Instructor: John D. McEachran, Professor. WFSC. Office: 302 Biochemistry and

Biophysics Building, or Old Heep. or Heep Biological Labs Building

(East Campus)

Ph: 847 9332

E-mail: j-mceachran@tamu.edu

Home page: http://wfscnet.tamu.edu/courses/wfsc421.htm

Date Topic

Jan. 14 Introduction, Course Goals, and Requirements: Working Definition of Museums and Diversity of Museums.  Print out

Jan. 16 Brief History of Natural History Museums. Part I: Greco-Roman Period through Pre-Linnaean Period  Print out

Jan. 21 Martin Luther King Day (no lecture).

Jan. 23 Brief History of Natural History Museums. Part II: Linnaean Period to Present.  Print out

Jan. 28 Growth of Natural History Museums in the 18^th and 19^th Centuries.  Print out

Jan. 30 Case Study: Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris.  Print out

Feb. 04 Case Study: The British Museum of Natural History. London.  Print out

Feb. 06 North American Museums. Part I: Origins.  Print out

Feb. 11 North American Museums. Part II: Development of the University Natural History Museum  Print out

Feb. 13 North American Museums. Part III: Development of the Public Research Museum.  Print out

Feb. 18 EXAM I

Feb. 20 The Educational Role of Museums. Part I: Overview.  Print out

Feb. 25 The Educational Role of Museums. Part II: Effectiveness of Museum Education.  Print out

Feb. 27 The Educational Role of Museums. Part III: How Visitors Learn in a Museum Environment.  Print out

Mar. 04 The Educational Role of Museums. Part IV: A Role in Transition.

Mar. 06 Exhibitions. Part I: Theory and Practice.  Print out

Mar. 11-15 SPRING BREAK

Mar. 18 Exhibitions. Part II: Construction.  Print out

Mar. 20 Exhibitions. Part III: Components.  Print out

Mar. 25 Exhibitions. Part IV: Visitors and Evaluations.  Print out

Mar. 27 Educational Techniques: Discovery Rooms and Learning Labs.

Apr. 01 EXAM II

Apr. 03 Natural History Museums and Universities: Collaborations between Museum

Programs and University Continuing Education Programs.

Apr. 08 Museum Workers as Professionals.

Apr. 10 Our Natural History Heritage and Its Preservation.

Apr. 15 Collections Management: Proper Curation of Natural History Objects.

Apr. 17 Natural History Museums and Their Role in the Future.

Apr. 22 Controversial Issues. Part I: The Story of Sue, the Antiquities Act (AA), and the

Archeological Resources Protection Act (ARPA).

Apr. 24 Controversial Issues: Part II: The Story of the Kennewick Man, and the Native

American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA).

Apr. 29 Museum Careers.

May 08 FINAL EXAM 10:30-12:30

Grading: Grade will be based on performance on three exams (two hour exams and final exam), class participation, and the laboratory exercises. The laboratory exercises will consist of evaluation of several local natural history collections, and construction of an interpretive display, and discovery boxes. Labs will meet at the Texas Cooperative Wildlife Collection.

Textbook and resources material: There is no text for the course but readings assignments will be posted on the Evans Library Reserve Web Site and will also be available in the Evans Library Reserve Room.

Field Trips: There will be one optional field trip to the Houston Museum of Science. Date for the trip will be decided on by mutual agreement during the semester.