The beginning of my internship at the Long Island Museum has been very educational so far. Although it is a historical internship, I spend the majority of my time working with the education department of the museum. I really enjoy the combination because this set-up is giving me experience with both my major and my minor of secondary education. I have spent these first two weeks mostly observing docents and educators present to various groups. First, I have observed a variety of the education programs that the museum holds, including LILA, Early to Rise, and Wagons West, which are meant for children in elementary school. I have also seen a docent give a guided tour of the art section of the museum in what is currently holding the Leiber exhibit, in a situation like the Elderscholar program at Roanoke College. Lastly, I went on a short ‘lecture’ with the docents at the museum given by the curator of the newest exhibit at the LIM, which focuses on Prohibition on Long Island (and within New York).
The education programs that I observed were really interesting as the museums educators try their hardest to immerse the children in the time periods that they’re focusing on. For my first day, I observed a program called Long Island Long Ago (LILA) which focuses on Long Island life in the 1850’s. The program is divided into 3 different sections, with 3 rotating groups. However, the entire group of students (the grades can range from 2nd-5th grade) stays together for an introduction. This introduction sets the scene for life in the 1850’s; focusing on farm-life on Long Island (as that would have been the primary workplace for the majority of the population) and discussing the differences of life due to the time-changes (little leisure time, no electricity, etc.). This section is also used to tell the students of their expected behavior and that they will be headed to 3 places: the studio, the barn and shed, and the art gallery known as Edible Eden.
The studio is a small section of a large building only slightly designed to look like the inside of a house within the 1850’s (it’s also the same place where the introduction will be given). Inside the studio their is a discussion on household artifacts, in order to allow the children to learn of the gendered chores that children had to complete, like the bellows or a washboard, which the children are allowed to go through guided sections on how they work and hold the artifacts. For example, two children are chosen to hold opposing ends of a small carpet and another child is given the carpet beater. After a small demonstration, the child holding the carpet beater is allowed to lightly hit the carpet 3-5 times. After this, guided questions, such as “Now that we’ve seen the tool work, what is the purpose? Where would this normally be done–indoors or outside? Why do we think this?” help the children learn. It is also in this building that the children are allowed to try the dip pens and ink wells. Each child in the group is allowed to pick a piece of paper with one of the household tools they just learned about and write the tools name, plus their own, with the dip pen. After this, the children learn a bit of dancing, one of the few leisurely activities of the time, from the 1850’s. They also briefly discuss other activities done for fun during the time, such as tag or hoop and stick.
The shed and barn are two buildings, which are from Long Island in the 1800’s and only moved onto the property of the museum as relics, which are used to teach about transportation and daily activities on the farm from this time period. The shed focuses on transportation; discussing the differences of carriages and wagons, how the vehicles of the time moved without an engine (horses), and how to take care of the animals that were required for work (grooming and care of hooves). The barn, in contrast, is where the children learn about farming and the tools that were required. This covers chores with farming, rather than the household chores, such as feeding the animals, mucking the stalls, clearing fields, etc. The tools used for farming are also shown to the children, such as the scythe (taped so that the children [and docents] can’t cut themselves on the sharp blades) and the flail. Each schoolchild is allowed to use the flail to crack open some wheat, giving them a hands on activity.
The art section of LILA is a small section of the gallery, known as Edible Eden. It focuses on local painter, William S. Mount, and his work. The paintings are all of food, farming, agriculture, etc. The students were given ‘magic bags’ that had a item in it. Each item was featured in one or more paintings, in small groups the children were charged with finding a painting that their item appeared in. They would then present on the painting, after gathering information from earlier activities and the image, discussing life on Long Island.
Early to Rise is another educational program. The first half is the studio and barn and shed portion of LILA (without the dip pen section), while the second differs. The second half is inside of a schoolhouse, another artifact from Long Island that has been donated and relocated for the museum. During this portion of the activity, children are role-playing the life of a student in the 1850’s on Long Island. They experience an arithmetic lesson on slate boards and write a few lines with a dip pen. They also discuss the differences of school in modern times compares to them (homework was bringing a log for the fire whereas today it is actual schoolwork, students went to school in the winter and summer only because they were farming during the other seasons, etc.) This schoolhouse was one of my favorite sections because each student is given a name tag that has the name of a real student that went to school on Long Island during the 1850’s in this schoolhouse. Some of the names are familiar as their families have a lengthy historical influence on Long Island, and to see proof of their accomplishments.
The Wagon’s West tour is the third and final program that I have viewed. For grades 4th-6th, it covers westward expansion and the Oregon Trail. The program is divided into three portions (plus an introduction): Leaving and Traveling, the Blacksmith shop, and Packing and Loading. The introduction to the program gives a brief overview of the journey that the children will be making during this program (from Illinois to Oregon). This covers the timing of the trip (Spring, and 6 months–why?), where their journey will take them (over mountains, across the prairie, etc.), and why they were moving to Oregon Territory (incentives of land, better farming, fresh start, etc.).
