The Big Deal in Mr. Peale's Museum
|
Social Studies
Explore economic growth - inflation
Telling a student that a ticket cost 25 cents in 1801 may not mean much to them, depending on their age. Change the impact of the fact by having students explore the cost of other things in 1801. How much was a loaf or bread? A half gallon on milk? A house? What do those items currently cost? Help your students construct graphs of pricing that compare then and now, and then draw some inferences about economy. Have them look at the typical wage then and now and figure out how long a person would have to work to purchase those goods and services. For a greater challenge, ask students to figure out a way to measure the changes in costs over time, an the actual impact the change in prices might - or might not have.
Explore science and social studies - the clash when they collide
As Author Harness tells us, in 1801 hardly anyone knew that animals could become extinct. In fact, the first evidence published on extinction was less than a decade old, and many naturalists had rejected this possibility. Of course, no one had yet discovered the dinosaurs! Though they were presented with evidence of extinction, it was the religious understandings of the time period that made the idea problematic. Like the politics that clash with science from the Global Warming Minute yesterday, this is another example of social science (religion) colliding with physical science. Have your students explore why this might be a problematic discovery. What other discoveries have been problematic in the religious sphere? Is there a way to overcome the contradictions that are presented?
Explore history through art
Charles Willson Peale managed to paint a chronicle of George Washington's adult career over the course of seven separate sittings beginning in 1772, and from those sittings, produced more than 50 portraits of Washington. Take a close look at some of the Washington portraits over the course of time. How do they change? What items are included in the portraits that give us more information about the man? His social status? The state of the country? Look at some of the other portraits created by Peale and his many artist sons. How can you “read” these paintings to discover more about the historical period during which they were painting? For more background, check out this page from the National Portrait Gallery about reading portraiture.
STEM
Explore natural history
Natural history museums are actually scientific institutions that house curated collections of the historical records of plants and animals, and Peale’s Museum was one of the first in the US. Ask your students to think about how they would design such a museum. What would they include? What would they leave out? Where would they look for specimens? Would their collections need protection? From what? How would they plan for that? A mass of problem solving will be required to come up with solutions for their imaginary natural history museums. Let them loose and see where their dreams - backed up with justifications, drawings and design, and researched facts, of course, lead.
Explore identifying fossil records
How do you know a mammoth is different from a mastodon? Have them make some predictions and then look for some answers. A great article to consult: Mammoth vs Mastodon - What’s the Difference?
Explore the extinction - what does it mean?
What does it mean for a species to become extinct? Does it happen without human intervention? Are there pros and cons? What are they? Should we always try to prevent it? What’s the cost of prevention? What’s the benefit?
Art
Explore portraiture
Use this Minute to explore traditional portraiture and portrait painting as a means of historical record in the age before photography existed. What would your students include in their portraits? Teach them some basics and then send them to do some meaningful self-portraits!
Explore the silhouette
One fact not mentioned in the Minute is that Peale’s slave, Moses Williams, played a big part in the success of Peale’s museum. Not only did he do the bulk of the reconstruction of the mastodon skeleton, he also was in charge of a popular attraction at the museum - the physiognotrace. This device was used to create miniature silhouettes by tracing shadows of a subject’s profile. Have your students experiment with silhouettes and take a look at some of the prime examples he left behind.
Research Skills
Explore online Natural History Museums
Check out these fantastic examples and let kids find their own to add to the list.
Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
Oology
Google Arts and Culture - Natural History
Explore economic growth - inflation
Telling a student that a ticket cost 25 cents in 1801 may not mean much to them, depending on their age. Change the impact of the fact by having students explore the cost of other things in 1801. How much was a loaf or bread? A half gallon on milk? A house? What do those items currently cost? Help your students construct graphs of pricing that compare then and now, and then draw some inferences about economy. Have them look at the typical wage then and now and figure out how long a person would have to work to purchase those goods and services. For a greater challenge, ask students to figure out a way to measure the changes in costs over time, an the actual impact the change in prices might - or might not have.
Explore science and social studies - the clash when they collide
As Author Harness tells us, in 1801 hardly anyone knew that animals could become extinct. In fact, the first evidence published on extinction was less than a decade old, and many naturalists had rejected this possibility. Of course, no one had yet discovered the dinosaurs! Though they were presented with evidence of extinction, it was the religious understandings of the time period that made the idea problematic. Like the politics that clash with science from the Global Warming Minute yesterday, this is another example of social science (religion) colliding with physical science. Have your students explore why this might be a problematic discovery. What other discoveries have been problematic in the religious sphere? Is there a way to overcome the contradictions that are presented?
Explore history through art
Charles Willson Peale managed to paint a chronicle of George Washington's adult career over the course of seven separate sittings beginning in 1772, and from those sittings, produced more than 50 portraits of Washington. Take a close look at some of the Washington portraits over the course of time. How do they change? What items are included in the portraits that give us more information about the man? His social status? The state of the country? Look at some of the other portraits created by Peale and his many artist sons. How can you “read” these paintings to discover more about the historical period during which they were painting? For more background, check out this page from the National Portrait Gallery about reading portraiture.
STEM
Explore natural history
Natural history museums are actually scientific institutions that house curated collections of the historical records of plants and animals, and Peale’s Museum was one of the first in the US. Ask your students to think about how they would design such a museum. What would they include? What would they leave out? Where would they look for specimens? Would their collections need protection? From what? How would they plan for that? A mass of problem solving will be required to come up with solutions for their imaginary natural history museums. Let them loose and see where their dreams - backed up with justifications, drawings and design, and researched facts, of course, lead.
Explore identifying fossil records
How do you know a mammoth is different from a mastodon? Have them make some predictions and then look for some answers. A great article to consult: Mammoth vs Mastodon - What’s the Difference?
Explore the extinction - what does it mean?
What does it mean for a species to become extinct? Does it happen without human intervention? Are there pros and cons? What are they? Should we always try to prevent it? What’s the cost of prevention? What’s the benefit?
Art
Explore portraiture
Use this Minute to explore traditional portraiture and portrait painting as a means of historical record in the age before photography existed. What would your students include in their portraits? Teach them some basics and then send them to do some meaningful self-portraits!
Explore the silhouette
One fact not mentioned in the Minute is that Peale’s slave, Moses Williams, played a big part in the success of Peale’s museum. Not only did he do the bulk of the reconstruction of the mastodon skeleton, he also was in charge of a popular attraction at the museum - the physiognotrace. This device was used to create miniature silhouettes by tracing shadows of a subject’s profile. Have your students experiment with silhouettes and take a look at some of the prime examples he left behind.
Research Skills
Explore online Natural History Museums
Check out these fantastic examples and let kids find their own to add to the list.
Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History
Oology
Google Arts and Culture - Natural History
© Karen Sterling, 2018 - May be used for educational purposes without written permission