http://www.nhm.ac.uk/exhib/earthg/earthg.html (Einblicke ins Internet, 10/1995)The first phase of the new programme will come on line in 1996 when the galleries will be reopened to the public.
Here you can glimpse the themes that the new scheme will explore.
A series of 6 distinct, themed exhibition areas are being developed, 2 on each of the 3 main floors. These exhibitions will be essentially independent, but they will collectively embrace the main aspects of the earth sciences. Beginning with major processes of the Earth, the scheme will increasingly focus on those issues which relate to people and the environment. It will highlight our dependence on the Earth's resources and explore how to reconcile this with environmental and ecological responsibility.
The power within, the first of the planned exhibitions, will take visitors on an exploration of the internal structure of the Earth and of the dynamics of the Earth’s crust - plate tectonics; the heart of the planet; inside a volcano; the nature of earthquakes; the building of mountains; sea-floor spreading; oceanic trenches; subduction zones and plate margins. The major motivational and affective learning objective will be: To impress visitors with an exposition of the structure and major processes at work within the Earth and how these are manifested at and observed from the Earth’s surface.
Earth's restless surface will begin with a global overview of planetary weather processes - from poles to tropics, from ocean to land, from sea level into the atmosphere to introduce the weather as a major force which shapes the landscape around us. Phenomena such as hurricanes and tornadoes will be introduced to demonstrate the power of weather processes. Glaciers, land slides and wave-pounded storm beaches will vividly illustrate the relationship between weather and erosion and deposition. The main body of this, the second exhibition on the 2nd floor, will focus on weathering, erosion and deposition at the Earth's surface; ice scouring; ocean waves; fluvial processes; exfoliation; limestone pavements and caves; dunes and dune fields; the interaction between biological activities and geology - coal, gas, coral reefs, chalk and limestone. The main affective and motivational learning objective for the exhibition will be: To dramatically highlight the dynamic processes which relentlessly reshape the surface of the planet.
The third exhibition, From the beginning, will start with an explanation of the formation of the Earth and explore the concept of deep time. It will investigate the record of dramatic geological and biological change from the first evidence of life through to the present day. The main affective and motivational learning objective will be: To make apparent the vastness of deep time and the scale of geological/evolutionary change in contrast to the scale of human activities.
Earth’s treasury will provide an attractive insight into the diversity of minerals, semi-precious stones and gemstones. It will highlight their beauty and explore the aspects which give these materials value to people. As visitors progress through the exhibition, it will also set up the Earth as the treasure house of the many economic ores which throughout human history have shaped our progress. This will serve in part as conclusion to this exhibition and also set up the final exhibition in the scheme, ‘the useful earth’. As a useful device for separating the over-lap between the two exhibitions this treatment should review the use of these earth treasures in human history up to the point of the ‘industrial revolution’ and the age of ‘modern science and technology’ but no further. The main affective message of the exhibition will be: For visitors to be awed by the diversity and natural beauty of minerals and their different properties.
The useful Earth - today and tomorrow will explore how people obtain and use geological resources to manufacture the many products common to today’s economy. From fuels to building materials, and clay to Teflon and silicon chips, the material quality of our lives depends on the products made from the Earth’s raw materials. The exhibition will focus on the burgeoning demand for materials since the time of the industrial revolution, and the growth of materials technology. The main affective and motivational learning objective will be: To reveal to visitors our dependence on the products of geological processes and the necessary role of resource extraction to our economic welfare.
The final exhibition or Earth lab will provide visitors with the opportunity to explore, hands on, the world of rocks and minerals. Crystal growing, crystals under the microscope, hardness, electrical properties and interactions with heat and light will be just a few of the areas visitors will be able to investigate. The main affective objective of this gallery will be: To encourage visitors to explore actively the fascinating properties of materials in the world around us and how these are applied in our industry.
While the new exhibition scheme is being designed primarily for the enjoyment
and education of informal visitors to the Museum, it will also be used by
visiting educational groups who, with the support of education staff, use the
exhibitions for more specific purposes. Our design aproach is
consistent with recent initiatives in science teaching and will attempt to
complement other curriculum areas. With this audience in mind we have used the
Government orders for the National Curriculum to identify appropriate levels
of treatment and to focus on core areas of subject material. As a result the
galleries, in addition to exploring the earth sciences, will have a
multi-disiplinary approach and will support the teaching of:
Sponsorship. We are exploring this unique opportunity of the
complete revision of the Earth Galleries with a view to develop a local net-work,
multimedia interpretation system which will inter-link the exhibitions. The
materials developed for the programme might then also be transferable to a
CD-ROM series and/or be made available through the Museum’s servers to the
international network as an educational resource. This approach might well be
attractive to organizations with an interest in promoting telematics.
Collaboration. The development will provide opportunities for
other organizations with an interest in promoting understanding of earth sciences,
and organizations interested in publishing and multi-media publishing.
This document is maintained by
Robert Bloomfield
(R.Bloomfield@nhm.ac.uk)and Neil Thomson (N.Thomson@nhm.ac.uk).
Promoting the public understanding of science
The new Earth Galleries will be unique, benefiting from:
...and even more behind the scenes
The contribution to the public understanding of science made by the new
Earth Galleries is part of the Museum’s broader Earth Science programme.
Behind the scenes our scientists are actively involved in research, exploring
the fossil and geological record, minerals, meteorites, and providing new
insights into the world around us.
As a unique resource for both earth and life science, the Museum is involved
with projects in over 60 countries. In our work with governments, commercial
organizations and collaborating institutions, we:
The Earth Galleries in a formal educational context
The central educational goal for the new exhibition scheme is to encourage an
interest among all our visitors in the earth sciences. To do this we know from
our visitor research that there is a need to overcome the feeling that earth
science is remote and irrelevant to every day life. This implies developing an
approach which both emphasizes the links between earth sciences and the many
important issues which relate to them, and draws the subject into the realm of
everyday experience.
English and foreign languages
Art, drama, music and dance
Opportunities