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Beyond Columbus: The Seeds of Change (Elementary)
When Columbus stepped ashore in 1492, it marked the beginning of an exchange of ideas and goods between the Old World and the New World. Students will view Tenochtitlan, the Aztec capital, a city of 250,000 people as it looked before and after the Spanish Conquest. As students move through the exhibit, they will discover how the “seeds” of corn, potatoes, sugar, and the horse affected the lives of Native Americans, Europeans and Africans.
Beyond Columbus: The Seeds of Change (Secondary)
Beyond Columbus: The Seeds of Change (Secondary)
The arrival of Christopher Columbus on the shores of the Americas in 1492 set into motion a chain of events that transformed the Old and New Worlds. Students will view the great Aztec Market just before the arrival of the Spanish, and discover how the Aztec civilization was destroyed by the Conquistadores. Understand how the exchange of corn, potato and sugar transformed cultures and led to the institution of slavery in the Americas. Disease, the invisible invader had deadly consequences for both Native Americans and Europeans. The horse profoundly changed the way of life for Native Americans and led to the development of the ranching culture that is still part of the fabric of our society today.
Early Hunters and Gatherers of South Texas (Elementary)
The Coastal Bend of Texas was home to Native Americans for thousands of years before the Spanish and other Europeans arrived. The Karankawa and their predecessors lived by hunting available animals and gathering wild plants and fruits in season. They were a nomadic people who moved with the seasons. Students will explore the lifestyle of the Karankawa through the use of Museum exhibits, maps and activities which include a Karankawa tool kit.
Old Corpus Christi: The Way It Was (Elementary)
Take your students back to Corpus Christi at the turn of the 19th Century. The Jones General Store carried the latest merchandise from livery to hardware to groceries. It even carried that new invention by Thomas Edison-the phonograph. In addition, the store was a social center for families coming into town to hear the latest news.
Shellcrete houses were typical in the Corpus Christi area during the 19th Century. In an age before electricity, students will experience the ways people accomplished daily domestic chores when everything was accomplished through human or animal power and hard work.
One Room School Houses were the backbone of education. Students from all grades were in one room and were taught by one teacher. Lessons concentrated on reading, writing, and arithmetic. McGuffey Readers and Slates were the school resources for students. Your students will compare a typical school day in the one room school house to their own school day.
The Ancestors Land: French, Spanish and Karankawa in South Texas(Elementary/Secondary)
When Columbus landed in the Caribbean in 1492, it ended thousands of years of isolation and marked the beginning of changes in the life and culture of the Native American Groups that inhabited the Americas. . By 1519, Spanish Explorers were sailing along the Texas Coast, the ancestral land of the nomadic Karankawa. Through the use of maps, graphics, artifacts and documents, the Ancestors Land traces the consequences of French and Spanish excursions into the Karankawa homeland. The French explorer Sieur de LaSalle mistakenly landed along the Coastal Bend and his fledgling colony was a failure. Spanish missions and later Spanish colonies were established in the same area as a barrier to further French Incursions. Spanish attempts to "missionize" the Karankawa were largely unsuccessful.
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Animal Adaptations (Elementary)
Have you ever watched a Great Blue Heron fish, or a monkey swing precariously from limb to limb? Well, animals (people too) are perfectly adapted to their environment and habitat that they live in. The animals abilities to run, hop, hunt, play, communicate, swim, etc. are all based on adaptations; a body plan that allows the creature to perform better than its nearest competitor. Students will explore the wonderful and varied adaptations of the animal kingdom using artifacts from the Natural History collections.
Reptiles of South Texas (Elementary)
Students will get a hands-on look at South Texas reptiles in the Museums live animal collection. They will learn about the characteristics of turtles, lizards, snakes, and the American Alligator, and be able to touch and even hold live reptiles in a controlled environment under the supervision of a staff biologist. Students will observe adaptations, habitats, ecology, and characteristics of these amazing animals.
Space Voyage: Traveling the Solar System (Elementary)
Students will travel through the Solar System by discovering amazing facts about the Sun and planets. Using the power of models, students will gain a new perspective of the size of our planet compared to other Solar System bodies. Students will "travel” a scaled-down version of the entire Solar System to demonstrate just how vast it really is. Topics that will be emphasized include the composition, atmosphere, and distance from the Sun of each planet; differences between the outer planets and inner planets; the formation of the Solar System, the Earth, the Moon, and other planets; and why we could or could not live on other planets!
The Amazing Earth (Elementary)
Through hands-on demonstrations and a tour of our Earth Science exhibits, students will study the geological and biological processes that have shaped our Earth since its formation. Students will explore what the Earth is really made of, what actually happens when a volcano erupts, and how shifting continents and changing sea levels have constantly reshaped the Earth’s surface. Students will also examine fossils and the biological history of the Earth, including dominant animals, the formation of fossil fuels, and major extinction events.
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