Carnegie Museum of Natural History offers new virtual field trips
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The popular “Dinosaur Armor” exhibition is one of four virtual field trips now being offered by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, joining the museum’s growing library of virtual experiences.
The experiences are available to individuals and educators, with more products slated in coming months to meet growing demand for high-quality, educational online programming, the museum says.
“Our goal was to offer digital counterparts to our most popular on-site experiences,” said Laurie Giarratani, director of education and lifelong learning. “I’m so impressed with the ingenuity displayed by our educators and their creative solutions for bringing these personal, on-site programs to life virtually.
“Listening to input from teachers, parents and kids helped us create the best experiences possible,” she said. “We are truly bringing the museum to your computer, tablet or phone.”
“Dinosaur Armor” explores the evolutionary development of body armor, both combative and ornamental, through 500 million years of evolution. The world-premiere exhibition features actual specimens, casts and artistic representations of prehistoric invertebrates, fish, reptiles, dinosaurs and mammals.
In addition to touring “Dinosaur Armor,” groups can take in the museum’s Halls of Wildlife and Walton Hall of Ancient Egypt, or join naturalists at Powdermill Nature Reserve, the museum’s environmental research center near Rector, Westmoreland County.
”The kids enjoyed it, were engaged and had fun,” said Jane Camp, supervisor of student events at PA Cyber, of the virtual dinosaur program. “I know they knew a lot, but they also learned a lot. The content was thorough and well-presented, and I loved that it looked like we were right there in the museum with you next to the exhibits.
“It was one of the best virtual programs I have seen so far,” she said.
Hour-long virtual group programs feature guest experts who lead themed activities tailored to the needs of each group that books a program. All guest expert programs are based on broad themes including Dinosaurs, Ancient Egypt and Animal Tales.
The museum’s virtual experiences library also includes birthday parties and weekly Live Animal Encounters.
Birthday parties are designed for ages 7–12 but can be adapted to any interested age. Attendees are guided through the work lives of real paleontologists and Egyptologists with activities and party favors.
Virtual Live Animal Encounters launched last summer as a way to bring the museum’s popular Live Animal Encounters to people at home. The encounters take place at 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays and feature a rotating cast of critters from the museum’s Living Collection, including Quilliam Penn the African pygmy hedgehog, Gouda and Pepper Jack the skunks and Mango the sun conure.
For more information or to book programs, call 412-622-3131 or visit carnegiemnh.org.