North Carolina Museum of History

I got a lot of really great ideas for my classroom from visiting the North Carolina Museum of History. The interdisciplinary connections between history and math, science, art, writing, and reading became incredibly clear to me after gaining exposure to the artifacts on display at the museum. For instance, math problems could be developed about sport statistics or the weight solders need to carry when they are in combat. The latter exploration could be turned into a science lesson by having students create materials that would serve the same purposes, but would weigh less and be easier to carry. Math problems could also be made about the cannon balls found by Black Beard’s ship and science investigations could be conducted to explore the role that force, motion, and chemical reactions play in the way cannon balls and guns work. Additionally, students can examine the art that is displayed around the museum, which ranged from pottery to furniture. Students can imitate the art in the museum and or create their own versions of the displayed art pieces. Furthermore, students can use the artifacts and photographs as inspiration for writing their very own historical fiction stories. The museum also made it very clear that reading is a crucial skill in exploring history. For instance, letters about Black Beard were on display and many explanations and interpretations of events covered the museum walls. I think the experience of reading about items on display at a museum will be especially beneficial for students who are English Language Learners because the artifacts will support their reading by supplying context clues for the meaning of the text.

Although I found the trip to the museum to be beneficial, it also triggered a few personal concerns. First of all, going to the museum helped me to realize how much I know and how much I still need and want to learn about North Carolina history. Although I know I will have textbooks and other resources in my classroom to provide me with background knowledge, my lack of familiarity with some historical figures and events that were highlighted at the museum left me concerned about my current level of related content knowledge. I am worried that being from out of state is a disadvantage in the area of local history. Additionally, I did not realize that the museum does not have docents to guide classes through the exhibits. I think I might feel unprepared to take a class through the museum at this point because I don’t know what all of the artifacts are or why they are important. Even with these concerns, I am optimistic that I can and will learn more about North Carolina and become more confident talking about this state’s history over time. In fact, I will start to expand my schema for North Carolina history this semester as I do research to prepare fourth grade social studies lessons.