“Drawers, Jars and Databases: Teaching the Hidden Science of Natural History Museums”

Bob Blinn, Marc Cubeta, Kathryn Hanser (Entomology and Plant Pathology), Kathryn

Green (Science Education) and Alexander Krings (Plant and Microbial Biology) recently

particpated in an educational workshop for North and South Carolina middle and high

school biology/environmental science teachers on July 9-11, 2018. The workshop entitled

“Drawers, Jars and Databases: Teaching the Hidden Science of Natural History

Museums” was a collaborative effort involving the National Science Foundation, North

Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences (NCMNS), Prairie Ridge Ecostation, Integrated

Digitized Biocollections, MicroFungi Collections Consortium, Florida Museum of

Natural History, University of Florida, and North Carolina State University. Sixteen

teachers participated in hands-on field and laboratory activities and were provided with

access to computer-based resources that utilize specimen collection and digitized

metadata. As part of the workshop, teachers also interacted with research collections

managers and viewed specimens at the NCMNS, Larry F. Grand Mycological Herbarium,

Insect Museum, and Vascular Plant Herbarium. The workshop culminated with teachers

developing an inquiry or experiential-based lesson plan to incorporate collections-based

educational resources into their classroom that address state and Next Generation Science

Standards. Upon completion of the workshop, teachers received a certificate for

Continuing Education Unit professional development credit. Thanks to Marc Cubeta,

Melissa Dowland, Adania Fleming, Christine Goforth, Cythina Lincoln, Kevin Love,

Molly Phillips, and Jeanette Pirlo for serving as instructors, mentors and organizers for

the workshop.