AIHA hosts free day-long cultural resource open house

On Friday, July 12, 2002, educators, administrators and parent-interest groups are invited to explore the role of museum learning in schools at the Museum Learning Showcase from 9:00am – 4:00pm at the Albany Institute.

“State achievement tests require that students have the ability to interpret primary source materials, such as maps, letters, diaries, political cartoons, fine art and artifacts.  Museum-school partnerships are essential to student success,” said Pamela Malcolm, Curator of Education. “This Showcase is free-of-charge and will include displays and workshops by regional museums and cultural organizations from across the region who offer curriculum-based programs and resources.”   

Displays will be available throughout the day.  Attendance at workshops is on a first-come, first-served basis. All workshops are FREE of charge. 

WORKSHOP SCHEDULE

Solomon Northrup, The Fort Edward Historical Association Museum

10:00am (limit: 30 attendees)

This slide presentation highlights the experiences of Solomon Northrup.  Kidnapped and sold into slavery, the story of this man’s struggles is poignant and worthy of historical examination. 

Multiple Interpretive Techniques, The Schenectady Museum

10:00am (limit: 50 attendees)

This workshop will focus on the use of multiple interpretive techniques to explore immigration to the Capital District.  Primary source document “reading” and drawing activities are featured.

Teaching Local & Regional History through Primary Documents, The Adirondack Museum

10:00am (limit: 35 attendees)

Using examples from the museum’s collections, this workshop will discuss the development of document-based questions from diaries, photographs, census records and historic maps.  Adirondack History Network, a web-based primary document resource for teachers, will be introduced to participants.

Hudson River School, Capital Region Center for Arts in Education         

10:00am (limit: 15 attendees)

Participants will tour the exhibit of paintings by the group of 19^th century American landscape artists known as the Hudson River School.  A hands-on art activity related to the paintings will be included in this workshop.  Handouts will be available.

ArtMath for Children, University Art Museum, UAlbany

11:30am (limit: 50 attendees)

Professor Nat Friedman will demonstrate a series of hands-on exercises relating to art and mathematics.  An explanation of his Saturday afternoon workshops for children (ages 5-12), in which children make projects to take home, will be provided.

Meet the People of Colonial Albany, Colonial Albany Social History Project, NYS Museum     

11:30am (limit: 35 attendees)

This workshop features a PowerPoint presentation of the Colonial Albany History Project’s website, exploring the rich and diverse history of Albany in colonial times. 

Facing Portraits, Albany Institute of History & Art

11:30am (limit: 30 attendees)

The Albany Institute’s rich collection of portraits enables students to explore the purposes and “language” of portraiture, including body language, clothing, setting and props.

Talking Pictures, The Clark Art Institute

1:30pm (limit: 30 attendees)

Collections of The Clark Art Institute will be discussed in this slide presentation workshop as well as how the collections may provide insight and scope to various curriculum topics. 

How to Use a Museum, New York State Museum

1:30pm (limit: 50 attendees)

Exploring methods that link museum exhibits to the NYS Learning Standards for social studies, math, science and technology, art and English language arts, this workshop will examine how inquiry techniques and the power of seeing “the real thing” can be used with interdisciplinary themes.  Evaluation strategies, useful for any museum visit, will be included. 

Responding to and Analyzing Works of Art: Exploring How Modern Art Can Help Students Meet Visual Arts Learning Standard Three, Empire State Art Collection

1:30pm (limit: 35 attendees)

Participants will learn how modern art can challenge visual thinking skills and help students examine their environments.  This workshop will demonstrate how to connect art with ideas and concepts in social studies, English language, and mathematics.

The Distant Past: Ancient Egypt, Albany Institute of History & Art

1:30pm (limit: 30 attendees)

During this lesson, students study the Albany Institute’s two ancient Egyptian mummies and other artifacts, exploring daily life and customs as well as funerary and religious practices.  Take a guided tour of the Egypt gallery and find out how your students can deepen their understanding of this fascinating time in world history.

Learning about African American History through Primary Source Materials, Albany Institute of History & Art

1:30pm (limit: 15 attendees)

The role of African Americans during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in Albany is often overlooked.  By viewing original documents, including broadsheets, newspaper advertisements, and passes, as well as 19th century photographs, students can begin to understand the important role played by African Americans in the development of the Capital Region. 

Oral History and Primary Documents, New York State Military Museum

3:00pm (limit: 50 attendees)                    

This workshop will provide an overview of the NYS Military Museum’s value as an historic resource.  Military and social aspects of the collection will be included.  The presentation will focus on how oral history and primary documents from the museum can be used to make history more fascinating.

The Watervliet Shaker Community, The Shaker Heritage Society

3:00pm (limit: 35 attendees)

Through a slide presentation as well as hands-on activities, this workshop features the Shakers who lived in the upper Hudson region from 1776 to 1938.  Discover what remains of their community today and where you can learn more about them.

Traders and Culture: The Colonial Era in the Hudson Valley, Albany Institute of History & Art

3:00pm (limit: 30 attendees)

The 17^th and 18^th Centuries saw the growth of active commercial and cultural communities.  During the Albany Institute’s Colonial lesson, students examine a wide variety of colonial art and artifacts in order to learn more about the lives of both European colonists and Native Americans.  Enjoy a tour of the gallery and explore how your students can learn more about regional, state, and national history.