Dino TV

On a visit to the Glenbow Museum in Calgary, I got the idea for a panorama craft. Theirs was based on a train trip through the mountains with scenery rolling by. The paper used was from an adding machine roll and the children would draw the landscape, attach straws and then twirl to see the scenery go by. I popped the idea away in a drawer until now.

panorama box with straws photo source: Lorie Pierce

 

 

 

 

 

 

But how to adapt this craft to the Ultimate Dinosaur theme? The main problem is to source small boxes.

 

The only way that would work was to use larger boxes that were easy to obtain. Regular sized tissue boxes seemed to fit the bill. Now, what to use as the turning posts? Here’s what I have come up with as a prototype.

empty tissue box with gift wrap roll cut in two photo source: Lorie Pierce

rolls inserted into box as posts photo source: Lorie Pierce

Holes are cut for the posts so that they sit parallel to each other. The holes should be snug so there is a bit of friction to turn the posts.

Now to create the paper roll. The object of this mini-museum event is to introduce the new Southern Dinosaurs – recently new finds from south of the equator. So the content will feature a few of these animals.

printed sheets with illustrations of dinosaurs and blue whale for comparison photo source: Lorie Pierce

The animals are shown roughly to scale, including a blue whale for size comparison. Since the window opening in the tissue box is 3 inches, these pages will be cut in half lengthwise and then taped together to form a long roll.

paper roll attached to end post with images taped together photo source: Lorie Pierce

As the back is still on the tissue box, it is necessary at this point to open one end to insert the paper roll. Tape the left margin firmly to the left end post. Turn the post clockwise to roll up the paper until the end is within the box. Tape the paper roll firmly to the right post.

end of paper roll taped to right post photo source: Lorie Pierce

Seal up the box end….and you have Dino TV !

finished prototype for Dino TV photo source: Lorie Pierce

I’m still not sure if this will be an appropriate craft for our event. How much would we prep and how much would be done by the families? Can I collect enough materials in time?

I like the idea that the activity reuses materials.

 

 

 

ensuring content quality

When it is available, a museum Edukit is reserved for use at our events – in this case the Ultimate Dinosaur mini-museum. This can be tricky as the kits are rented out during the school year and some, like the Dinosaurs Edukit, are extremely popular. However, the event is during the summer holidays, so this time there is not a problem.

This kit will form the core of the mini-museum program with crafts and activities to support it. Take a look at the contents.

dinosaur artifacts and manuals photo source: ROM

Yes, that’s a replica T-Rex tooth in the centre. In addition, there is documentation in English and in French. All in one sturdy carrying case. What an amazing resource for our Outreach program.

another view of the Dinosaurs Edukit showing manuals photo source: ROM

 

musings – one year since England / Ireland

Today marks one year since my spouse and I left for our trip to England, Wales, Ireland and Northern Ireland. I find trips always change me. One cannot be drenched in another culture without absorbing some intangible essence that seeps into one’s bones.

Ireland was like that. A new experience for both of us.

Although I have an Irish last name, due to an adoption somewhere in the great-great past, it may not be the family name after all. That gives me the opportunity to be from anywhere and everywhere.

And of course, I loved the museums I visited, especially to see what has been excavated from peat bogs – from gold neck collars to preserved people.

Peat cutting in Connemara, Ireland photo source: Lorie Pierce

peat bog body, Dublin Museum photo source: Lorie Pierce

gold collar, Dublin Museum photo source: Lorie Pierce

 

gold ear spools, Dublin Museum photo source: Lorie Pierce

Programming – starting with the basics

Whenever I set out to develop an Outreach program, I like to review some general aims concerning what I want to get across and how I wish to do it.

The first step is to review any program guidelines that my institution has set in place. Then I switch to my own personal goals.

showing knitted ammonite at mini-museum touch table photo source: Barb Magee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, in a nutshell, here are some of the goals that guide me.

1. Make the program elements (eg, activities, crafts, printed materials) reflect the collections – the actual artifacts and gallery spaces that the families would visit if it were possible for them to do so.

2. Maintain a museum standard of presentation by avoiding cartoon-like representations of people and animals when there are more accurate and realistic images to draw upon.

3. Ensure that any information imparted during the mini-museum event is curator vetted. In our institution, there are many sources of printed and video materials produced or reviewed by the curators that we can draw upon.

4. Provide engagement for all ages, from toddlers to grandparents. It is a family program, not just a children’s program.

5. Provide materials and activities in both English and French. Some of the families who attend are from francophone communities. In addition, it is a mandate of our museum to be available in both official languages of Canada.

6. Be innovative. Try new ways of engagement beyond colouring sheets (although they do have their place in our programs).

Next, I will show the activities I am designing in various stages of creation. Some of them will actually get into the program, others will stall for lack of clear execution but may be resurrected later and yet others will not make the cut. What seems a good idea in my head does not always translate to a viable activity.

start of an Outreach program – Ultimate Dinosaurs

Now that my tour training is finished and I have one successful tour under my belt, it is time to dig in and create a family Outreach program based on the new exhibit               (see #UltimateDinosaurs)

Programming always proceeds out of chaos and I warn you that this is not going to be a pretty sight.

program materials wedged into a corner of my dining room between an Escher print and my Roadside Geology books photo source: Lorie Pierce

For a couple of months, I have been collecting materials in a box. When that flowed over, another box was obtained. Now comes the time to sort through and see what can be done with the bits and pieces. Coupled with this are text and image files downloaded on my Mac to an Ultimate Dinosaurs folder.

