Trippin'
Oct 6, 2005 2:51 PM
Janet Lo, manager of school and docent programs at the American Folk Art Museum, tells teachers the story of the fantastical tin can creatures during a recent open house.
Carol Saft of Vanguard HS in the Julia Richmond Education Complex agreed the “scale of the museum is inviting so kids feel really comfortable and come back on their own. They also respond to the grassroots elements in this art.” Some of her students participate in the museum’s yearlong training program to learn about the operation of a museum and study the museum collection in depth. In the summer they are hired as docents to lead tours.
The New York Historical Society has just opened an exhibition it describes as one of the most significant exhibitions in its 200-year history — Slavery in New York — a topic “barely mentioned in school textbooks.” The exhibit notes that “at the time of the Revolution, there were more slaves in New York than in any city except Charleston, SC.” What an opportunity for social studies teachers.
The New York Botanical Garden invites teachers and their classes to the many specialized programs they offer.
At the New York City Fire Museum, 10,000 children last year learned how to get out of a burning apartment — all part of the safety and historical tour.
K-2 children can meet Officer Mike and older students can work on detective assignments at the New York City Police Museum, where they also see the evolution of the department from the early days of New Amsterdam’s eight-man policing team to today’s largest force in the country.
And there’s so much more. While there are zoos in all the boroughs, the 265-acre Bronx Zoo has the largest African rain forest ever built and is home to more than 4,000 animals, many of them endangered species.
You can even do a Friday overnight with students from grades 7-12 at the 14-acre New York Aquarium in Brooklyn .
While the 83-acre Snug Harbor Cultural Center on Staten Island is still expanding, the Children’s Museum, Sculpture Garden, Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art and the Botanical Garden provide educational opportunities at all levels.
At the expanding Queens Botanical Gardens environmental workshops and tours are a valuable learning resource.
Then there are the scores of museums representing the ethnic diversity of the city and museums featuring everything from photography to the moving image, television and radio.
To tap into all these riches, go to http://www.ny.com/museums/all.museums.html for a listing of almost 100 city museums.
The State Edition of New York Teacher will feature museums around the state in the Oct. 20 issue.
