Hi Carly,

Museum education programs should ALWAYS be created and aligned with a
state's educational standards. For example, I run a historic site, but the
family we interpret only appears in the 8th grade curriculum for our state,
yet we program K-12. Every one of our programs addresses at least 1 state
educational standard so that the schools, especially those that our
struggling academically, can justify a field trip.  Some people will now
scream about "mission".  We meet mission because the family we interpret
did not live in a vacuum nor a cave in the woods, they read widely of
history, religion, natural history, as well as took many many newspapers.

The other "guideline" for museum education...MAKE IT FUN/ENGAGING!  Don't
use yourself as the test of "would I have found this fun when I was 10"
because you are too old (even if you are 22) -- use today's 10 year old as
the model. And if it isn't fun or engaging, then chuck it and start over.

Best of luck.
-- 
*Michelle Zupan*
Curator
Hickory Hill & the Tom Watson Birthplace
502 Hickory Hill Drive
Thomson, GA  30824
706-595-7777
FAX: 706-595-7177

Visit us at www.hickory-hill.org or on Facebook
<https://www.facebook.com/hickoryhillmuseum>.
Follow us on Twitter: HHEducation

Historic homes of the Watson-Brown Foundation, Inc
<http://www.watson-brown.org>.

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