ED23E:
Scientific Collections as an Essential Gateway to Informal Science Learning Posters


Submit an Abstract to this Session


Session ID#: 51795

Session Description:
Museum and university collections house millions of objects that can be used to engage the public in positive science experiences. Museum visitors may explore exhibits on plate tectonics or dinosaurs, families can attend an outreach event and learn about rocketry or geohazards, or an individual may volunteer as a citizen scientist.  Such informal education experiences are often the primary avenue through which non-students are exposed to scientific evidence and ways of thinking, and often are their only opportunity to interact directly with scientists.  Importantly, collections allow the public to handle real objects and see first-hand “how we know.” This session will bring together scientists and educators to share strategies for collections-based informal geoscience education. We welcome presentations that focus on best practices or case studies from a variety of settings representing both short term events such as annual outreach days to long-term programs such as exhibits or museum discovery centers.
Primary Convener:  Laura Soul, Smithsonian NMNH, Education and Outreach, Washington, DC, United States
Conveners:  Lucy Chang1, Benjamin James Andrews2 and Anna Katherine Behrensmeyer1, (1)Smithsonian NMNH, Paleobiology, Washington, DC, United States(2)Smithsonian NMNH, Global Volcanism Program, Washington, DC, United States
Primary Liaison:  Laura Soul, Smithsonian NMNH, Education and Outreach, Washington, DC, United States
Chairs:  Benjamin James Andrews1, Laura Soul2, Lucy Chang3 and Anna Katherine Behrensmeyer3, (1)National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Mineral Sciences, Washington, United States(2)Smithsonian NMNH, Education and Outreach, Washington, DC, United States(3)Smithsonian NMNH, Paleobiology, Washington, DC, United States
OSPA Liaison:  Lucy Chang, Smithsonian NMNH, Paleobiology, Washington, DC, United States
Index Terms:

0805 Elementary and secondary education [EDUCATION]
0815 Informal education [EDUCATION]
0825 Teaching methods [EDUCATION]
0840 Evaluation and assessment [EDUCATION]

Abstracts Submitted to this Session:

Using Global Volcanism Program and Mineral Sciences Collections to Illustrate Volcanic History (447641)
Edward Venzke1, Benjamin James Andrews1 and Leslie Hale2, (1)National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Mineral Sciences, Washington, United States, (2)National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Mineral Sciences, Washington, DC, United States
The U.S. National Meteorite Collection: Bringing the Solar System to the Nation (435717)
Catherine M Corrigan1, Tim McCoy2, C Julie Hoskin1 and Nicole Lunning3, (1)Smithsonian Institution, Mineral Sciences, Washington, DC, United States, (2)National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Mineral Sciences, Washington, United States, (3)Rutgers University, Piscataway, United States
Value of Natural History Collections in Liberal Arts Education (369890)
Yu Kai Tan, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT, United States, Andy Tan, Wesleyan University, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Middletown, CT, United States, Ann C. Burke, Wesleyan University, Biology, Middletown, CT, United States and Ellen Thomas, Wesleyan University, Middletown, United States
A Day For Everything: Making National [Insert Name Here] Day Work For Collections-Based Outreach (363913)
Danita Brandt, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, United States
Engaging the Next Generation of Scientists and Science Advocates Through Collections-Based Education at the California Academy of Sciences (466419)
Christine Garcia, California Academy of Sciences, Invertebrate Zoology and Geology, Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability, San Francisco, CA, United States, Ashley Dineen, California Academy of Sciences, Invertebrate Zoology & Geology, San Francisco, CA, United States and Peter D Roopnarine, California Academy of Sciences, Department of Invertebrate Zoology & Geology, Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability, San Francisco, CA, United States
Digging Habitats of the Past – A hands-on experience in finding fossils and using them to interpret habitat change over time (459797)
Anna Katherine Behrensmeyer, Smithsonian NMNH, Paleobiology, Washington, DC, United States
Using the Paleobiology Database to learn about paleobiogeography and plate tectonics (467003)
Mark D Uhen, George Mason University Fairfax, Atmospheric, Oceanic, and Earth Sciences, Fairfax, VA, United States
Designing Fossil-based Collaborative Learning Activities about Evolution and the History of Life on Earth (466554)
Gale Famisan Robertson, Colleen P Popson and Amy Bolton, Smithsonian Institution NMNH, Office of Education and Outreach, Washington, DC, United States
Fossil Atmospheres: A case study of citizen science in question-driven paleontological research (467283)
Laura Soul, Smithsonian NMNH, Education and Outreach, Washington, DC, United States, Richard S Barclay, National Museum of Natural History, Paleobiology, Washington, United States, Scott L Wing, Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History, Department of Paleobiology, Washington, United States and Amy Bolton, Smithsonian Institution NMNH, Office of Education and Outreach, Washington, DC, United States

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