Meet the Museum: A World without Cars
What is the World Without Cars program?
This one-hour program will expose students to the world of the carriages in the 19th century.
Using the museum’s carriage collection students will learn about parts of a carriage, transportation and life without cars.
How does this program fit into my curriculum?
- This program will discuss the different uses of carriages as transportation (ie. work,pleasure, daily use).
- Students will learn about community helpers’ vehicles of the 1800s.
- Students will explore how people managed to live, work and have fun in the time before cars.
- The program will examine the importance of invention.
- The program gives the students an opportunity to listen actively for a short period of time and then apply learned information to an activity.
Prepare your class for your visit.
- Each student should wear a nametag with his or her first name.
- Ask your students, what is a museum?
- Ask more specific questions such as: What is a carriage? What is a sleigh? How do they move?
- Explain to students that they will be visiting a museum that will have many original carriages that were used before cars were invented. Show a picture of a carriage.
- Remind students and chaperones that there is no flash photography, food or drink allowed in the museum.
Related Reading
- Away We Go! By Rebecca Kai Dotlich (Pre-K)
- Mowing by Jessie Haas (K – 1)
- Dance at Grandpa’s by Laura Ingalls Wilder (Grades 1 and 2)
Post Visit Suggestions
- Choose a modern day transportation vehicle and have students compare and contrast it to carriages viewed at the museum.
- Ask each student to create a carriage and write (if possible) a short story about it using some of the facts they remember from the museum.
- Discuss which carriage they would have liked to ride in and why.
Meet the Museum: Through an Artist’s Eyes
What is the Through an Artist’s Eyes program?
This one-hour program allows students an opportunity to view original artwork in a museum setting and then experiment with colors and create their own color wheel.
How does “Through an Artist’s Eyes” fit into my curriculum?
- Students will compare and contrast artists’ styles.
- Student will learn to use text labels to retrieve information (Grade 2).
- The program gives the students an opportunity to listen actively for a short period of time and then apply learned information to an activity.
- This program helps students to understand the importance of creativity and individuality.
Prepare your class for your visit.
- Each student should wear a nametag with his or her first name.
- Ask your students, “What is a Museum?”
- Explain to students that they will be visiting an art museum that houses a collection of original artwork. Ask students what they think art is.
- Students will be sitting on the floor when not engaged in activities; please ask them to dress appropriately.
- Remind students and chaperones that there is no flash photography, food or drink in the museum.
Post Visit Suggestions
- Ask students to revisit their trip and create a piece of artwork related to the artist they learned about.
- Read a story full of details and then ask students to create a piece of artwork retelling a part of the story.
Related Reading
- No One Saw Bob Raczka (Grades K-3)
- Look! Look! Look! Nancy Elizabeth Wallace (Grades 1-3)
- Willy’s Pictures Anthony Browne (Grades pre-K-3)