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Could you all help me with something?  We get many, many school groups
through our museum in the spring & fall.  In addition to a 45 minute guided
tour of a lock, we have tried to give some structured activity for the groups
as they go through our exhibits (7,000 sq ft).  We have a very limited staff
of usually 1 to 2 docents available to assist the exhibit groups and one of
them has to stay at the front desk.  Many of our schools come with 50-100
students at one time and want to only spend about 1.5 to 2 hours hours.  We
typically break them in to groups of 25 with some going on the tour, some go
to the film and the rest to a gallery tour and then all rotate when the
guided tour returns.  So far, we have been giving the gallery tour groups an
activity sheet on a clipboard to complete as they go through the exhibits so
that they look for and take away the important messages we want them to know.
However, many do not do it because they are too busy with the exhibits
themselves or don't have the time.  What do you do?  Is there good research
on this type of situation out there?  If so, where?

**************************************************
Carol Ryan
Interpretive Services & Outreach Program Leader
Rivers Project Office/National Great Rivers Museum
PO Box 337
Alton, IL  62002
(618) 462-6979
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