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Project Descriptions

UNDER THE ROCK: An Experiment in Neighborhood Exhibit-Making

August 15, 1996 - July 31, 1998 | Public Programs, Exhibitions
"Under the Rock: An Experiment in Neighborhood Exhibit-Making" is a project that will engage children in the development of exhibits as well as present information about backyard ecology. The Children's Museum staff will work with Federated Dorchester Neighborhood Houses (a group of inner city neighborhood centers in Boston) to develop a model activity that uses the theory and practice of exhibit making as a tool to engage children in science learning in their neighborhoods. They will work with children and their parents in the exploration of insect life in their urban settings and presentation of their findings in exhibits the children will make. Exhibit making includes the entire process of: studying live insects, doing research, writing text, designing and building interactive activities for an exhibit about insects, and marketing the exhibit. Exhibit making has been chosen as the pedagogical technique because it parallels creative work done in the real world; it involves people working together in teams, and utilizes different skills and intelligences of the participants. In addition to the exhibits, other results of this project will include: an educator's guidebook documenting the process of exhibit-making in community centers; a proposal for an activity book for kids with writing samples and illustrations that will be submitted to a publisher; video and electronic resources; and contributions and recommendations for the Museum's "Under the Rock" exhibit, a new exhibit to be developed subsequent to the completion of the first two phases of this project.

Funders

NSF
Funding Program: ISE/AISL
Award Number: 9626999
Funding Amount: 274009

TEAM MEMBERS

  • Signe Hanson
    Principal Investigator
    Children's Museum of Boston
  • Timothy Porter
    Co-Principal Investigator
    Childrens Museum of Boston
  • Dorothy Merrill
    Co-Principal Investigator
    Children's Museum of Boston
  • Discipline: Education and learning science | Life science | Nature of science
    Audience: Youth/Teen (up to 17) | Parents/Caregivers | Educators/Teachers | Museum/ISE Professionals
    Environment Type: Public Programs | Community Outreach Programs | Museum and Science Center Programs | Exhibitions | Museum and Science Center Exhibits
    Access and Inclusion: Urban

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