Help Bring Race: Are We So Different to the Miami Science Museum
It's a simple truth. People are different. Throughout history, these differences have been a source of community strength and personal identity. They have also been the basis for discrimination and oppression.
Join the individuals and organizations that are together working to bring this very special exhibition to Miami.
Water, Wind, and Weather: Miami in a Changing Climate
You've probably heard people talking about ³climate change², but what does it mean? What does it look like on a global scale, and what does it have to do with your life right here and now? Using amazing animations on a large globe that you control, Water, Wind, and Weather lets you explore Earth's climate, human activities that are affecting the climate, and the consequences that are happening now and will continue into the future. This high-tech, completely digital exhibit uses stunning animations of hurricanes spinning, planes flying, populations growing, and sea currents flowing to let you see Earth like never before. The exhibit also provides a local link to these global phenomena. While you control the Earth, your friends and family can use touch screens to explore possible local outcomes resulting from global climate change. Familiar pictures and videos of South Beach, Miami, the Everglades, the Keys, the Gulf Stream, and local wildlife come together to show how South Florida's unique climate and coastal location make it ground zero for many of our planet's climate changes. Water, Wind, and Weather was developed with generous support from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Energy Jam
What would you do if you lost power after a natural disaster, like a hurricane or earthquake?
This past summer, kids from Miami's Little Haiti community were asked that question as part of the Energy Jam workshop. In response, they worked with Miami Science Museum staff to assemble tools to meet basic needs using renewable energy sources like solar, wind, water, and "people power". On exhibit are their amazing and beautifully made projects. Now these kids have the know-how to capture energy and charge a cell phone or power a light.
Special thanks to:
- The Miami Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs
- Youth Arts Enrichment Program Grant (YEP-10)
- The Miami Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and The Children’s Trust Summer Arts and Science Camps for Kids (SAC-C)
- The United States Department of Energy
- The Little Haiti Cultural Center
- Paul Orselli
- Audrey Golaub
- Edouard Duval Carrié
Downloads (PDF):
Miami Science Museum and MetLife: Staying Sharp
Miami Science Museum is begining to prototype and develop a new and innovative method to engage and inspire people of all ages with how scientists make discoveries about aging and the brain. Working with the University of Miami's Center on Aging, we are developing this exciting new exhibit in partnership with local elders who bring a unique perspective to the process.
For more information visit: Staying Sharp
Heart Smart
The Miami Science Museum has partnered with the University of Miami’s,Behavioral Medicine Research Program, in the Department of Psychology, College of Arts and Sciences to create Heart Smart, an interactive bilingual exhibit about cardiovascular health. Heart Smart raises awareness about factors associated with heart health and strategies for improving heart health through diet, physical activity level, and stress management skills. The exhibit informs visitors about the research process and invites them to participate in a research project by contributing anonymous data on measurements related to heart health i.e., height, weight, waist size blood pressure, and habits.
Besides the interactive exhibit, the project includes a research study to determine whether a museum-based health exhibit and a discussion based health activity are effective in increasing heart health knowledge among students in Miami-Dade County Public High Schools.
Downloads:
Links
Life Changes:
Communicating Pre-evolutionary Concepts To Young Children in Informal Settings
The Miami Science Museum, The New York Hall of Science, The North Museum, and the Association of Science-Technology Centers are working together with the University of Michigan Center for Human Growth and Development to address a well-documented crisis in contemporary science – that large numbers of the public do not understand the scientific basis of evolution, or reject it outright.
NSF-funded research conducted at UM by E. Margaret Evans suggests that if children are introduced to evolutionary tenets (variation, inheritance, selection, time) at an early age, they are more likely to see the natural world with a scientific perspective. Based on this research, the project will develop age-appropriate opportunities to move children ages 5-12 toward scientific reasoning. The result will feature a bilingual traveling Life Changes exhibition that, when combined with staff development and discovery boxes, will offer a flexible learning laboratory for museum practitioners to increase their capacity to deliver pre-evolutionary concepts.
Downloads
An evaluation was conducted to gage museum visitor response to a story created for the exhibition.
The Dinosaurs of China: June 16, 2007 – September 10, 2008
The Miami Science Museum joined with the venerable Beijing Museum of Natural History to exhibit 14 enormous articulated dinosaur skeletons and 52 spectacular individual specimens, including 8 of the most rare feathered dinosaurs and birds from the fossil beds at Liaoning. Unique fully-sculpted models, interactive, multimedia experiences, and a children's paleo-discovery area, brought these magnificent creatures to life!
The Miami Science Museum is a member of the National Association for Museum Exhibition
