In this article, Jacksonville State University's Amy Cota and Stephen Bitgood address the following evaluation questions: (1) Would label reading decrease when the number of labels is increased? (2) Do groups who visit in families behave differently than groups composed of adults only? and (3) Do label readers view exhibit objects longer than nonreaders? The researchers share findings from a study that evaluated these questions in the Egyptian Mummy gallery at the Anniston Museum of Natural History.
In this article, Jacksonville State University's Amy Cota summarizes a 1984 "British Journal of Psychology" article written by M.B. Alt and K.M. Shaw, in which the authors attempt to classify museum exhibits in terms of "the way they are perceived by museum visitors." Cota discusses how this research suggests that there are a number of exhibit factors of greater importance than interaction or participation.
The Minnesota Loon Monitoring Program (MLMP) is a long-term project of the Minnesota DNR. Hundreds of volunteer observers annually gather information about common loon numbers on more than 600 lakes in six regions of the state. Volunteers visit each lake for one morning in early July, count the number of adult & juvenile loons seen, and report these observations to the DNR for analysis. The MLMP provides the DNR with the ability to detect changes in the population and reproductive success of the state's common loons, and to anticipate any problems that could jeopardize the future of Minnesota's state bird.
Green City Data is an after-school community service project. Teams of secondary students are trained to inventory urban natural areas selected by regional resource planning agencies to supplement their own data collection efforts. Representatives from seven agencies and educational institutions initiated this project to support development of a system of greenspaces within the Portland, Oregon/Vancouver, Washington metropolitan area. This consortium includes expertise in resource management, geography, biology, computer telecommunications, science education and community coordination. These and other community professionals tech students and volunteer team leaders (teachers or other adults) the basics of habitat identification and mapping in the context of regional planning. ***
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Gail WhitneyMichael HouckJames GillenJoseph PoracskyEllen Lanier-Phelps
The Desert Botanical Garden will utilize its extensive collection to create a science learning center focusing on deserts and presenting fundamental science concepts applicable to all environments. The comprehensive desert exhibit created by this proposal will feature six thematic trails through 25 acres of the Garden, with the trails' themes ranging from basic characteristics of deserts to adaptions of plants, animals, and people to the desert. Emphasizing ecology and conversation, the trails will include conceptual signs, investigation stations for hands-on, interactive learning, and innovative written exploration guides. The proposal also includes educational programming which will extend the exhibit and encourage use of the Garden as an outdoor laboratory. An exhibit-based curriculum will be developed for use across the state, and an institute will be created to prepare teachers to use the exhibit and curriculum. A newspaper series focusing on key exhibit concepts will be disseminated across the state to reach out-of-school adults. The products of the proposal and the model created will be shred through various networks with a national audience. The local and worldwide population explosion in arid lands mandates an increased understanding of deserts. With this proposal, the Garden will be a catalyst for greater awareness and change.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Kathleen SocolofskyRobert BreunigJoseph McAuliffeRuth Greenhouse
The goal of the Science Minders project is to increase the interest and self-esteem of girls relative to science. Since many early adolescents seek economic independency by "baby-sitting," the Science Minders project will develop materials designed to permit early adolescents to teach science to small groups of young children. The materials will make the early adolescents' child-caring providing more successful and significantly enhance their attitudes and comfort with science. These materials will include a book containing informal science activities and activity resources, a child-development guide, first-aid and emergency procedures and child-care tips; and two training videos, one to demonstrate how to use the materials effectively with young children, and one to train adults to train adolescents as child-care providers. These materials will be nationally promoted and disseminated by a commercial publisher and through the national network of 400 YWCAs in 4,000 locations throughout the United States.
Ornithology is one of the few scientific disciplines to which amateurs can still make significant contributions. Whether they observe birds at a feeder, count birds for a national census, or conduct a simple experiment, their activities contribute greatly to our knowledge of birds. Furthermore, participants in bird study programs not only learn about birds, they also become more aware of environmental problems. The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology exists to facilitate such amateur involvement and education. This proposal is aimed at strengthening our education programs and expanding them to include under-served audiences in the inner city. We propose to evaluate the extent to which our radio program, magazine, and Project FeederWatch appeal to various audiences and how effective these programs are at communicating information about birds and in stimulating involvement. Based on this evaluation, we will modify our programs, then evaluate them again. We are also proposing a brand-new volunteer-assisted data gathering program, which we call the National Science Experiment. In cooperation with other organizations, volunteers will look at the biology of pigeons in our cities, food preferences of winter birds across the United States, and the habitat requirements of neotropical migrant tanagers. The results of these studies will be of interest to both ornithologists and birders; furthermore, participants in the project will gain first-hand involvement with the process of science.
