Sorry for the cross postings...

Hi everyone_

I work for a professional association that created a set of 10 discovery
boxes in conjunction with an exhibit about psychology.The boxes traveled
with the exhibit and were used primarily by families.  They provide
visitors with activities to explore memory, cooperation and competition,
the brain, problem solving, and other topics related to the field.  Our
staff is interested in adapting these boxes for use in middle and high
school classrooms.  The students in these classrooms will not have seen
the exhibit.

I would certainly benefit from advice of my colleagues who have made this
leap from museum gallery to classroom context with your exhibit
components.  More generally, I would also like to hear from the large
number of you who have developed outreach kits, or"traveling trunks,"
based on your museum's themes and collections. Any fundamental advice?

My questions run the gambit from learning to logistics.  For instance:
--How will dynamics change from family group (its original audience) to
peer group, and how will this affect the         process and    learning?
--What role does the teacher have in facilitating the experience?
--How will the design and materials of the box and its contents change in
light of classroom use?

If your museum has tackled this, I would appreciate your insights. If
not, maybe someone can recommend some literature about the subject.
Respond on or off the list.  Thank you!

Heather  Sabin
Intern, Science Education and Informal Learning
American Psychological Association
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