The California Science Center will develop an exhibition, "Abracadabra: The Science of Illusion." This will be a 6000-sq.ft. traveling exhibit. The theme, the science behind magic, will help visitors understand that magic is based on the complex interplay between sensation, perception, physical science and math concepts, culture, and the art of performance. The goal of the exhibition is to use the public's fascination with magic as a bridge to learning basic science in the area of optics, electromagnetics, simple mechanics, math, physiology and psychology. The exhibit will include seven thematic sections and an enclosed theater for live and taped performances. The exhibition will open at the California Science Center in October, 2000 and then will travel to the six science centers that participate in the Science Museum Exhibit Collaborative. It is estimated about 4 million people will view the exhibition during its national tour.
The Science Place of Dallas, TX requests $47,715 for "The Psychology of Music." With this planning grant they will plan a 5,000 square-foot permanent and traveling exhibition focusing on the psychology of music. The exhibition will use the universal popularity of music as the background to develop an exhibition focusing on: (1) the psychological processes involved in perceiving and understanding music; and (2) how we can use the tools and processes of science in investigating music. The exhibition will present basic concepts concerning the physics and perception of sound. Since few interactive exhibits have been developed around the perception of music as sound, the planning grant will allow The Science Place to develop the conceptual structure for the project, develop an integrated exhibition and education plan, and prepare a business plan for marketing the new exhibition. The planning process will include front-end audience research, a review of academic research on the psychology of music, a planning session with advisors, and dissemination of findings to the museum community.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
William SudduthJeffrey CourtmanLeAnn BinfordPaul Vinson
The Center of Science and Industry in Columbus, OH and the Science and Technology Interactive Center in Naperville, IL collaboratively plan to develop a series of interactive exhibits on nuclear and particle physics that will convey to a wide audience an understanding of the fundamental nature of the universe and of the basic rules that underlie that universe. The purpose is to lead the visitors from the perceived complexities of our surroundings to an unperceived simpler features of the subnuclear world. The collaborators propose to develop two duplicate copies of eight exhibits, with one copy for display at each of the two institutions. They also look to making the plans available to other science centers inexpensively and on a copyright-free basis. An added feature of the project is the collaboration between the Center of Science and Industry, an established science center, and the Science and Technology Interactive Center, an emerging one.
This sixth through eighth grade comprehensive, project-based, science curriculum focuses on students acquiring deep understandings of the concepts, principles and habits of mind articulated in national science standards. The curriculum builds upon the experiences of the Center for Learning Technologies in Urban Schools developing the LeTUS modules for Chicago and Detroit Public Schools. The project brings together scientists and science educators from three universities, teachers and administrators from six school districts, curriculum speialists from Project 2061, educational researchers from EDC, and Kendall/Hunt publishers. The design principles, arising from research on teaching and learning, include alignment with standards, assessments, contextualization, sustained student inquiry, embedded learning technologies, collaboration, and scaffolds between and within modules. Phase 1 focuses on the development of two units: Structure of Matter and Diversity of Life and Evolution. Learning outcomes are identified, target understanding performances are specified and assessments are designed before the activities are developed. Everday authentic questions that students hold as important provide the basis for projects, contextualize the activities and give coherence to the curriculum. In addition to the student materials and teacher guides, the project develops materials to provide information to administrators and the community to understand and support the implementation of the modules. Issues of language, literacy, culture and diversity are addressed. Professional development materials address teacher attitudes and beliefs while educating the teachers about the new context and pedagogy.