My Medieval Europe program box has been put to rest and a future Awesome Animals program box has already received a few first tentative entries. It will have to lurk in the shadows back in the home office. Dinosaurs rule now in my little corner of Yonge and Eglinton. Just as they are holding court in a much more significant way at Bloor and Avenue Road.

 

 

Museums and decades of good will

Talking with a visitor the other day about the changes in our museum over the decades, since we were children ourselves. She said she started attending Saturday Morning Club in the 1940’s. The day I met her, she had brought her grandchildren along to see the new southern dinosaurs exhibit and mentioned that they attended the last Sleepover.

The good will we have built up between ourselves as an institution and this customer/visitor (and no doubt member) shows up in her face as she fondly remembers the armour court that used to be in the spot we were standing.

It strikes me that good will comes from the feeling of being connected, not just to our collections, but to the people and activities that fill our building. She was obviously feeling very connected, but many visitors are at the first steps of that type of relationship.

How do we engender the same good will in them?

How can we foster opportunities for connections that will last for decades?

 

Simulating animal behaviour

Looking forward to the Awesome Animals mini-museum planned for late October, I’ve started to think of how to show to demonstrate unique aspects of animal behaviour.

Fortunately, there was a sale on Hex Bug habitats and I scooped one up to investigate how it could be used to show insect locomotion. But once it was set up and I had three Nano bugs frantically zooming down the pathways, it came to me that this would be a great model to show communication within a bee hive.

Hex bug habitat set up to emulate a bee hive photo source : Lorie Pierce

The kit came with two bugs but at least three are needed to show the three types of bees in a colony – worker, drone and queen. You see in this picture a worker bee returning from the outdoors to re-enter the hive. The queen bee and drones are collected in the innermost cell of the hive.

During our event, we will use several bees marked for their specific function. Children can turn them on and see how they communicate within the hive. Supporting graphic and print material will explain the complex and mysterious language of bees while connecting the children back to the live bee colony in the Hands-on Gallery at the museum.

At least, that’s the current plan.

Meanwhile, my spouse and I will test the beehive model at home, much to the surprise and curiosity of our three cats.

Sightings – Voyageur 1

Voyageur 1 photo source: NASA

 

 

 

 

 

What were you doing in 1977?

That’s when the two Voyageur spacecraft were launched to:

“take advantage of a rare geometric arrangement of the outer planets in the late 1970s and the 1980s which allowed for a four-planet tour for a minimum of propellant and trip time. This layout of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, which occurs about every 175 years, allows a spacecraft on a particular flight path to swing from one planet to the next without the need for large onboard propulsion systems. The flyby of each planet bends the spacecraft’s flight path and increases its velocity enough to deliver it to the next destination.” http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/news/factsheet.html

 Now that the Voyageur craft are 35 years into a five year mission, Voyageur 1 is about to break through the edge of our solar system and enter interstellar space.

Meanwhile we owe our knowledge of active volcanoes on Jupiter’s moon and the intricacies of Saturn’s rings to these enduring crafts.

Sightings – Red-tailed hawks now fledglings

In a return to the Cornell University website  allaboutbirds.org , I have discovered the nestlings are now grown up and fledged. What incredible cameras they have trained on these three birds. Here is one of the youngsters on the eve of summer.

source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology webcam

source: Cornell Lab of Ornithology webcam

Birds – the only known living descendents of dinosaurs.

 

 

musings – dinosaurs at the bottom of the ocean

In my ramp up to the new Ultimate Dinosaurs exhibit, I got to thinking about the hadrosaurs I heard have been lying at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean since WW1.

Two of my interests (deep ocean and dinosaurs) intersecting.

Here is a portion of the story according to Mike Walley                                           http://ezinearticles.com/?Diving-for-Dinosaurs&id=6980055

Dinosaur Casualties in the First World War

Before the USA was drawn into the First World War, dinosaur expeditions were still being funded and there were many excavations taking place in the Western USA and Canada. British scientists looked on enviously, especially as many UK- based museums had received a number of high quality fossils in the early part of the 20th Century.

The American fossil hunter Charles H Sternberg had collected a huge number of Cretaceous animal fossils in the area of Alberta now known as Dinosaur Provincial Park. The haul included a number of Hadrosaur fossils, rare turtles and Champosaurs (a type of crocodile). Many of these finds were destined for England as it had been agreed that they would be put on display in London.

The Sinking of the Mount Temple

The fossils were loaded onto the steamship Mount Temple. The year was 1916 and the Great War in Europe had been waging for two years. Whilst on its way to England, the Mount Temple was intercepted by a German ship, the SMS Oldenberg. After firing on the Mount Temple and forcing it to stop the German crew boarded the Canadian merchantman and planted explosives on the hull. The ship was scuttled and its precious 75-million-year-old cargo was sent to the bottom of the sea.

There it remains to this day. Ironically, there is some debate as to what was in the cargo destined for London. A number of Hadrosaur (duck-billed dinosaurs) remains including a complete skull and some fossilised skin impressions are believed to have been on board. It has been suggested that they belonged to Corythosaurus, although some of the remains may also have been of another hollow-crested Hadrosaur called Parasaurolophus.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6980055