Complex Content in Museums Lindsay Newton Missouri History Museum - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Complex Content in Museums Lindsay Newton Missouri History Museum - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Mar 29, 2023 919 likes •1.37k views

Connecting Families to Complex Content in Museums Lindsay Newton Missouri History Museum Tony Lawson Cincinnati Museum Center Lindsay Genshaft Denver Art Museum 1 How would you define complex? 2 Complex: Not easy to

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Connecting Families to Complex Content in Museums

Lindsay Newton – Missouri History Museum Tony Lawson – Cincinnati Museum Center Lindsay Genshaft – Denver Art Museum

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How would you define “complex”?

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“Complex”:

  • Not easy to analyze or understand
  • Complicated
  • Intricate

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So how would you define “complex content” in museums?

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Exhibits, programs, or instructional materials that:

  • Deal with race, prejudice, bias,

religion, immigration

  • Push people to critically think and

problem solve

  • Ask for people to voice their
  • pinions and be heard
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Case Study: ​ Connecting Families to Complex Science Content at Cincinnati Museum Center

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“I haven’t had a science class since high school.”

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“My kids are too young to learn science.”

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Exhibit Engagement

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Learning Through Play Family Guides

  • Play
  • Learn
  • Discover
  • Explore
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Exhibit Engagement

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Children’s Museum: The Woods Science Museum: The Cave

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Facilitated Science Programs

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Science Process Skills

  • Classification
  • Communication
  • Prediction
  • Inference
  • Measurement
  • Observation
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Live Animal Programs

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Children’s Museum: Animals Up Close Science Museum: Bat Flight

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“I didn’t know the kids were learning science while they were playing.”

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“My daughter has developed a serious interest in science!”

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Case Study: ​ Using facilitated programs at the Denver Art Museum to tackle complex content​

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“…many parents question whether art museum visits are age-appropriate for young children.”

  • IMLS Report

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“I feel like we

need “Art museum for dumb parents”

  • r something

like that.”

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Miró, Magic, and the Night

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A Promise to Keep Create-n-Take

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Foxy and Shmoxy: Art Detectives

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Case Study: ​ Connecting Families with Complex Content at the Missouri History Museum

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“A museum is not a good place for young children to go.” “History is boring.” “Kids don’t have the ability to understand history.”

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Family Programs

  • Over 250 programs

per year

  • Serving families with

kids ages 2-10

  • Highlighting local

culture, holidays, and exhibits

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History Clubhouse

  • For kids ages 2-10

with their families

  • r caregivers
  • 100% hands-on
  • FREE

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  • Learn about St. Louis history in a way

that is interactive and fun

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Paint for Peace Mural

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Paint for Peace Mural

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P.E.A.C.E. Out for Kids

Painting Everything Always Calms Everybody

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Children’s Library and Storytelling

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Strategies

For Connecting Families to Complex Content

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  • Apply to any kind of museum experience
  • Humans want to make sense of the world
  • Combine strategies
  • Use good judgement
  • Be prepared to dive deep
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Ground Your Program in a Guiding Question

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  • What is the at the heart of what you’re exploring?
  • Boil it down to the essence for clarity
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Use Real/Authentic Artifacts and Objects

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  • Provide unique

experiences

  • Encourage close

looking, questions, and new conclusions or

  • pinions
  • “See it, try it”
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Recreate Experiences to Support Full Immersion

  • Allows kids to imagine

places and times they have not experienced

  • Fosters empathy
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Model Process of Exploring and Empowering Kids to Have a Conversation

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  • Supports perspective taking and perspective

getting

  • Consider different methods of prompting

questions

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Encourage Playing and Learning Together

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  • Supports:
  • Discovery
  • Problem solving
  • Creative thinking
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Parents as First Teachers

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  • Parents as first

teachers

  • Provide

suggestions for parents

  • Suggestions

should vary for different types of learners

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Imbed Humor

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  • Consider multi levels of humor
  • Laughter as comfort
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Use Art Making

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  • Expression through

creating

  • Ideal to encourage

reflection

  • Memorable
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Use Storytelling in Its Variety of Forms

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  • Children’s books
  • Performances
  • First-hand stories
  • Family story sharing
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Incorporate Movement and Music

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  • Kinesthetic learners
  • Channels energy to

make connections

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Use a Familiar Context

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  • Comfort
  • Connect previous

knowledge to new ideas

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Visitors in Role (Being Part of a Story)

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  • Supports empathy
  • Promotes critical thinking
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Youth Activism & Engagement Workshop

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Focus on Relevant Topics

  • Provides new context to real world issues
  • Encourages thinking in new ways
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Be Open to Improvisation

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  • Supports visitor-centric experience
  • Promotes inclusion
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Group Work

Incorporate strategies into specific scenarios.

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Share Session

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Connecting Families to Complex Content in Museums

Lindsay Newton – Missouri History Museum Tony Lawson – Cincinnati Museum Center Lindsay Genshaft – Denver Art Museum

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