This book gives step-by-step instructions on how to design, implement, and present an evaluation study for a museum or other settings for informal education, and it presents guidelines for studying the experiences of visitors in informal educational settings. The chapters are: (1) "Planning an Evaluation Project"; (2) "Informal…

Describes the children's museum movement, exhibits common to children's museums, and the role of children's museums in providing interactive environments for young children to complement the learning that goes on in classrooms and at home. Provides contact information for five children's museums. (DR)

Addresses the role of children's museums, recounting both positive experiences of meaningful interactions and negative encounters in which such interactions were discouraged or were too cursory. Suggestions for scaffolding children's discovery and problem-solving learning with children's museum activities are offered. (DB)

Presents a variety of strategies to help teachers find and use community resources to enhance education. Ideas include bringing history to life at a local historical society, cultivating business partners, working with childrens' museums, and collaborating with local organizations. Tips for tapping into community resources are included. (SM)

(MDH)

This ERIC Digest promotes the use of museums as social studies teaching resources. Because of the wealth of information and the breadth of scope of material found in museums, they can be invaluable as resources for the classroom as well as for tours. The guide covers the recent trend of museums catering to the educator through the development of…

This packet is intended as an aid to teachers in the United Kingdom bringing groups of children to visit Yarmouth Castle (Isle of Wight). The materials are aimed at the upper junior and lower secondary school student although adaptations of information and ideas would make it more widely applicable. The packet consists of a teacher's handbook and…

This handbook/guidebook/manual details marketing and fund-raising strategies that might benefit art organizations. Drawing on sources from the arts community, including orchestras, opera, dance and theater companies, galleries, museums, arts councils, performing arts centers, and a zoo, ideas are presented which have proven successful in actual…

This combination handbook, guidebook, and how-to-do-it manual presents useful marketing and fund-raising strategies for those involved in promoting and funding the arts. Case histories of funding programs and promotions are presented along with advice and guidance on: tapping the corporate treasury; unusual direct-mail techniques; and the use of…

This activity book accompanies the permanent "Africa Exhibit" at the Field Museum in Chicago (Illinois). The exhibit and the activities are designed to help students become aware of the diversity of Africa, its peoples and cultures, and its rich history. Some activities are intended for use at the exhibit while others ask students to…

The suggestions in this booklet address the needs of children between the ages 4-12. The booklet shows how museums can inform and inspire and build skills for both classroom and lifelong learning. Suggestions are given for ways to make family visits to museums a special opportunity to spend time together in a rich learning environment. Museums…

This resource book provides facts and activities about Washington, D.C., the nation's capital. The book introduces the structure and functions of government and connects the study of Washington's key places, people, and purposes to students' own communities. The activities are interdisciplinary and accommodate different ability levels and learning…

This booklet is written for communities and their schools to help them design educational programs and activities that use local historical and cultural resources. This approach to teaching and learning is often referred to as heritage education by preservationists, museum educators, site interpreters, and folklorists. The document addresses the…

Learning factors that are improved by K-12 arts programs include perception, awareness, concentration, uniqueness of thought style, expression, inventiveness and problem solving, confidence and self worth, and motivation. The arts have been taught as an addition to the basic curriculum, not as part of the basic curriculum. This will continue…