Curriculum |
Science
The Corning Museum of Glass
The Corning Museum of Glass, located in the Finger Lakes region of New
York, boasts the world’s premier collection of historical, scientific and art
glass. Sally Berry, the museum’s tourism sales and marketing manager,
recommends setting aside at least two hours for a visit, noting that more
time can yield enhanced experiences.
“We are quite unique in that kids visiting here not only have the
opportunity to see 35 centuries of glass, but they also can see
demonstrations of glass-making that explore both the artistry and scientific
properties of glass,” Berry says. “Students can make their own glass, too,
guided by experts in our world-renowned studio.”
The museum attracts a range of school groups, from kindergarten
through high school, along with college students in undergraduate
programs that include art, art history, material science, education and
design. Berry says that Scout groups and summer camp participants visit
the museum, too, in part because of its location.
“Summer groups take part in on-site camp activities and also
experience many of the natural wonders of the area at sites such as
Watkins Glen and Letchworth state parks,” she says. “And we’re situated
between major destinations that include D.C., New York City, New
England and the Niagara Falls/Toronto region.”
Berry says groups visiting the Corning Museum of Glass might combine
their visit with outdoor adventure in Niagara Falls, college tours in Ithaca,
New York, or visits to other museums. “We offer a combination ticket with
the Rockwell Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate also located in Corning.”
For more details, contact Berry at [email protected] or visit the
museum’s website, cmog.org/groups.
SEE A ‘SAUR’ IN HOUSTON
MUSEUM
THE GLORY OF GLASS
The Houston Museum of Natural Science
The Houston Museum of Natural Science provides students with a
full-force science education. The attraction, which opened in 1909,
has large dinosaur and fossil exhibits, a planetarium, a butterfly
garden, a 394-seat IMAX theater and traveling exhibit spaces.
The museum is a popular spot for school groups because
students not only learn something new, but they’ll also have fun,
according to Chris Arreaga, corporate/group sales manager.
“Here, students can find out about the life cycles of butterflies,
how diamonds are formed and where they are found,” he says.
“They’ll also learn why the Egyptians mummified their dead and how
dinosaurs stalked and caught their prey.”
There are a variety of hands-on exhibits throughout the
attraction’s Cabinet of Curiosities and the new Welch Hall of
Chemistry. The 30,000-square-foot Wiess Energy Hall, which will
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NTA Trip Planner for Student Travel
open by fall, will add another permanent exhibition that offers
interactive educational components.
“Student groups can have fun comparing the viscosity of
various oil samples from around the world,” says Arreaga. “Or they
can test their skills in electronically ‘changing’ the arrangements
of atoms in molecules, which results in completely different
chemical properties.”
Group leaders can book a tour with one of the museum’s
well-trained Discovery Guides, staff members who take visitors
through the exhibits and offer in-depth commentary.
“Our Discovery Guides bring the artifacts and fossils to life,”
Arreaga says. “They re-create for our groups the history, life and
environment to show how these objects came to be.”
Contact Arreaga at [email protected] or visit hmns.org.