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Education
» Educational Services Guide
Educational
Services Guide
Educational
services of the North Carolina Maritime Museum are designed to
interpret all aspects of the state's diverse coastal natural
history and rich maritime heritage.
The
Museum Calendar lists
programs, field trips, and special events for the general
public.
Educational
services are offered to school, civic, and special needs groups.
They are designed for specific grade or age levels and
are correlated with state science and social studies curricula
guidelines. See
details below.
Annual
programs: Summer Science School, Junior Sailing Program, Adult
Learn to Sail Programs, Wooden Boat Show, and Watercraft Center
Classes.
HOW
TO SCHEDULE GROUP VISITS AND PROGRAMS:
(1)
REVIEW THE EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
(2)
SELECT THE DESIRED PROGRAM(S)
(3)
CONTACT THE MUSEUM. Reservations
should be made at least two weeks before the planned visit.
Call between 8 AM and 4 PM Monday through Friday. To e-mail, fax, or send a reservation request, include
name, group name, mailing address, phone, fax, e-mail address,
desired date and time for a visit and/or program.
Reservations
should be made at least two weeks before the planned visit.
Call between 8 AM and 4 PM Monday through Friday. To e-mail, fax, or send a reservation request, include
name, group name, mailing address, phone, fax, e-mail address,
desired date and time for a visit and/or program.
Education
Branch
North
Carolina Maritime Museum
315 Front Street
Beaufort, NC 28516
Tel: 252-728-7317
Fax: 252-728-2108
E-mail
jo.powell@ncmail.net
When
e-mailing the museum please include the following information:
*Name
*School
or Organization
*Mailing
address and zip code
*Telephone
number and area code
MORE
INFORMATION FOR VISITING GROUPS:
GROUP
SIZE
Up to 60 students with chaperones may tour the exhibit area at
one time. Larger
groups (up to 120 students) are divided and rotated between the
exhibit area, an auditorium program, and the museum’s
Watercraft Center.
CONFIRMATION
After a group is scheduled, a confirmation form, bus parking
information, and other requested materials are sent to the
teacher/leader.
CANCELLATION
OF VISIT OR CHANGE OF SCHEDULE
If a change or cancellation is necessary or if the group is
delayed, the museum must be notified as soon as possible. Groups
arriving before or after scheduled times are accommodated as the
museum schedule for other groups allows.
FEES
There is no admission charge for tours and programs in the
museum. Field trip
and outreach program fees are due the day of the trip/program.
Checks are made payable to the North Carolina Maritime
Museum.
CHAPERONE
REQUIREMENTS
All student groups must have one teacher or chaperone per 10
students. The
chaperone is responsible for student behavior and discipline
while in the museum. Unsupervised
students and unruly groups will be asked to leave.
ARRIVAL
AT THE MUSEUM
Upon arrival, the teacher checks in at the museum reception desk
while the students wait outside.
Buses may unload and load in the five-minute parking zone
in front of the museum. Bus
parking maps (in JPEG format) are sent with confirmation of
visit.
THE
MUSEUM:
HAS RESTROOMS
HAS A MUSEUM STORE
DOES NOT HAVE A PICNIC AREA
EDUCATIONAL
SERVICES:
TOURS
SELF-GUIDED OR
TEACHER-LED TOURS
of the exhibit area may be scheduled to begin weekdays from 9 AM
to 4 PM, Saturdays from 10 AM to 4 PM and Sunday from 1 PM to 4
PM.
A
Guide
to the Museum is available at the reception desk for
group leaders to use for self-guided tours.
The
Museum
Treasure Hunts help students learn in the museum.
The Sea Hunt, a
one-page hand-out, has pictures the group leaders use to help
grades K-3 look for exhibit items (20 minutes). Group leaders for grades 4 through high school use the
questions listed on the Museum
Treasure Hunt to help students learn about history and
natural history featured in the exhibits (45 minutes).
GUIDED TOURS are
led by a museum guide and are tailored for each grade level.
(45 minutes; 20 students maximum). Monday-Friday 9 AM –
3 PM.
DISCOVERY
CARTS
are
stocked with marine specimens and nautical artifacts that can be
handled and discussed. Museum
volunteers at each cart offer visitors the opportunity to learn
more and ask questions about exhibits, coastal organisms, and
maritime subjects. Volunteers
can accommodate 10 students at a cart at one time.
VIDEOS
are
shown in the museum auditorium to supplement a study topic
during a museum visit. The
museum can seat up to 60 students. Monday‑Friday, 9 AM – 4 PM.
Topics
on coastal natural history:
1. A Beautiful
Day (K-2nd)
Children
explore the variety of organisms living in an estuary.
(14 minutes)
2.