LIVING ON EARTH is a new weekly National Public Radio newsmagazine about the people and politics of environmental change. It goes beyond the ecological segments on NPR's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED and MORNING EDITION to meet the growing demand for consistent, high quality, balanced and in-depth coverage of the environment, and scientific discoveries and advancements relevant to the rapidly changing ecology of our planet. Audience research consistently shows that information about the environment is a priority to a broad majority of public radio listeners, and these listeners are twice as likely as all adults to take personal and political action in relation to environmental concerns. With the premiere of Living On Earth in April 1991, public radio in the U.S. began serving its national audience with its first journalistically strong environmental show, Living On Earth. Each week's edition of Living On Earth begins with a one minute billboard, followed by a five minute newscast summarizing national and world ecological and scientific developments. The newscast includes modular breaks so that stations can insert two minutes of local environmental news. The balance of each program is devoted to a theme, with produced reports followed by a five minute newscast summarizing national and world ecological and scientific developments. The newscast includes modular breaks so that stations can insert two minutes of local environmental news. The balance of each program is devoted to a theme, with produced reports followed by interviews, commentaries, and occasional humor. From time to time the show is devoted to a full-length documentary or debate special. Standards of thoroughness, fairness, and excellence result in shows that stimulate as well as inform. Distributed by National Public Radio, the program is available to more than 400 NPR stations in the U.S. Already 160 of those stations have signed up to air the program. Many environmental issues -- sustainable energy, population, biological degradation, sustainable economic development and pollution, for example -- are of global concern and cut across political, racial and cultural boundaries. Material and information for Living On Earth is obtained from diverse producers and will be exchanged with public radio services around the world.
The Museum will develop an interactive traveling exhibition entitled "Our Weakening Web: The Study of Extinction" that will explore the process of extinction and examine the current role humanity is playing in that process. Is humanity accelerating the rate of extinction by modifying the global environment? The goals of the exhibit are 1) that visitors discover that extinction is a natural process, 2) that visitors explore the many ways humanity is modifying the world,s environment, and 3) that visitors understand how their actions are related to the world's environmental problems and how they can make changes in their lifestyles to help protect the environment. Three size versions (8000 sq. ft., 4000 sq. ft., and 1800 sq. ft.) of the exhibit will be created in order to maximize the number of museums that are able to accommodate the exhibit. After its opening in Cincinnati in 1994, it will travel to approximately twenty-eight museums during the next three to four years. Each venue will have the exhibit for about four months. Complementary activities will be developed and manuals describing these as well as sample materials will accompany each exhibit. These activities will include a teacher's guide, local resource guide, on- floor demonstrations, short theater presentations, and an adult lecture series. Sample press kits and copies of all promotional materials will be included in the exhibit package as well.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Susan SchultzChristopher BedelSandra Shipley
Field Museum requests $1,033,456 from NSF for the geological and biological science portions of the new, 14,000 square-foot multidisciplinary exhibit on Africa. This $3.45 million permanent reinstallation will capitalize on Field Museum's extensive African collections. We intend to use these collections and other presentational strategies, broad scientific and community input to develop a sensitive and appealing exhibit that will advance central scientific themes in anthropology, geology, ecology, and conservation. A variety of techniques will be used to appeal to the individual interests, needs and learning styles of our diverse audience. Project director will be Michael Spock, Vice President for Public Programs at Field Museum. Co-developers will be Karen Hutt and Fath Ruffins. Exhibit consultants and advisors include Field Museum scientists and educators, and experts in the fields of biology, zoology, and conservation from outside the Museum. An estimated 14 million children and adults will be reached by this ehibit over the next 20 years, and extensive documentation of the exhibit development process will serve as a model for development of other comprehensive exhibits throughout the world.
Each summer, a team of RHA staff members and volunteers collect samples of benthic macro-invertebrates, small critters whose presence indicate a stream’s health, at over fifty sites on streams and rivers in Hunterdon, Morris and Somerset Counties. Through our stream monitoring program, we gather valuable, usable data about surface water quality and the overall health of our watersheds.
Hoosier Riverwatch promotes stewardship of Indiana's waterways through a volunteer stream monitoring and water quality education program. Hoosier Riverwatch is a state-sponsored water quality monitoring initiative. The program was started in 1994 to increase public awareness of water quality issues and concerns by training volunteers to monitor stream water quality. Hoosier Riverwatch is sponsored by the Indiana Department of Natural Resources - Division of Fish and Wildlife. Funding is provided in part by the Federal Sport Fish Restoration Fund.
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Indiana Department of Natural ResourcesNatural Resources Education CenterLisa Ritter-McMahan