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| The Natural History
Museum is a federally funded museum that focuses on educating those who
walk through the museum. It has several different exhibits. Some of
these are the Hall of Mammals, the Ocean Hall, and the Insect Hall.
Each exhibit explains how the species evolved or adapted over time. The
exhibits contain several signs filled with information about the
species. Throughout the museum, there are mini-videos that show
different aspects of a species life or a scientific process. My
experience at the Natural History Museum was different from my
experience at the National Zoo, but the Natural history Museum helped
improve my critical thinking skills and my communication skills. The National Zoo and the Natural History Museum provide two different ways to study species. At the Zoo, the species were alive, and I was able to see how they interact with one another in their natural environment. I was able to physically see the species habitat, and from that, I could draw conclusions about the species. On the other hand, the Natural History Museum was filled with fossils. I could not look at the fossil and know what kind of species it was or where it came from. I had to rely on the information that the museum provided on signs and posters. From the information that I gleaned from the signs, I was able to draw conclusions about the species. The Zoo allowed me to learn about the species on my own, but the Natural History Museum guided my learning through its signs. The Natural History Museum improved my critical thinking skills. I was given a series of questions to answer as I walked through the museum. In order to answer those questions, I had to read the information on the signs that the museum provided. Then, I had to connect the information to the questions. Also, I had to connect the arguments about whale evolution in the pre-fieldtrip assignment to the argument presented at the museum. I had to show how they were similar. I realized that the readings and the museum had the same argument for the evolution of whales. They both believed that the ancestor of the whale had four legs and lived primarily on land. Through environmental change, the species began to evolve, and after a long period of time, it became a whale. By comparing both arguments, I gained a greater understanding of how the whale could have evolved. |
Similarly, the Natural History Museum improved my communication skills. My group decided to work on the assignment together. As we walked through the museum, we helped each other answer the questions. At first, we struggled to answer question 11. It asked us to draw conclusions about the necks of mammals. We all could not think of a conclusion. Finaly, it hit me. The length of the necks of mammals must be related to the type of food the animal eats. I began to explain my idea to the group, and I showed them some examples such as the giraffe and the gerenuk antelope where the length of their neck was important to the survival of the species. I was able to communicate my idea clearly to my group members. My trip to the Natural History Museum helped me improve my critical thinking skills and my communication skills. I was able to take what I had learned in the readings and apply it to the museum assignment. Also, I was able to communicate my ideas to my group and help them answer some questions. The Natural History Museum is a fascinating place and a lot of fun to look through. It is filled with so many animals and has interesting fossils. There is so much to learn from the Natural History Museum, and all the pictures and fossils help to further our understanding of the world around us. |