akstmuseum
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THE ALASKA STATE MUSEUMprojects, ideas, resources and contacts for teachers
THE SAME OL’ SCAVENGER HUNT
too often, teachers resort to scavenger hunts for students when visiting the Alaska State Museum
THINK CONNECTIVITY!
the museum features art exhibits, artifacts of AK history and culture, and a collection of objects available for loan to classrooms
teachers of every subject and at every level can use this resource
SUGGESTED PROJECTS
On-line Object Research
Mystery at the Museum
Artifact and Elder Interviews
Build an Exhibit
Materials Analysis
Math in Tlingit Basketry
Sketchbooks
Object Poetry
History of Music in Alaska
ONLINE OBJECT RESEARCH
activity for English or Social Studies teachers
access the Collections Database by going to the Alaska State Museum website: http://www.museums.state.ak.us/
under “Quick Links,” select “Collections Database” and enter key words in order to search through the collection
ask students to research and write a paper or create a presentation about a particular object using the summary of details provided by the search engine as a starting point
ONLINE OBJECT SEARCH
the keyword “mukluk” yielded a long list of items with connections to mukluks
tip: give students a list of keywords to facilitate search
Alaska State Museum II-A-5789: doll - Agatha Dahl - Eskimo - wood; human hair; sealskin; rabbit fur; felt; beads; glass beads - doll - King Island
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Object Name: dollAccession Number: 80-30-271Old Num: F-306Description: wood; human hair; sealskin; rabbit fur; felt; beads; glass beadsMaker: Agatha DahlDescriptive Narrative: doll with wooden face, human hair, sealskin mitts and mukluks, rabbit fur parka. Ruff and mukluk trim are unidentified fur. Beaded felt trim around parka bottom.Subject: dollPhoto: transparency, color (large format)Culture: EskimoCollection Name: EthnologyMade: King IslandPhoto: 35mm slideDimensions: L: 10 in
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MYSTERY AT THE MUSEUM
activity for English and Social Studies teachers
this activity may be suitable as an interdisciplinary activity between an English class and a Social Studies class
the English class may choose to write a historical murder mystery or an archealogical mystery to be solved by the Social Studies class
ARTIFACT AND ELDER INTERVIEW
activity for English and Social Studies teachers
museum coordinators can help students select an item in the museum and contact an elder in the community to interview about the item
this activity stresses that the museum contains items of living cultures with vibrant oral traditions
BUILD AN EXHIBIT
activity for Social Studies teachers
as a class, build an exhibit from the “Collections Database” under “Quick Links” on the museum website: http://www.museums.state.ak.us
write labels for the items in the exhibit
MATERIALS ANALYSISACTIVITIES FOR SCIENCE TEACHERS
MATERIAL ANALYSIS
science teachers may ask students to study materials under a microscope and discuss conservation analysis
museum coordinators have items available for classroom loan
science teachers may also explore the mineral composition of tools and other human artifacts and discuss why humans choose various minerals and materials for different tools
MATH IN TLINGIT BASKETRY
contact Nancy Douglas at [email protected] for more information about her project regarding math in Tlingit Basketry
museum coordinators can also arrange a visit with a weaver and pull out baskets from the collections in storage
SKETCHBOOKS
activities for Art teachers
ask students to sketch items in the museum
ask students to research Native art
schedule a visit with an artist with an exhibit at the museum
OBJECT POETRY
activity for English teachers
ask students to choose an object in the museum (either during a visit or on the website) and write a poem or short story about the object
HISTORY OF MUSIC IN ALASKA
activities for Music teachers
ask students to research the history of music in Alaska and trace the influence of different cultures
ask students to research Alaska Native instruments and dance
TIPS FOR PLANNING A VISIT
visits should be scheduled between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
October through February is the best time of year to schedule visits
keep the number of students relatively small (do not expect the museum to accommodate several classes consisting of 30 or more students each)
prepare students ahead of time for chosen activity
CONTACTS AT THE MUSEUM
Mary Irvine, Museum Protection and Vistor Services Supervisor (907) 465-4811
Lisa Golisek, Security & Visitor Services Coordinator (907) 465-4809
Steve Henrikson, Curator of Collections (907) 465-4826