 |
|
Shards of history turned up at the site of the new National Museum of African American History and Culture after a team of archaeologists spent three hot August weeks sifting through dirt as part of a mandated environmental impact study. The recovered artifacts, some pieces of pottery and lamps, and possibly some construction material from the building of the Washington Monument, will be cleaned, analyzed and eventually archived among the new museum’s collections. Project executive Curtis Davis explained that the area had been used as a dumping ground in the late 19th century, as city planners called for infilling of the swampy waters that once covered the site. You can think of it as a landfill, he says. Much of what was unearthed has not been fully identified yet. The museum, which is slated to open in 2015, has crossed a hurdle, says Davis, and no major impediments stand in the way of its plans to select an architect and designer by as early as next fall. During the colonial era, the site was part of a slave-holding plantation. The area later supported slave markets. For African Americans, this place has a particular resonance, says Fleur Paysour, the museum’s spokesperson. The archaeologists turned up little, however, in the way of historical evidence of that time. “It is hard to recover material that supports evidence of the condition of slave’s lives during the periods of Colonial Washington, the Civil War and Reconstruction,” says Davis. “The usual archaeological evidence ascribed to ownership is difficult because slaves were property and didn’t typically own property.” (Courtesy of Charles LeeDecker)
by Lisa Kerr I have a confession to make – I am science phobic. Having grown up in a family of writers and artists, the idea of formulas, periodic tables, scales, test tubes and beakers sent shivers down my spine. Even when I became an educator and embraced a wide range of subjects, I still didn’t fully appreciate the delight in scientific study. Working at Providence Children’s Museum has given me a wonderful new perspective on the possibilities of science. Exploring with my young friends has helped me realize that science is not some foreign concept solely tied up in laboratories and chemicals, but a constant examination of the world around us. Opening my eyes and broadening my mind has led to a stream of marvelous discovery. Watching a leaf blow along the sidewalk on a windy day is a lesson in aerodynamics; cooking with my children is research in chemistry; building a tower of blocks is an exercise in engineering. Armed with this awareness and powered by curiosity, even the most mundane tasks transform into exhilarating experiments. I’ve also come to realize that scientific thinking is not about having all of the answers, but, rather, having lots of questions. Why did the block tower crumble when it got too tall? How could I build it again differently? Why does that leaf soar into the air, while others scurry along the ground? Come to think of it, what keeps an airplane in the sky? Would my airplane look like the leaf that soars, or the leaf that scurries? The opportunity to seek out the answers on our own - to test, experiment, design and build - provides a powerful learning experience. More importantly, it strengthens our ability to be creative thinkers and problem-solvers; skills that will stay with us and serve us long after facts and figures fade from our memories.
by R.L. LaFevers. When this little gem came across my desk, it looked like the dark offspring of Lemony Snicket and Edward Gorey. I admit, I was intrigued. When I read the book jacket, I was hooked. An eleven year old girl with the run of London’s Museum of Legends and Antiquities who routinely finds and destroys curses attached to ancient objects? Throw in an adventuresome mother, an annoying but clever younger brother and a quick-footed pickpocket, mix in the Cursed Object of all Cursed Objects, add a pinch of world domination and stir with a secret society and you have a delicious, mysterious tale perfect for those young readers looking for something beyond Harry Potter. Theodosia Elizabeth Throckmorton spends her days, and often her nights, roaming the halls of the Museum where her father curates and her mother provides the artifacts from trips to Eqypt. Theo has an unusual gift — she can see the curses attached to many of the ancient objects her mother excavates for the museum. Using ancient texts and her own ingenuity, Theo routinely cleanses the objects so they can be safely viewed and handled by the museum staff. When Theo’s mother returns from a particularly long stay in Egypt, Theo is thrilled, until she sees the object most prized by her mother — the Heart of Egypt — which is drenched with evil. When the object is stolen from the museum, Theo and younger brother Henry embark on a mission to find it and return it to their mother. Along the way, however, they discover the Heart of Egypt is far more dangerous than they ever imagined, and Theo finds herself stowed away on a boat to Egypt where she must return the Heart to the tomb from which it came. Action abounds in this wonderfully intelligent story. Theo is a pip of a character - a combination of Violet Baudelaire, Harriet the Spy and a young Amelia Peabody - who proves the point that children are far more capable and clever than adults think. The details involving Egyptian magic, and life inside the museum make the story come alive. Theo is a well-drawn character, and drives most of the action; I wish, though, that her parents were more fleshed out, especially her mother. I imagine we’ll see more of Theo in future stories, so LaFevers has time to complete the characterizations. Highly recommended for grades 5-7.
|
Categories
Site DirectoryFavorites
|
