The Coos History Museum paired with North Bend High School for the week of July 12th for a history summer camp. Each day the students learned something new about what we do at the museum, as well as went on a field trip to various parts of the county to learn and explore. The camp was funding from a North Bend School District summer school grant and was free to the students.
Vision
- Students will learn about the basic concepts and skills related to operating a local history museum through learning activities each day, during the first half of the day.
- Students will participate in local field trips to learn about significant places and events in Coos County History, during the second half of the day.
- Students will create a project using information and skills they have learned during the week, and will earn one NBHS social studies elective credit.
Learning Outcome
- Using primary and secondary sources, education and museum learning theories, and museum-related skills, knowledge, and resources, students will create a project to be presented to their classmates and family members on Friday from 12:30-3:30 PM.
- Project options will include:
- Tour: Students can create a tour that highlight’s Coos County’s geography, history, and sense of place.
- Exhibit: Students can create a themed exhibit based on Coos County’s history and/or communities
- Program: Students can create an educational program for a specific audience, topic, and medium
Monday was an introduction to the museum, what the purpose of a museum is and how we go about handling objects in our collection. The students were able to examine actual artifacts and determine which ones had good stories to tell. After lunch, students went to visit Empire, Coos Head, Cape Arago and Shore Acres to learn local history.
Tuesday was spent learning about Past Perfect, the database we use for objects, photos, archives, library and membership information. Students examined photographs from the museum’s collection to see if they could add descriptive terms to our database. In the afternoon, students traveled by bus to visit Isthmus Slough, Coaledo, Coquille’s Sturdivant Park, Riverton, Parkersburg, and Bullards.
Wednesday featured a presentation about the creation of exhibits including research, design, installation and evaluation. Students created a mock exhibit from a random sampling of every day objects including, but not limited to: office supplies, art work, Legos, rocks, stuffed animals, dog toys, etc. They also learned about the historic Front Street by analyzing a series of six Sanborn Insurance maps from 1891 to 1945 before taking a walking tour of Front Street and old Marshfield. Students got a behind the scenes tour of the Sun Printing Museum and the Egyptian Theatre.
Thursday was spent watching a presentation about museum education, ways of learning, developing programs, technology and diversity, equity and inclusion. They created an idea for a mock education program. Their field trip included a tour of the Coquille Plankhouse, the Nasomah Site and the Bandon Historical Museum.
