T The Sam Noble Museum seeks to provide the community and learners of all ages with opportunities to expand their curiosity of the natural world. Through a variety of programs, the museum engages Oklahomans onsite and across the state in high-quality science education experiences.
During 2018, in partnership with the Department of Invertebrate Paleontology, the Education Department received funding from the NSF grant “Digitization PEN: Expanding and enhancing a TCN digitizing fossils to reconstruct evolving ecosystems the Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway,” to create new K-12 curriculum for each of the existing earth science Discovery Kits. Additionally, a four-day long professional development experience was facilitated, engaging 12 teachers in the fieldwork and science process involved in invertebrate paleontology research.
In collaboration with OU Department of Astronomy, the Education Department also received funding from a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to develop educational resources for K-12 students. The Department of Astronomy will conduct research addressing questions of Solar System development. Using information gained from the research, the SNM will create two classroom programs to be facilitated to visiting school groups during field trips to the museum and the creation of activities for the Discovery Kit program.
Through on-site events and programs, including field trips, summer camps, family programs and Scout programs, and outreach into the community, the museum reached over 74,682 participants with educational activities.
Continuing the highly successful experience of bringing teachers and students to the field to actively engage with scientists and science, ExplorOlogy® completed its eleventh year. Through a combination of summer field science programs and providing outreach programming to schools during the school year, ExplorOlogy® reached 4,597 participants. Additional outreach activities, including the Discovery Kit program, included at total of 30,307 participants.