Kylin Cummings
M.A. Candidate in Anthropology
Specializations in Biological Anthropology and Museum Studies
New Mexico State University
Graduate
Internship Project: Development of a Traveling Trunk in the University Museum
of New Mexico State University for Human Evolution K-12 Educational Outreach
A human evolution traveling trunk kit is
currently being developed at New Mexico State University in order to provide an
educational outreach tool for the University Museum. This trunk kit will be available to K-12
teachers to use in their classrooms as an alternative source when teaching about
this subject matter.
A kit such as this will greatly aid 6th
and 7th grade teachers in meeting learning standards mandated by the State of
New Mexico. The kit will provide
educators more options to utilize while teaching their students about evolution
and adaptations of Homo sapiens and their ancestors.
The goal of this kit will be to identify
these fossil hominins using morphological features of the craniums and to
examine the differences in the encephalization and cranial capacities of these
species. It will also stimulate
curiosity and encourage exploration for these students, especially in regard to
human evolution which is often under served in the target audience.
The University Museum can also use this
kit to expand and enhance community-based science and anthropology education
within the museum. The advantage of the
production of a traveling trunk kit is that the teachers can bring their
students to the museum where the kit can be used as an additional activity
during their field trip or when resources and funding are not available for
field trips, the teachers can be provided training by knowledgeable museum
staff members and introduce the activity to their students in their classrooms.
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