the cultures represented in the Museum. "Although we cannot cover them all annually, we try to focus on the contemporary issues and important changing traditions that are relevant to specific communities, not only locally, but across the United States and internationally as well," Teddy explains. With the recent tragic events on September 11^th, it was extremely important to support local communities in need. One such community was represented by the New York Chapter of the Association of Indians in America, which co-sponsored a program on September 30^th in conjunction with the "Meeting God: Elements of Hindu Devotion" exhibition. Performances, films, demonstrations, workshops, and lectures focused on the religious and spiritual aspects of Indian life, including devotional songs and several dance forms depicting various deities. During a panel discussion on "Religion as Social Inspiration," Hindu, Sikh, Muslim, and Jain community leaders talked about their religious and civic commitments.

"Having planned these programs months before, it became even more urgent to bring an educational program to dispel, demystify, and change stereotypic views and ideas of a culture that may be unfamiliar to some of our audiences, while supporting a South Asian community organization. The September 11^th events have provoked many incidents of violence against South Asians, Arabs, and Muslims," Teddy notes. Further programs related to broader issues affecting these communities are being planned. As one of the Hindu participants in the "Meeting God" program said, "It's not about tolerating each other. It's about creating an equality that we can all respect and be proud of, so that we each have a say."

Edith Gonzalez de Scollard, Supervising Instructor (Anthropology), Museum Teaching and Learning, Education

One of the programs that Edith Gonzalez de Scollard coordinates is called Global Voices. It brings in college students from all over the world to learn how to give presentations about their own cultures—"how to do museum education, in effect," she explains—and connects them to K-12 teachers who want guided experiences in the Museum's Cultural Halls with their students. For example, a teacher might bring a class to the Hall of Asian Peoples and look at the diorama of traditional Korean life. "Two weeks later, an intern from our program would visit the classroom and talk about modern Korean culture," Edith explains. A Supervising Instructor in anthropology, she points out that "a book describes a culture at a specific moment in time. We want to illustrate to kids that culture doesn't stand still, that it's dynamic, not static."

Many Global Voices interns have specialties. "We have a student who talks about modern Israeli rap music; a husband and wife who team-teach about Mexican archaeology and architecture, and a student from Pakistan who talks about the history of Islam and its place in the political history of the region." While the Museum is careful not to send students into situations that might be hostile, Edith emphasizes the value of putting diverse people in contact with each other, "so they can learn not to fear cultural differences."

Since the attack on the World Trade Center, buses have had difficulty making the trip into the city and back because traffic has been so slow. "So when a teacher calls, we set up a series of classroom visits, instead of a Museum visit followed by one to the classroom," she explains. "Some schools request several visits by the same intern, while others may be studying a number of different countries and want representatives to come and speak about each. We're trying to keep the spirit of the program the same, particularly for kids not able to get here as easily."