The Montshire Museum of Science, on behalf of the TEAMS Collaborative, will develop "TEAMS Traveling Exhibit Collaborative." Four charter members of the TEAMS collaborative, a partnership that includes the Monthshire Museum of Science, Norwich, VT; the Catawba Science Center, Hickory, NC; the ScienCenter, Ithaca, NY; and the Discovery Center Museum, Rockford, IL, request funding to expand the collaborative by incorporating three new museum partners. They will develop, evaluate, and produce two copies each of four 1500-square foot traveling exhibitions. Each TEAMS exhibition will be accompanied by maintenance manuals, teacher's guides, and program materials for community science events. Three charter museums will mentor the three new museum members, which include the Health Adventure in Asheville, NC; the Rochester Museum and Science Center in Rochester, NY; and the Family Museum of Arts and Science in Bettendorf, IA. The four new exhibit topics being proposed by the collaborative are Sound Slices, The Body as a Machine, The Physics of Motion, and The Science of Sports.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
David GoudyCharles TrautmannSarah WolfMark SinclairCatherine McCarthy
San Francisco State University is collaborating with MESA of California to replicate the Mission Science Workshop (MSW) model for informal science education to establish 10 self-supporting interactive Community Science Workshops (CSW's) throughout California. The overriding theme for activities at the CSW's is to let children and parents "be" scientists as they explore through the use of interactive exhibits, hands-on building/tinkering activities and content workshops, while at the same time ensuring they learn correct science concepts. Content to be presented is from the areas of Engineering, Life Sciences, Physical Sciences, and Mathematics. The target audience is primarily African-American, Latino, and Native American children in grades K-8 and their families.
The Franklin Institute and the Girl Scouts of the USA will develop, implement, and evaluate "Girls at the Center," a family outreach program that will foster girl-centered, learning within the context of the family. Partnerships will be promoted between local science and technology centers and Girl Scout Councils. It is a multi- component program that will increase girls' and their families' understanding of and interest in basic science principles and processes. Consisting of a series of family-oriented activities that coincide with the school year, science/technology centers will serve as the hosts. These museum-based activities will be supplemented by home-based activities. The activities will follow the constructivist theory of education and will cover a broad menu of scientific disciplines including ecology, energy, and human physiology as well as science careers opportunities. They will be linked to the requirements for the Girl Scout recognition (badges) program. It is building on the success of a previously NSF funded project "National Science Partnerships for Girls Scout Councils and Museum" and is expected to reach 75,050 girls and 112,575 adults in 25 sites across the US during the funding period. It will be institutionalized and will continue to operate in those sites as well as expand to other sites after the NSF-funded period.
The North Carolina Museum of Life and Science will develop two areas in a new 70 acre outdoor exhibit "BioQuest Woods: Linking Animals and Plans with Interactive Exhibits". This concept is to pair live animals and plants in their natural setting with science center-style interactive exhibits to communicate key ideas in biology and physics. Support will go to sixteen interactive stations in two four-acre theme areas "Catch the Wind" and "Down to Earth". "Catch the Wind" will assist visitors in the exploration air movement and learning about how plants and animals use air in specialized ways. For example, visitors will experiment with air thermals while observing the behavior of birds of prey and will learn how prairie dogs exploit the venturi effect to ventilate their burrows. In the "Down to Earth" thematic area, visitors, simulate the activities of field biologists, will track bears equipped with radio collars, examine living invertebrates, among other activities. Scientific instruments, including microscopes, in kiosks will aid on-the-scene study of live animals and plans. "BioQuest Woods" will help visitors, teachers and students gain the realistic experience of scientific inquiry in a natural setting. Education programming will highlight curriculum linkages and fulfills the goals of North Carolina's new science curriculum. It directly addresses the State's competency-based goals requiring understanding of natural systems and the interrelations of the basic sciences. Pre and post-visit materials will be developed along with teacher guides and enhancement activities. This project is being developed with the cooperation of the Austin Nature Center, the National Zoo, and the Indianapolis Zoo.
Science Museums of Charlotte, Inc. will develop a 5500 square foot traveling exhibit on SCIENCE of FASHION for the Science Museum Exhibit Collaborative (SMEC). Opening in February 1994, SCIENCE of FASHION will tour eight major U.S> cities over thirty-two months, introducing 2.5 million people to principles of chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics, and technology that drive the textile industry. SCIENCE of FASHION integrates diverse disciplines and will help public explore science in a wholistic manner. Because the subject matter is somewhat unusual fare, SCIENCE of FASHION will help diversify audiences, drawing in population segments, particularly women, who may not normally visit science museums. SCIENCE of FASHION is an eloquent vehicle for science-rich exhibitry which teaches the mathematics of pattern geometry, production statistics, and retail costs, polymer chemistry for engineering new fabrics, the genetics of new natural colors and strong aware fibers, and the sophisticated research, robotics, and computerized technologies that keep America's textile industry at the top international commerce. Rigorous evaluation will ensure a satisfying product that is educationally-effective, durable, and appealing to a broad public audience. SCIENCE of FASHION will be a worthy addition to the rich menu of science fare in SMEC exhibitry.
