In two days of assisting with fossil workshops for children ages 5-6 and 7-8
at the University of Kansas Natural History museum, I've had the privilege
of witnessing both teacher and students using humor:

In one instance the teacher demonstrated erosion by tagging the students as
he walked by and said "you're eroded!"; each student tagged and had to get
up and follow the teacher, including those hiding from him under the tables.
Students were "deposited" by going back to their seats. They loved it!

In the other instance we were looking at the fossil exhibits at the museum
when *something* fell over in the museum and made a convincingly loud noise.
Two children looked wide-eyed at each other, and one of them said, "Maybe
one of the Tyrannosauruses escaped!"

--Jennifer Dropkin

-----Original Message-----
From: Jacqueline Eyl <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, June 06, 2000 12:53 PM
Subject: Re: Hand to Hand Fall 2000: Using Humor with Children in museums


>here is just one quote/annectdote - when a child learned about gravity in
>one of our programs he said - "oh i get it it's graBity because you grab
>stuff from the sky".
>
>Jacqueline V. Eyl
>Director of Education
>Discovery Creek Children's Museum
>(202) 364-3111

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