Utah Museum of Natural History

Utah Museum of Natural History

infobox Museum
name= Utah Museum of Natural History
location= Salt Lake City, Utah
established = 1963 [http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/m/MUSEUMS.html]
visitors = 78,000 [http://www.umnh.utah.edu/pageview.aspx?id=19949]
latitude= 40.7595
longitude= -111.8881
type= Natural history
website= http://www.umnh.utah.edu/

The Utah Museum of Natural History (UMNH) is a museum located on the campus of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The museum shows exhibits of natural history subjects, specifically about Utah's natural history. The mission of the museum is to illuminate the natural world and the place of humans within it.

Collections and research

The Utah Museum of Natural History has over 1.2 million objects in its collection that are used for research and education. The Museum's collections emphasize the natural history of Utah and are accessible to researchers from around the world. The majority of the collections are from public lands within the inter-mountain region of the United States.

UMNH collections are used in studies on geological, biological and cultural diversity, and the history of living systems and human cultures within the Utah region. The primary goal of the museum is to increase the information content of the collections while providing the widest possible access to that information.

Anthropology collection

* Archaeological collections of 3/4 million objects
* Associated records from more than 3,800 sites
* Ethnographic collections including more than 2,000 objectsThe current curator of anthropology is Duncan Metcalfe, Ph.D. and the collections manager is Glenna Nielsen-Grimm.

Biology collection

* 30,000 specimens of mammals
* 20,000 birds
* 18,000 lower vertebrates
* 22,000 mollusks
* 180,000 insects
* 123,000 plant specimens in the Garrett Herbarium, many with viable seeds and sporesThe current curator of biology is Eric Rickart, Ph.D., and the collections manager is Rebecca Rowe. The entomology collection is managed by Christy Bills.

Geology collection

* 3,600 minerals
* 250 rocks
* 2,000 plant and 6,000 vertebrate fossils
* 14,000 vertebrate fossils, including the famous Cleveland-Lloyd Jurassic dinosaur collections, as well as important lower Cretaceous dinosaurs from the Museum's Long Walk Quarry.

Exhibits

The museum's exhibit areas occupy almost convert|23000|sqft|m2 on the first and second floors of the George Thomas Building, located on the University of Utah campus. The exhibits target three broad areas of the natural sciences: geology/paleontology, anthropology, and biology.

Cooper Hall of Anthropology

*
* Renovated in 2003 to include Utah’s First Nations exhibit components originally developed for the 2002 Cultural Olympiad
* Ethnographic highlights include pieces of the Tony Taylor collection and objects purchased by UMNH Collectors Council
* Archaeological interpretation of Utah’s prehistoric cultures and sites in the Great Basin and Colorado Plateau
* replica of the 4,000-year-old pictograph panel from Utah's Horseshoe Canyon

Earth science galleries

Geology/paleontology hall

*
* Features four cast skeletons of Jurassic dinosaurs from central Utah
* Allosaurus (dinosaur brain endo cast)
* Two large murals, many sculptures, and 11 skeletons of fossil mammals
* Depictions of geological phenomena and the formation of rocks with touch specimens

Norton Hall of Minerals

*
* 450 mineral specimens, including touchable amethyst geode and coal
* "Romney Mine," a walk-in recreation of a 19th century Park City lead-zinc-silver mine
* Mining heritage of Utah, spotlighting mining areas and districts
* Workable Geiger counter

Life science halls

*
* Full-size marsh and mountain dioramas
* Displays of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates of Utah

Dumke Gallery

*
* Changing exhibit gallery

Quinney Dinosaur Discovery Hall

*
* Hands-on dinosaur dig
* Working fossil preparation lab
* Wall mural of prehistoric life painted by children from Utah

Educational programs

The educational programs are organized by the School Programs Department. Development of school programs is closely tied to the public school system's core curriculum. The Museum's educational programs include:

* School Tours: This program includes self-guided groups moving among demonstration carts throughout the galleries.
* Junior Science Academy: A series of workshops for fourth grade students tied to the core curriculum and held in the Museum.
* Youth programs: After-school, Saturday, and summer classes primarily for children in grades K-6, covering various aspects of natural history and science.
* Adult and family programs: Workshops, lectures, and special events intended for an adult and/or family audience in geology, archeology, and biology.
* Youth Teaching Youth: A program with Glendale Middle School; youth from at-risk environments are trained to instruct elementary school classes using outreach kits. These middle school youth conduct all classroom outreach in the Salt Lake School District. As these students graduate to high school, they are offered internships in a variety of disciplines at the Museum and throughout the University.

Outreach

* Museum on the Move: A total of 21 kits containing specimens, activities, graphics, text panels and teacher instruction are circulated to schools statewide. The material in the kits is generally specific to Utah phenomena and is tied to science core curriculum standards. Topics addressed by the kits include rocks, minerals, soils, fossils, archeology, earthquakes, insects, animals, and dinosaurs.
* Field Crates
* Traveling Treasures
* Teacher Toolkits
* Teachers are able to check boxes out or use them in conjunction with Field Crates in remote sites
* Scientist in the Classroom

Role at the University of Utah

The Museum is part of the academic life of the University of Utah. The collections offer research opportunities and provide a learning laboratory for students. Museum programs expose students to many aspects of museum studies: educational outreach, exhibit design and fabrication development, public relations, and curriculum development.

The Museum is a repository for collections that were accumulated by the University's departments of Anthropology, Biology, and Geology. The collections are held in trust for faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates who have access to the collections for research and teaching purposes.

In-service training is offered by the Utah Museum of Natural History Education Department; university credit can be earned with these courses, leading to salary lane changes for public school teachers. These courses are coordinated with the Academic Outreach and Continuing Education and the Department of Teaching and Learning. As the founder of the University’s Genetic Science Learning Center, the Museum continues to partner in its teacher training program.

The Museum's meeting rooms are available for rental for on- and off-campus groups.

External links

* [http://www.umnh.utah.edu/ Utah Museum of Natural History]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Carnegie Museum of Natural History — Das Museum Das Carnegie Museum of Natural History ist ein Museum für Naturgeschichte in Pittsburgh im US Bundesstaat Pennsylvania. Inhaltsverzeichnis …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Natural History Museum of Utah — Coordinates: 40°45′51″N 111°51′04″W / 40.7642°N 111.8511°W / 40.7642; 111.8511 …   Wikipedia

  • Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County — Established 1913 Location Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California …   Wikipedia

  • Natural history of Australia — The natural history of Australia has been shaped by the geological evolution of the Australian continent from Gondwana and the changes in global climate over geological time. The building of the Australian continent and its association with other …   Wikipedia

  • List of natural history museums — Contents 1 Africa 1.1 Botswana 1.2 Canary Islands 1.3 Egypt …   Wikipedia

  • University of Kansas Natural History Museum — Dyche Hall, University of Kansas U.S. National Register of Historic Places …   Wikipedia

  • Utah-Groppe — Systematik Ordnung: Groppenartige (Cottiformes) Unterordnung: Groppenverwandte (Cottoidei) Überfamilie: Cottoidea Familie …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Utah, University of — ▪ university, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States       public, coeducational institution of higher education in Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S. It is a comprehensive university with many research opportunities and academic programs. Through 16… …   Universalium

  • University of Utah — Seal of the University of Utah Established February 28, 1850[1] Type Public …   Wikipedia

  • Salt Lake City, Utah — Infobox Settlement official name = City of Salt Lake City settlement type = City nickname = Crossroads of the West, Salt Lake, SLC imagesize = image caption = Downtown Salt Lake City in April 2008 image mapsize = 250px map caption = Location of… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”