Activity
Museum of Holiday Arts
Course, Subject
Home & Careers, Career Development and Occupational Studies
Grade Levels
Intermediate, 5th Grade, 6th Grade, 7th Grade, 8th Grade
Assessment
- Participant’s reflections, photo journal, and guest log comments are evaluated.
- "How Do We Rate?” rubric is used for evaluation.
How Do We Rate? (Multimedia Exhibit Rubric)
Authors
Melissa Dixon, Patricia Molloy, and Carol Varsalona.
Duration
approx. 4 weeks
Essential Questions
- How are my school experiences connected to my future success?
- How do I find out what I want to know?
- How do I develop the skills and abilities that I need to be successful in a career?
Description
Objectives:
- Students will acquire skills in decision making, communication, and teamwork.
- Students will learn various management skills.
- Students will participate in a simulated work environment.
Activity:
- Teacher introduces the project on a holiday arts museum, explaining that the learning environment will be transformed into a museum of seasonal cultural arts.
- The students will be responsible for designing the museum, collecting materials, and designing learning materials for other students.
- Teacher arranges for the curator of a local museum to talk to the class about his/her job and the purpose, components, and appropriate structures of displays. If there is no museum close by, the teacher should determine if a museum curator would videotape a presentation or “meet online” with the class.
- Class determines the number of holiday displays that can be adequately created within the classroom and discusses which holidays should be reflected.
- Students are divided into groups, and each group creates a display for one holiday.
- Each group researches its holiday and identifies appropriate articles (e.g., decorations, music, literature, artifacts, historical descriptions) to be displayed. Articles are made or borrowed. Students investigate local community groups (e.g., veteran groups, religious groups, senior citizen groups, artists) to assist with providing information or objects for the display.
- Each group creates displays and “display cards” explaining each object in displays.
- Teacher explains the job and responsibilities of a docent. The class discusses the purposes docents would serve in their museum.
- Each group decides what information should be provided regarding their display, and each member of the group writes the script they will use when they explain their display to others.
- Students learn how to use desktop publishing software. Students create a learning package regarding the museum and the various displays for other classes, younger students in elementary school, or senior citizens. The students decide what information should be shared (including information they have researched for the displays) and create various publications to meet the specific audiences.
- Students design the announcements for the operating hours of the museum. Students create a schedule for groups or individuals visiting the museum.
- Students participate in the museum’s operation. Students create a photo journal of the museum experience.
- Class discusses the museum experience.
Materials / Resources
- Internet access
- Research sources
- Desktop publishing software
- Speakers
- Material for the museum displays
- Photographic equipment
- Supplies for learning packets
Comments / Modifications
- Change the museum experience to reflect different historical time periods.
- Encourage intergenerational participation.
- Plan cross-grade-level visitations to the museum.
Source
Melissa Dixon, Patricia Molloy, and Carol Varsalona. “Museum of Holiday Arts.” In Career Development and Occupational Studies (CDOS) Resource Guide with Core Curriculum. New York State Department of Education, 86-87.