The first section is packing (leaving), the students are given the opportunity to pack children’s luggage (one for boys, one for girls), parents luggage (which included items like a memory blanket, the family bible, dishes, etc.). This activity shows the limited belongings that people traveled with, and why you bought things go sentimental importance (you would never see the town you were leaving, or the people inside it, ever again). Kids then pick which items they would choose out of a variety of options; after being given cards that ask them to “pick something fun/useful/full of memories/will help them learn.” They then present, one at a time, on why they chose this item. The second portion of this section is traveling. Students listen to a brief presentation of carriages, which is filled with guiding questions. They will discuss the stagecoach portion of the trip; how emotional and physically demanding the trip is, the necessary supplies, the limitations of the trip, etc.
After this, the group travels to the blacksmith shop .(Once again, a local shop on Long Island that was donated and moved to the museum property.) At this portion of their journey, they’ve made it to St. Joseph. A blacksmith shows the group his job, how wheels are made (and the variety of parts), and the blacksmiths importance during the mid-1800’s. The children that I observed for this portion enjoyed the activity and exploring the shop, although it wasn’t as interactive.
The last section, loading, involves a replica of a prairie schooner. The docent makes sure to differentiate between artifacts and replicas, and explains why the children are allowed to explore and interact with the schooner. Here in this section the children pack a schooner replica (there are two; one full size and a smaller version [1/5th of the normal size] that the children are allowed to pack). They put in their belongings, the food they require, a mixture of necessary supplies, etc. This allows for the students to see the required items, and see how their wasn’t enough room for them to ride in the wagon, rather they walked along side. This time is also used to explain the size of food per person (ie. 200lbs of flour per person) that was bought along, and how the trip is dangerous. The docent I observed talked about compromised water supply, the chicken cage attached to the wagon, the plunder box, etc.
After these portions, this educational program has a wrap-up. They ask the students to detail the information that surprised them, if they would want to be one of the people moving during westward expansion, and if they have any questions. With the older groups, at the end, 10% of the group is separated from the rest. The docent explains that this is the portion of people that would not have survived the trip.
Besides the educational programs for children, I was also able to observe adults in the museum. The adult tour of the art museum that I observed was for the Leiber Exhibit, which is located near the Edible Eden gallery. The Leiber Exhibit focuses on the married couple of Gus and Judith Leiber, and is a combination of their works. Gus’s work is art in the most thought of terms; a variety of paintings, sketches, sculptures, and printmaking. Judith’s work, however, are handbags. The gallery goes through their lives (both are still living); discussing their upbringing, how they met (during the Holocaust–Judith from Hungary and Gus a soldier from Brooklyn), coming to America together, and their artistic journey. It was a beautiful exhibit, each piece well matched, and although the pieces did not follow a time-line it still worked as an overarching story of their lives. The seniors, who had booked the tour, seemed to enjoy it and were engaged the entire time. However, most of their focus on Judith’s handbags and only some of them seemed to be interested in Gus’s work.
Lastly, I was able to see a curator teach the docents about a new exhibit at the museum. The prohibition exhibit moves from pre-prohibition and the temperance movement to the illicit alcohol on Long Island (and within the city) and ends when prohibition does. The curator gave details about the exhibit that were not on the placards, explained the process of picking out each item, giving various details about the set-up of the exhibit, and discussing why he chose the theme for the exhibit. I found the experience really interesting because it was much more information than I would have gained from just casually strolling through the exhibit by myself, I learned about planning an exhibit (and going through the necessary processes), and the topic of prohibition was one that had only been glossed over in the most brief terms in lower-education.
He taught me, and the docents, some things that I had never known about or thought about: such as legal alcohol prescriptions (written by doctors for serious medical ailments), the KKK’s involvement in prohibition, and rum running boats off the south shore of Long Island. What I found equally interesting and disturbing was the KKK’s involvement, such as their push for prohibition as they believed that alcohol was ruining society (such as they believed in immigration, different races, and different religions ruining society). I hadn’t known that their had been a local chapter on Long Island, or that, because the group as known as a Social Club, that they posted ads in the paper for luncheons or gatherings.
As for other work that I did when I was not observing, I did small administrative duties. I laminated and photocopied some things, put together documents on upcoming educational programs, updated mailing lists for local schools, etc. These weren’t as exciting, or as immersed in history, but these tasks allow me to prepare for research positions, higher up museum positions, or administrative work as an educator.
I’m really enjoying my internship so far, although I hope it will continue to grow and become slightly more interactive. The staff member that I’m working under, Beth, is very helpful. My goal for this internship is to do research and design an educational program for students above 5th grade, currently I’m aiming for 7th. We’re planning to meet on next Thursday to discuss my ideas so far, and to talk about basic research questions.