Field Trips To Museums

SCIENCE MUSEUMS
The Franklin Institute Science Museum
This Philadelphia-based museum has structured its online site in a way that is ideal for educational purposes. The presentation is straightforward; you won't have to spend much time finding what you want. The site offers a number of interesting exhibits, and there is almost definitely going to be some content that relates to your curriculum. At this time, the following are among the offerings:
EARTHFORCE, about volcanoes, quakes, and raging rivers;
Hot Air Over Hot Water, an experiment that relates to El Nino; and
Franklin's Forecast, an exhibit about weather forecasting. You'll also find online study units, such as Wind and Living Things. And that's just the beginning! The site boasts much more.

Museum of Science and Industry
Variety is the spice of this Web site from a Chicago, Ill., museum. Online exhibits include AIDS: The War Within; Apollo 8 Command Module; the Big Dig Construction Site; the Coal Mine; Hatching Chicks; Giant Heart; and Animated Industrial Gears. A nice aspect of the virtual museum is the inclusion of exhibits that will appeal to students in grades 1 to 4 as well as exhibits more suitable for older students.

NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS
American Museum of Natural History
The museum is one of the world's foremost scientific and educational institutions. It contains enormous collections of specimens and cultural artifacts. Museum collections, including more than 30 million items, are a "field guide" to the life forms and cultures on earth.

HISTORY MUSEUM
The Worldwide Museum of Natural History
The Worldwide Museum of Natural History (WMNH) is an online museum of photo galleries that features excellent educational products for schools and homes. New galleries and updates are added every month. Categories of exhibits are Vertebrate Life Galleries; Invertebrate Life Galleries; Planetary Science and Astronomy Galleries; and Gem and Mineral Galleries.

American Red Cross Virtual Museum
This online museum is produced by the American Red Cross History and Education Center (HEC). The class can explore one of six different eras (pre-1900; 1900-1919; 1920-1939; 1940-1959; 1960-1979; 1980-present) or take an Automated Guided Tour through the cultural history of the American Red Cross.

ART MUSEUM
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The museum houses one of the largest, most varied, and most prestigious collections of art in the world. More than two million works of art -- several hundred thousand of which are displayed at any given time -- in its collections are drawn from more than 5,000 years of world culture. The site provides an overview of the collections from the museum's galleries. Be forewarned: There are occasional nudes on the site, and you may want to preview any areas before having students explore them if this might present a problem in your community.

ADDITIONAL MUSEUM RESOURCES ON THE INTERNET
Museums on the Web This extensive compilation of links to online museums is divided by categories: art, science, history, natural history, cultural, miscellaneous, and Special Exhibits. Included among the miscellaneous museums are the San Diego Model Railroad Museum and the George Eastman House International Museum of Film and Photography.
Natural History Museums on the Web This list of links to 18 natural history museums on the Web includes the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History, the London Natural History Museum, and the Peabody Museum of Natural History at Yale University, in New Haven, Conn.
Science and Technology Museums and Centers A state-by-state list of science and technology museums and centers ranges geographically from The Museum of Science in Boston, Mass., to the Pacific Science Center in Seattle, Wash.
Virtual Worlds and Fieldtrips This compilation includes virtual field trips to Asia, Europe, the United Kingdom, and America as well as museums, galleries, and environmental and geology field trips.
Comic Art & Graffix Gallery Virtual Museum A lively history of comic art, biographies of artists, and a list of related comic links make the museum intriguing. Also included is a how-to section on collecting comics and a What's New in Comic Art section.
The Vanderbilt Museum The Vanderbilts are one of the best-known and wealthiest families in U.S. history. Take your class on a virtual tour of the museum and grounds.