SOUNDPRINT, the weekly half-hour nationally broadcast public radio documentary series, proposes a 16-program SOUNDPRINT SCIENCE SERIES comprising four thematic components of four programs each, which explore and examine current issues and ideas in the areas of 1) Biodiversity and Species Management; 2) Invasions: The Predator and the Prey; 3) Cultural Geography; and 4) The Meanings of Science. The series offers listeners a variety of experiences illustrative of the breadth of what is defined as science. Scientific thought and method are presented through a humanistic storytelling approach that capitalizes on the imaginative quality of sound to immerse listeners in the exploration of phenomena. Each documentary explores a single subject, placing it in a meaningful context, and taking listeners beyond the surface of simple fact reporting. Programs translate complex scientific ideas into accessible, memorable stories that increase awareness and understanding of science for a broad population (SOUNDPRINT REACHES OVER 250,000 LISTENERS EACH WEEK). The SOUNDPRINT SCIENCE SERIES will be broad cast as a series of quarterly, month-long specials, with promotional, education and community outreach materials provided to stations. Post- broadcast application of the programs includes development of teacher guide packets targeted to the middle school level and repacking of programs for educational purposes in multi-media and interactive settings. Cassette copies of programs are shared by listeners in professional, educational, and informal settings. Major scientific disciplines involved include: biology, environmental sciences, geography, life sciences, mathematics and physics. The Proposed SOUNDPRINT SCIENCES SERIES is submitted to the National Science Foundation Informal Science Education Program. Programs in the series are geared to a broad, general audience, elementary through adult populations.
"How Things Fly" is a major new exhibit gallery being produced by the National Air and Space Museum and is scheduled to open in 1995. The goal of this permanent exhibition is to convey, to the broadest possible audience, the essential principles by which aircraft and spacecraft fly. "How Things Fly" represents an important departure from other exhibitions at the Museum in both content and execution. Instead of relying on static displays of historical artifacts, "How Things Fly" will use interactive devices and live demonstrations designedto spark curiosity, invite visitor participation, and provide children and adults with the opportunity to discover for themselves answers to some of their fundamental questions about flight. "How Things Fly" will be the first major exhibiton at the Museum devoted entirely to hands-on learning. It will incorporate some of the best interactive exhibitry ideas from othermuseums, improve upon them where possible, and include a substantial number of original exhibits. While intended to help visitors more fully appreciate the Museum's collection, the cooperative efforts, such as publications, a traveling exhibition, and educational outreach programs, will extend the exhibition's impact across the nation.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Barbara BrennanSteven SoterChristopher StetserDavid RomanowskiJoann Hinkel
9355625 Cassady The Children's Museum of Indianapolis is developing a new permanent 12,000 square-foot gallery, "The Wet, Wild, Wonderful World of Science: A Science Gallery That Connects Kids to Their World." Water is the catalyst for the exploration and discovery of science concepts throughout the gallery. Within the gallery are three hub context areas (Pipes and Pumps, Streams and Ponds,Tubes and Flasks) that are closely linked, both conceptually and physically. The message is that the concepts introduced in one hub also apply to the others, thus erasing artificial distinctions between natural and physical sciences. The goals of the project are: To create a gallery that will make science accessible to the museum's current and underserved visitors. To create hands-on opportunities for young people to practice scientific thinking so they may better understand the physical and natural world. To create a science education experience that promotes linkages for visitors between the learning of science in the gallery and formal and informal learning outside of the museum. To research the application of constructivist theory in the design of hands-on exhibits.