This document provides teachers with project ideas and resources for using the Alaska State Museum in their lessons. It outlines activities such as having students research objects in the museum's collection database, write historical mysteries or conduct interviews about artifacts. Other suggestions include analyzing materials under a microscope, sketching items, writing poetry about objects, and researching Alaska's music history. Contact information is provided for museum staff who can help teachers plan visits and access artifacts, with tips on scheduling and group size.

1. THE ALASKA STATE MUSEUM
projects, ideas, resources and contacts for teachers

2. THE SAME OL’ SCAVENGER
HUNT
too often, teachers
resort to scavenger
hunts for students
when visiting the
Alaska State Museum

3. THINK CONNECTIVITY!
the museum features
art exhibits, artifacts of
AK history and culture,
and a collection of
objects available for
loan to classrooms
teachers of every
subject and at every
level can use this
resource

4. SUGGESTED PROJECTS
On-line Object Materials Analysis
Research
Math in Tlingit Basketry
Mystery at the Museum
Sketchbooks
Artifact and Elder
Object Poetry
Interviews
History of Music in
Build an Exhibit
Alaska

5. ONLINE OBJECT RESEARCH
activity for English or Social Studies teachers
access the Collections Database by going to the Alaska State
Museum website: http://www.museums.state.ak.us/
under “Quick Links,” select “Collections Database” and enter key
words in order to search through the collection
ask students to research and write a paper or create a presentation
about a particular object using the summary of details provided by
the search engine as a starting point

6. ONLINE OBJECT SEARCH
Alaska State Museum II-A-5789: doll - Agatha Dahl - Eskimo - wood; human hair;
sealskin; rabbit fur; felt; beads; glass beads - doll - King Island
Enlarge >>
Object Name: doll
Accession Number: 80-30-271
Old Num: F-306
Description: wood; human hair; sealskin; rabbit fur; felt; beads; glass beads
Maker: Agatha Dahl
Descriptive Narrative: doll with wooden face, human hair, sealskin mitts and mukluks,
rabbit fur parka. Ruff and mukluk trim are unidentified fur. Beaded felt trim around
parka bottom.
Subject: doll
Photo: transparency, color (large format)
Culture: Eskimo
Collection Name: Ethnology
the keyword “mukluk” yielded
Made: King Island
Photo: 35mm slide
Dimensions: L: 10 in
a long list of items with
Add to Search List
connections to mukluks
tip: give students a list of
keywords to facilitate search

7. MYSTERY AT THE MUSEUM
activity for English and Social Studies teachers
this activity may be suitable as an interdisciplinary
activity between an English class and a Social Studies
class
the English class may choose to write a historical
murder mystery or an archealogical mystery to be
solved by the Social Studies class

8. ARTIFACT AND ELDER
INTERVIEW
activity for English and Social Studies teachers
museum coordinators can help students select an
item in the museum and contact an elder in the
community to interview about the item
this activity stresses that the museum contains items
of living cultures with vibrant oral traditions

9. BUILD AN EXHIBIT
activity for Social Studies
teachers
as a class, build an exhibit
from the “Collections
Database” under “Quick
Links” on the museum
website: http://
www.museums.state.ak.us
write labels for the items
in the exhibit

10. MATERIALS ANALYSIS
ACTIVITIES FOR SCIENCE TEACHERS

11. MATERIAL ANALYSIS
science teachers may ask students to study materials
under a microscope and discuss conservation analysis
museum coordinators have items available for classroom
loan
science teachers may also explore the mineral
composition of tools and other human artifacts and
discuss why humans choose various minerals and
materials for different tools

12. MATH IN TLINGIT BASKETRY
contact Nancy Douglas at
nancy_douglas@jsd.k12.ak.us
for more information about
her project regarding math in
Tlingit Basketry
museum coordinators can
also arrange a visit with a
weaver and pull out baskets
from the collections in
storage

13. SKETCHBOOKS
activities for Art teachers
ask students to sketch items in the
museum
ask students to research Native art
schedule a visit with an artist with an
exhibit at the museum

14. OBJECT POETRY
activity for English
teachers
ask students to choose
an object in the
museum (either during
a visit or on the
website) and write a
poem or short story
about the object

15. HISTORY OF MUSIC IN
ALASKA
activities for Music
teachers
ask students to research
the history of music in
Alaska and trace the
influence of different
cultures
ask students to research
Alaska Native instruments
and dance

16. TIPS FOR PLANNING A VISIT
visits should be scheduled between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30
p.m.
October through February is the best time of year to
schedule visits
keep the number of students relatively small (do not
expect the museum to accommodate several classes
consisting of 30 or more students each)
prepare students ahead of time for chosen activity

17. CONTACTS AT THE MUSEUM
Mary Irvine, Museum Protection and Vistor Services
Supervisor (907) 465-4811
Lisa Golisek, Security & Visitor Services Coordinator
(907) 465-4809
Steve Henrikson, Curator of Collections (907) 465-4826