Waters of Life (2nd grade-adult)
The
unique features, natural history, and ecology of the N.C.’s
estuaries. (17 minutes)
3.
Trashing the Oceans (2nd grade‑adult)
Problems
and hazards of plastic trash in our oceans. (8 minutes)
4.
Shadows in the Night: The Loggerhead Legacy (2nd
grade-adult)
The
life of the threatened loggerhead sea turtle. (17 minutes)
5.
Secrets of the Shark (3rd grade-adult)
A
close look at life histories and habits of sharks.
(30 minutes)
6.
Life in a Salt Marsh (3rd grade-adult)
The
ecology and organisms of the salt marsh. (30 minutes)
7.
Rivers of Sand: Exploring Barrier Islands (5th
grade-adult)
Features
the dynamic beauty, wildlife, and ecology of barrier islands.
(30 minutes)
8.
Fire in the Longleaf (6th grade - adult)
Explores
the longleaf pine savannah. (12 minutes)
9.
The Horses of Shackleford Banks (7th
grade-adult)
Population
dynamics of feral horses on a barrier island near Beaufort, N.C.
(17 minutes)
Topics
on earth science:
1.
Wind and Waves (5th grade-adult)
The
power of wind and waves sink ships, reshape coastlines, and
affect worldwide climate. (30 minutes)
2.
Undersea Oases: The Science of Hardbottoms (6th
grade-adult)
The
geology and marine life on rocky outcrops along the continental shelf and their importance as a marine habitat. (15 minutes)
Topics
on social studies and maritime history:
1.
The Beaufort Inlet Shipwreck Project (3rd
grade-adult)
The
search for Queen Anne’s
Revenge, Blackbeard’s flagship that sank near Beaufort in
1718. (7 minutes. A
60-minute video, Blackbeard’s Revenge, is available for groups with more time.)
2.
Ports and Pilots (3rd grade-adult)
A
student learns first hand about the role of a harbor pilot at
the Morehead City State Port. (25 minutes)
3.
Ferry Boats (3rd grade-adult)
A
student learns first hand about ferry boats in coastal N.C. (25
minutes)
4.
Down to the Monitor
(4th grade-adult)
The
story of the Civil War ironclad, USS Monitor,
and its rediscovery off Cape Hatteras. (25 minutes)
5.
Chicamacomico (4th grade-adult)
The
history of a famous lifesaving station on the Outer Banks. (35
minutes)
6.
Menhaden: Soybean of the Sea (4th
grade-adult)
This
traditional coastal industry is illustrated from catching the
menhaden to preparing fish oil and meal. (16 minutes)
7.
Graveyard of the Atlantic and Pacific (5th
grade-adult)
A
comparison of shipwreck history in two oceans. (30 minutes)
SPECIAL
GROUP PROGRAMS
offered
in the museum or as outreach to schools and other organizations
include slide presentations, narration, hands-on activities,
and/or music. Tuesday‑Friday, 9 AM –3 PM.
There
is no charge for programs presented in the museum.
The fee is $30 for each outreach program presented within
50 miles of the museum. Additional
fees may include: $10 for every 50 miles beyond Beaufort and
presenter expenses for meals and lodging (state rates).
Environmental
Education:
1.
Aquarium Animals (K
– 3rd grade)
Presentation
about the animals housed in the museum's aquaria. Students sit in the aquarium gallery to hear where the
animals live, what foods they eat, and who their predators are.
(15 minutes)
2. Coastal Birds and Their Habitats
(K – adult)
The
common coastal birds of N.C., including habitats and identifying
characteristics. (30-45
minutes)
3. Marsh
Metaphors (2nd
– 8th grade)
Plants
and animals of the salt marsh and the functions of a wetland. (30
minutes)
4. Insect-Eating
Plants (2nd
– 8th grades)
Carnivorous
plants and how they attract and capture prey. (30 minutes)
5.
The Fingerprints of Trees (2nd grade –
adult)
Examines
coastal trees and their unique leaf shapes. (30 minutes)
6. Marine Mammals
(3rd grade – adult)
The
life histories and conservation issues of dolphins and whales in
N.C. waters. (30
minutes)
7. Coastal
Fossils and Geologic History of North Carolina (5th
grade – adult) Geologic changes of the coastal plain and the
fossil evidence of the last 60 million years. (30-45 minutes)
8. Endangered
Species - Endangered Habitat
(6th grade-adult)
Discussion
of human impact on biodiversity.
(30 minutes)
9. Exploring
Ecosystems (6th grade-adult)
A
discussion of three important ecosystems of the Americas, the
coastal salt marsh, high mountains, and tropical rainforest.
(45 minutes)
10.
