Action Plan Museum Educators

Program titles:
Greatest Places Activities for Science Center Youth Programs
School field trip/Outreach Discovery Lab hands on experiences -- 40 minute
Overnighter Workshops and Lobby Activities -- 40 minute
Children's Classes -- Saturday/Sunday -- 3 hr (If summer 1 wk)
Youth Alive Curriculum -- 40 minute activities -- 4-5 sessions
Exhibit Hall Cart Activities -- 5-10 minute
Creative Technology Center -- computer classes 1 - 3 hour
Weather Partnership with Martin Luther King School(s)
Museum Educator: Linda Brown, Education Development Coordinator
Educator Information: Carnegie Science Center
1 Allegheny Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15212
  1. 237-1664
    FAX: 412-237-3375
    brownl@clpgh.org
Program Overview:
Choose activities and adapt them to be used by Education Coordinators in various formats. Activities will be selected to integrate science/geography concepts.
Types of activities -- Participant Culture bag/prepared culture bag from each country, prepare bag to send (drawings, found objects around Science Center); geology activities -- sand dunes, folding/uplift, deltas/erosion stream tables; adaptations; mapping activities -- contour mapping, latitude/longitude, GPS finder; Greatest Places Web site and GIS computer lab activities used to compare the 7 places with Southwestern Pennsylvania. Murals will be developed showing Pittsburgh's Greatest Places. Post let public be involved. Comparisons will be made to Pittsburgh environmental/geological features. Youth Alive and Martin Luther King Schools will do exchange with other students. Polaroid cameras will be used for "exploration" activities to find an answer in the Science Center.. Will group together answer pictures.

Four-five part mystery -- make plastic landforms of each of the 7 places/students make topography maps -- 7 environment bags -- 7 culture bags -- 7 latitude/longitude plus locating activity (map projections)-- mystery pictures/objects. Groups must come up with description of each place from their clues then must find the match for their bags. Then the three mini groups do quick skit about their place. For Overnighter lobby activities will extend the theme with country stations/activities.
Program Goals:
Programs will extend the educational impact of Greatest Places by incorporating activities into school group visits, classes for students, overnighter activities, and floor activities for the public. Will use the science connection, but also will bring in the geographic aspects.

Program dates: During the 6 month venue when Greatest Places is showing.

Program Audience: Children between ages of 8- 16.

Internal Contacts: Education Coordinators whose responsibilities are Outreach/World Game, Children's Classes, Overnighter, Creative Technology Center, Exhibit Areas, Youth Alive
External Contacts: Local Martin Luther King School staff, Charlie Kirkpatrick
Possible Financial Support: Participant tuitions

Venue dates for The Greatest Places: Not determined

Timeline for Planning and Implementation:
When date is confirmed, schedule education/marketing staff Preview Event for generating excitement, introducing the themes, and brainstorming. Staff bring culture bags and use these as introduction to geography themes. Will show animatic/video.
Teacher resource book, Web site materials, Trunk description will be circulated to all required coordinators.
Coordinators will determine common activity offerings -- assign development of the materials
Each coordinator will write product descriptions according to yearly calender requirements for publications
Implement program
Evaluation: Each program category already has program evaluation form for participants.