Introduction
The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is one of the world’s most influential scientific and cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1869, the AMNH has pursued its global goal to collect, translate, and disseminate information about human civilizations, the natural world, and the cosmos via extensive scientific research, education, and a display system. The American Museum of Natural History is renowned for its exhibits and scientific collections, providing a field guide for the globe and depicting the world’s civilizations. A trip to the American Museum of Natural History is fun and educational for adults and children (Davey & Colin, 2019, p. 76). The AMNH has an array of astounding displays, ranging from dinosaurs to marine life to outer space.
Dinosaurs – Geography and Environments
The renowned Dinosaur displays at AMNH draw dinosaur enthusiasts of all ages. The observation of these exhibits may allow students to discuss the change in the environment and the habitats of these creatures on a modern map. Common vocabulary in this section are fossils, bones, magnifying glass, and archaeology. The huge dinosaur specimens on the fourth level include a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Apatosaurus, Stegosaurus, and a 122-foot-long Titanosaur (Davey & Colin, 2019). Tyrannosaurus rex may be the most renowned tyrannosaur, but it is certainly not the most common. Most tyrannosaurs were not as monstrous as T-rex, and the first species were tiny and swift. Dilong paradoxus was the first tyrannosaur to be discovered with preserved feathers. Like other early tyrannosaurs, Dilong possessed long arms suited for capturing tiny prey. All tyrannosaurs were designed to kill and destroy, but Tyrannosaurus rex was the largest and most ferocious. Its enormous size, penetrating claws, and bone-eating fangs dominated its species (Rieppel & Lukas, 2012, p. 483). Young T-rex had a distinct body form and pursued different prey than adult T-rex, conquering several habitat niches as they matured. Some research on the extraordinary senses of the T-Rex shows that its keen eyesight, smell, and hearing made it impossible for prey to avoid its detection.
Blue Whale- Time Continuity and Change
Another exhibit that easily catches the eyes of the visitors is the model of a blue whale. The history of the Blue Whale could be used to discuss the development of human history and innovations that allowed people to create such works of art. In addition, it is possible to consider how the importance of environmental concerns was raised in the last century. A common vocabulary for this section is the sea, ocean, marine life, whales, and plankton. The mid-1960s construction of the Museum’s famed blue whale model was based on photographs of a female blue whale found dead off the southern point of South America in 1925 (Davey & Colin, 2019). During this period, little attention was paid to the natural surroundings of blue whales.
Although, the whale was redesigned based on the newer photographs. In 2001, Museum artisans who participated in redesigning the 94-foot-long model had an abundance of pictures and live footage of blue whales (Davey & Colin, 2019). They refined the models’ once prominent eyes, adjusted the blowholes, and shortened the tail. They also incorporated a paunch button, which visitors can find around one-fifth of the way down the model’s torso, as a reminder of one of the characteristics humans share with this magnificent warm-blooded animal (Rossi & Michael, 2010, p. 356). Blue Whale is suspended by a one-of-a-kind steel tube, linked to mechanisms concealed in both the model and the ceiling to give the impression to visitors that the whale is still swimming in the ocean. Just behind the figure, artificial skylights were lit with blue bulbs, and projectors and mirrors were added to create the illusion that one may see the sky from the ocean. The Blue whale is now bluer, with eyes that do not bulge and is washed annually.
Biodiversity – Environment
Various hallways of the Museum are dedicated to biodiversity. This theme is directly related to the environment and the ongoing changes related to human activity. Biodiversity comprises the number of diverse living species on Earth, the population of each species, and their distribution worldwide. Therefore, students may discuss the importance of biodiversity in class to gain insight into the pressing issues of modernity such as deforestation and the reduced number of bees. It may also include the cooperation between organisms within a biological system. The entire appearance of the Museum had artworks and exhibits that represented such vocabulary as biodiversity, aquatic life, and space characteristics. Even though the exhibits were dated, they were well-preserved and had easily comprehensible details, which increased the likelihood of locating them and obtaining the essential information.
Conclusion
The Museum contributes to the transformation and growth of the surrounding societies. As tourists come from all over the globe, the advancements in education and conservation at AMNH should impact and strengthen their surrounding areas and the world. AMNH should inspire personal relationships with guests, not simply on-site and through physical society outreach initiatives; they should also learn how to interact through their social networks. These kinds of personal memories, if emphasized at AMNH, will linger in the minds of visitors and encourage them to return for other displays.
Reference
Davey, C., Lesser, T. A., & Roosevelt, K. (2019). The American Museum of Natural History and how it got that way. Empire State Edition, an imprint of Fordham University Press.
Keller, P. C. (2012). Gemstones and their origins. Springer Science & Business Media.
Rieppel, L. (2012). Bringing dinosaurs back to life: Exhibiting Prehistory at the American Museum of Natural History. Isis, 103(3), 460-490.
Rossi, M. (2010). Fabricating authenticity: modeling a whale at the American Museum of Natural History, 1906–1974. Isis, 101(2), 338-361.
Seaman, D. M. (1965). The History and Collections of the Department of Mineralogy: The American Museum of Natural History, New York City. Rocks & Minerals, 40(5), 325-329.