Museum School Tours
Arizona Mining and Mineral Museum
1502 W. Washington St., Phoenix, AZ 85007
Call to schedule a tour:
602-771-1611 or 1-800-446-4259 (in state)
Experience the magic
of an Arizona Mining and Museum Field Trip!
(But.......you'll have to read this letter first.)
What will we do?
We
enthusiastically work with educators to give young people the best possible
experience in an enjoyable and creative fashion.
What can you, the teacher do?
- Be certain that the Museum staff clearly understand
the purpose of your visit.
- Make known any special needs from students through curriculum.
- Address students' different learning styles.
- Encourage students to refresh and sharpen their observation and
listening skills. Emphasize exploration by touch.
- While at the museum, ask questions
- -- of the tour guide and staff, and of
your students. We encourage visitors to explore and discover.
- PLEASE ARRIVE ON TIME
- If you are late - for whatever reason - your experience
may be shortened, as there will likely be another group scheduled
after you.
- TEACHERS - You are in charge of your group.
- We appreciate you facilitating swift and smooth movement into
the building AND maintaining respectful behavior in the classroom
and throughout the Museum.
- Lunches
- If you are bringing individual lunches inside, we are happy
to store them for you at the contact station, but they need to
be in consolidated boxes or bags.
- Reinforce learning
- with pre- and post-trip activities, including Social
Studies and Language Arts. Ask us for the free Teacher's Kit
& Pac, described below.
- Evaluate all phases of your trip.
- Share with us any comments/suggestions you might have that will
help us improve your future experiences here. We would also
enjoy hearing what you liked!
What can you, the Adult Supervisor can do?
- We appreciate your helping the
teachers facilitate swift and smooth movement into the building ,
supervising the 10 or less children assigned to you, and maintaining
respectful behavior.
- Make certain that all CELL PHONES ARE TURNED OFF.
Calls and conversations are disruptive to the classroom
experience. If you are expecting an important call,
please wait outside the classroom.
- Very young children are welcome with an adult; however,
we ask that unhappy or inattentive youngsters be
quieted outside the classroom.
- Help maintain proper museum manners
- No food, drinks, (other than water), candy or gum permitted
- No speaking during the presentation, unless the presenter
asks for responses
- Stay seated during the presentation
- No running or stair climbing
What will happen?
Program: The average visit lasts 1 1/2 hours,
but time is flexible.
Upon arrival, the group will be seated in the classroom for an
introductory session that will include a film/video and a "Minerals
& Their Uses" presentation by the tour guide.
After the presentation, a
"treasure hunt" takes the class through the exhibits. Children are
encouraged to touch open displays and to ask questions.
Please DUPLICATE THE APPROPRIATE TREASURE HUNT FORM
(Links below) FOR YOUR STUDENTS & BRING PENCILS.
A floor plan on the back gives students a
chance to exercise their map reading skills. These are also available in
Spanish. The completed hunt sheet is yours to use in debriefing on the trip home
or perhaps to collect for grade points.
If you forget your hunts we can only provide limited copies.
Treasure Hunt forms as PDF's:
- Group Size:
- There is a MINIMUM group size of 20 school-age
students and a MAXIMUM group size of 150
people. Our classroom will seat 85. Larger groups will be divided
into two smaller groups who alternate activities. Adults must keep their groups
together while doing the treasure hunt and in the gift shop.
- Divide into Smaller Groups
- Before you come, please divide your students into clearly defined
groups of 10 or less and assign an adult to each group. The
adults must keep their groups together while doing the
treasure hunt and in the gift shop.
- Freebies!
- Each adult and student may stop by the wheelbarrow in the
front room of the museum and choose 3 free mineral or rock
specimens. Bags are provided at the wheelbarrow.
- Photo Ops
- Be sure to bring a camera and take a group picture around the BIG
truck tire and shovel bucket installed in front of the Museum. Or
the 40 foot tall mining truck mural in the back of the museum.
How can we do this?
Our ONLY source of education funding is through donations and the
proceeds from the GIFT SHOP. Prices start at 25 cents. We ask that
ONLY 10 STUDENTS AT A TIME come into the gift shop.
When the students shop, it is very helpful that the teacher rotates
groups into the gift shop in order to avoid crowding and confusion. We
suggest that students who are not shopping, do not go into the gift shop.
We also offer a "Treasure Bag" which
sells for $2. It is a cotton drawstring sample bag with the Museum
imprinted on the front and inside the students will receive 3 mineral/rock
samples; a polished stone, a postcard of the Museum and a bookmark.
If you are interested, please let us know 1 week ahead of your
scheduled arrival day how many bags your class(es) will be purchasing.
Additionally, it would be very helpful if each teacher would
pay for their entire classroom in one transaction.
Teacher's Kits:
Museum volunteers have put together teacher's kits (rock and mineral
samples, activities, literature) and pacs ( a CD-ROM of classroom
activities) that are available free to each classroom
teacher. If you have not received one in the last 3 years, please ask
for one! Loaner teacher's kits are available to student teachers and
home schooling parents or one may be purchased for $45.
Location and Parking:
The Museum is located on the northwest corner of 15th Avenue and
Washington Street (see
map
). The building -- once the El Zaribah
Shrine Auditorium -- is a distinctive baby blue and beige. There is
BUS PARKING ADJACENT TO THE NORTH SIDE OF THE MUSEUM.
Additional bus parking may be found in parking lots to the east of 15th
Avenue. Visitors may park in the lot immediately north of the museum,
in the parking garage, or any state parking lot.
Enjoy
The field trip can be a rich educational experience for the students
and we hope it will be enjoyable as well.
Jan Rasmussen, Curator
Americans with Disabilities
The Arizona Department of Mines & Mineral Resources does not
discriminate on the basis of disability. Individuals with disabilities
may call 602-771-1611 to make arrangements for accommodations to participate
in Department programs. This notice is provided as
required by Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
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