We have a historic village consisting of 15 historic buildings and a main
museum.  Our school program contained a scavenger hunt when I started here.
 I found that the children simply ran through the museum and to the various
buildings looking for the answers and not paying any attention to anything
else.

I have done away with these and replaced them with guided tours
specifically designed for the age group.  These are generally formatted
around a discussion which engages the children to examine the exhibits more
closely and think about what is there.  The comments we have had from the
teachers, parents and children are overwhelmingly in support of this new
approach.  Yes, it takes more staff time but if we aren't here to educate
children what are we here for?

Kara Reilly
Heritage Park
Fort McMurray, AB
email:  [log in to unmask]


----------
> From: Sharyn Horowitz <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: exhibit worksheets
> Date: March 14, 1998 10:12 AM
>
> From an exhibits standpoint I don't like them because (1) why did we
spend
> all of this time creating an engaging, self-guided, informative exhibit
if
> the education department going to tell kids what to look at and what they
> can ignore (2) aren't museums supposed to be different from school? (3)
> worksheets only work for some kinds of learners, and we work hard to make
> exhibits that work for everybody and (4) why give kids pencils when
pencils
> can scratch graphics, jam keyboards, etc.
>