Yesterday our SEC 525 class with Mark Larson met at the Chicago History Museum (at 1601 N. Clark St.) We got to explore one of their recent additions, the Facing Freedom Exhibition. Afterward, two museum employees who specialize in the educational facet of the museum, walked us through their interactive website at facingfreedom.org.
This website mirrors the set up of the exhibition; it is color coded and divided into four main parts: workers' rights (red), armed conflict (orange), race & citizenship (green), and public protest (magenta). The exhibit asks essential questions like, what would you do for freedom, what would you risk to form a union, when do you have to fight to be free, how would you live if you lost your freedom, and how do you make your voice heard.
As a future educator, I am extremely impressed with the level of cognitive and critical thinking that the exhibit asks of students. The museum has taken History, a subject that gets a rap for being out dated and unrelated, and turned it into a personal experience with which students can connect.
Outside the realm of field trips, which are not always available for low budget schools, the museum offers the images and artifacts from the exhibit on their website. As a Language Arts educator, I am most eager to use this website to prepare students for a unit or a story we will read in class. The website offers concise information, images, and videos that students can explore in a variety of time periods and aspects of this country's history.
Check out the website and see for yourself!
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