ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
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Scavenger hunts work best when you have to use the exhibit to get an
answer. It's even more effective if there is more than one possible
answer. For example, we have a train that moves when given three binary
commands: the array of possible ways to get the train to move is fairly
large. We have a teacher here in St. Louis that gives each of his/her
students a unique situation to explore (the train should move fast, in
reverse, for 30 seconds or medium fast, forward, for 60 seconds), and they
must report which 8-bit binary numbers will produce this result. This took
a lot of effort on the teacher's part, but it is a great model to base a
scavenger hunt on. I would recommend looking for exhibits where there
really is no one answer that can be shared, but the **process of finding
the answer could be shared** amongst the students. This reinforces
informal education's belief in the efficacy of social or group learning.
It would be great if we could create a database or spreadsheet of 30-60
possible answers that could be gleaned from an exhibit. All the teacher
would have to do is copy and paste them into worksheets for each student.
Heck, if someone is motivated enough, he or she could create a MS Word
script that would create these kind of scavenger hunts automatically from a
spreadsheet.
Frank Kusiak
Cyberville Gallery Leader
Saint Louis Science Center
5050 Oakland Ave
St. Louis, MO 63110
Office: 1-314-286-4659
Fax: 1-314-286-4606
Cell: 1-314-229-1108
Beryl Rosenthal
<Beryl_Rosenthal@
UML.EDU> To
Sent by: Informal [log in to unmask]
Science Education cc
Network
<ISEN-ASTC-L@COMM Subject
UNITY.LSOFT.COM> Re: Scavenger Hunts or Activity
Guides
08/26/2008 10:46
AM
Please respond to
Informal Science
Education Network
<ISEN-ASTC-L@COMM
UNITY.LSOFT.COM>
ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
*****************************************************************************
I've never ben crazy about scavenger hunts, students basically just run
around and check things off, so there is very little real learning or
engagement (at least with the ones I've seen).
The only one I have seen that really engages kids is one that was
developed at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA. They have an
enormous collection of China trade goods, and the experience consists of
students working with a line drawing of part of the object, and they
have to draw in the rest. It causes them to really look at the
original, and really examine the piece.
Beryl
Sarah Fisk wrote:
> ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
> Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related
institutions.
>
*****************************************************************************
>
> I am in the process of redoing our scavenger hunts that we give to
children
> when they visit The Museum. I was wondering whether anyone else uses
> scavenger hunts or activity guides for their visitors to explore their
> museums. Would anyone be willing to share what they use?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Sarah Fisk
>
> Director of Education and Museum Experience
>
> The Children's Museum of Science and Technology
>
> 250 Jordan Road
>
> Troy, NY 12180
>
> 518-235-2120 ext.209
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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--
Beryl Rosenthal, Ph.D.
Director
Tsongas Industrial History Center
Boott Cotton Mills
115 John Street
Lowell, MA 01854
(978) 970-5081 (t)
(978) 970-5085 (f)
[log in to unmask]
www.uml.edu/tsongas/index2.htm
A joint program of UMASS Lowell and Lowell National Historical Park
***********************************************************************
For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the
Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at
www.exhibitfiles.org.
The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To
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For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org.
Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org.
The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit
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