Global Environmental Issues (6th grade – adult)
Overview
of the effects of human activities on the planet, especially the
depletion of the world's oceans, coastal population increase,
and rising sea level. (30 minutes)
11.
Barrier Island Ecology (6th grade – adult)
The
unique conditions for the plants and animals living on barrier
islands. (30
minutes)
12.
Mysterious Mushrooms (6th grade – adult)
Diversity
of mushrooms with tips on identification and edibility. (30
– 40 minutes)
13.
Edible Wild Plants (6th
grade – adult)
Plants
on the coastal plain that are edible or were used by early
settlers. (30 – 40 minutes)
14.
Wildflowers and Carnivorous Plants (6th grade – adult)
Unique
plants that inhabit pocosins and pine savannahs on the coastal
plain. (30 – 40
minutes)
North
Carolina Maritime Culture and History:
1.
Pirates of North Carolina (K – adult)
A
review of the history and lore of pirates, including an update
on Blackbeard and his flagship, Queen
Anne's Revenge. (30
minutes)
2.
Discoveries in the New World (3rd grade – adult)
Traces
Columbus' first voyages to the New World - weather, navigation,
and animals and plants recorded during these explorations.
(40 minutes)
3.
Portsmouth (4th
grade – adult)
Life
on Portsmouth Island on Core Banks in the early 1900s. (20 minutes)
4.
Life Along the Banks (4th grade – adult)
The
history and natural resources of barrier islands of N.C. (45 minutes)
5.
Commercial Fisheries in North Carolina (5th grade – adult)
A
review of oystering, shrimping, scalloping, and other important
fisheries in coastal waters. (30 minutes)
6.
Rivers: Highways of History (5th grade – adult)
Traces
the ecosystems and wildlife from the mountains to the sea as
well as the use of boats on the waterways from the 1700s to
present. (30
minutes)
7.
Nautical Artifacts (7th grade – adult)
An
exercise in learning about items that are used aboard ships.
Correlated with the 8th grade curriculum for
Carteret County Schools.
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ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION FIELD TRIPS are
designed for classes studying coastal ecology or related science
topics and are led by certified environmental educators.
(Monday-Friday, 9 AM-3 PM, March to November)
Class
size is limited for each trip and one chaperone for every 10
students is required.
Tidal
flat, salt marsh, and Rachel Carson Reserve trips are scheduled
to coincide with a low tide and require walking in shallow water
and mud.
1.
Tidal Flat and Salt Marsh (preschool-adult, $30
fee)
Investigate
a sand flat and adjacent salt marsh to study intertidal
organisms and their adaptations, food chains, productivity, and
the estuarine nursery area. A seine net is pulled in shallow water to view a sample
of marine animals.
(1˝
hours; maximum of 30 participants)
2.
Beaufort Walk (4th grade – adult, $5
fee/adult, $2 fee/student, $30 minimum)
Begin
at the museum observation deck and take a walking tour of
Beaufort to hear stories and view gardens and historic points of
interest. (2 hours; maximum of 15 participants)
3.
Rachel Carson Reserve (4th grade-adult; $5 fee/person
- $60 minimum fee for groups of 12 or fewer)
This
island component of the N.C. National Estuarine Research
Reserves provides opportunities to study dune plants, feral
horses, and organisms of intertidal mud flats and sounds. Participants cross Beaufort's harbor by boat, wade in
shallow water, and walk ˝ mile across a mud flat to the beach.
(2˝ ‑3 hours; maximum of 30 participants)
4.
Marine Life Collecting Cruise (6th grade-adult; $200 fee)
After
an orientation in the museum participants board a research
vessel equipped with sampling-sized commercial fishing gear to
collect and observe estuarine and ocean organisms. Discussion
focuses on species identification and natural history. (2˝
hours; maximum of 20 participants)
5.
Croatan National Forest (5th grade-adult; $30 fee)
Longleaf
pine, pocosin, and pond habitats west of Morehead City provide
the setting to study woodland organisms and their adaptations to
the environment. Insect‑eating plants are highlighted. (2
– 3 hours; maximum of 20 participants)
6.
Kayaking the Estuaries (7th grade – adult,
$25 fee/ person)
Suitable
for beginning to advanced kayakers.
Groups kayak through and study estuaries and learn about
currents and tides, and navigation.
The program includes on hour of preparation/instruction;
two hours of paddling; and 30 minutes of clean up. (3 ˝ hours;
maximum of 10 participants, 4 person minimum).
CAPE
LOOKOUT STUDIES PROGRAM
(8th
grade-adult)
This
program offers opportunities for groups of up to 16 people to
study barrier islands and estuarine environments while staying
at the museum field station on Cape Lookout National Seashore.
Detailed information and a fee schedule are detailed on
the website or available upon request.
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