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How do curators decide what to collect?
Is the Pocket Fisherman a museum piece? Why are there no tuna fish at the Shedd Aquarium? Are antique surgical instruments worth displaying? How is an exhibit put together? These and similar questions will be answered as we visit the Historical Society, Shedd Aquarium, Lincoln Park Zoo, and several major museums in Chicago.
We will explore each site to see what is being exhibited and we will go behind the scenes to see what else is collected and how these artifacts and treasures are cared for and preserved.
We will talk to the curators—the people making the decisions about what to collect and what not to collect—and discuss their influence on Chicago’s cultural scene.
This project is led by affective education teacher Susan Humphrey and Upper School science teacher John Jameson.
Here’s our schedule for the week:
Monday, March 10 - Chicago Historical Society visit including
an independent walk-through the exhibits, lunch at Jerome’s Big Shoulders
restaurant, and the afternoon spent with Historical Society curators for
a behind-the-scenes tour.
Tuesday, March 11 - Lincoln Park Zoo visit including orientation
by zoo staff and a self-guided tour, followed by a talk and
slide show, a viewing of an exhibit not yet open to the public,
and a classroom activity
on breeding. (photos below)
Wednesday, March 12 - Shedd Aquarium visit including a self-guided
tour of the Oceanarium, and a viewing of the show and aquarium, followed
by a special behind-the-scenes program.
Thursday, March 13 - Field Museum visit including a viewing
of the America as Baseball exhibit, meetings with Field Museum staff, and
a tour of the Underground Adventure exhibit.
Friday, March 14 - Museum of Surgical Science visit followed
by lunch and a tour of the Museum of Contemporary Art and
discussions with museum staff.
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