Stephanie Norby's collections
Investigating a Place: Niagara Falls
What defines a place? Examine this collection of images from or about Niagara Falls to answer these questions: What are its unique set of physical and cultural conditions? How do these physical and cultural conditions interact? How is Niagara Falls connected to other places? What are the consequences of human activity on the cultural and physical landscape? Ask students individually or in small groups to create a collection in Learning Lab to represent the physical and cultural characteristics of another place. Using these collections, ask students to write summary statements describing the unique human and physical characteristics of places researched. In class discuss student collections and what makes each place unique.
Stephanie Norby
17
Butterfly Diversity and Innovation in Nature
This is a collection that shows many different types of butterflies. Why do butterflies vary? What are the processes in nature that result in biodiversity? How is this process different from innovations created by people?
Stephanie Norby
21
American Authors and Innovation
Choose one of the American authors in this collection. Research the author and read some of his or her writings. Write a short persuasive essay arguing whether or not this author was innovative and if so how. Discuss whether or not innovation is important in determining the strength of a writer's work.
Analyze the portrait of your author using the portrait handout. Does the portrait capture the qualities that made this author innovative? If not, how would you change the portrait to capture these qualities?
Stephanie Norby
48
The Wright Brothers -- Invention or Innovation?
This is a teaching collection about the Wright Brothers and their invention process. What is the difference between innovation and invention?
Stephanie Norby
12
Panda Babies
<p>This collection would complement a children's book about panda babies or other animal babies, focusing on how animals grow and change. The collection uses the "See, Think, Wonder" thinking routine developed by the Project Zero Program at Harvard University.</p>
Stephanie Norby
8
Pop Art
Pop Art
Explore how Pop artists were inspired by—and made art directly from—consumer goods, mass media, and popular culture.
Stephanie Norby
22
Boxes
<p>A box is a container with a flat base and sides, typically square or rectangular and having a lid. Or is it? Look at the collection of boxes. How do you think these boxes are used? How are they different in shape? size? material? Why do you think they are so different?</p>
Stephanie Norby
18
What Makes You Say That? -- Looking at Bird Beaks
<p>Watch these videos of birds. Use the "What Makes You Say That?" visible thinking routine, one of the visible thinking routines developed by Project Zero. This routine helps students describe what they see or know and asks them to build explanations. This is an introductory activity for a unit on birds or adaptation. The activity's strategy is intended to be used with the whole class to have a conversation about the topic. </p>
<p>First, watch the video on gannets -- without sound -- using the prompts "What's going on? What do you see that makes you say that?" Discuss responses. Then watch the video with sound and compare.</p>
<p>Second, watch one or more of the short videos documenting a Black-backed Woodpecker, Bee Hummingbird, New Zealand Falcon, Laughing Kookaburra, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Oystercatcher, American Goldfinch, Osprey and Orange-crowned Warbler. Focus students' attention on the beak, asking them to describe how birds use their beaks and citing evidence to support their claims.</p>
Stephanie Norby
12
William Healey Dall
A sampling from the Smithsonian pan-institutional collections documenting the work of William Healey Dall.
Stephanie Norby
12
Borders
<p>A few objects that reflect borders -- both to keep people out and to keep them in. Also, objects that show people's resilience even in the worst of times.</p>
Stephanie Norby
101
Investigating a Place: California
What defines a place? Examine this collection of images from or about California to answer these questions: What are its unique set of physical and cultural conditions? How do these physical and cultural conditions interact? How is California connected to other places? What are the consequences of human activity on the cultural and physical landscape? Ask students individually or in small groups to create a collection in Learning Lab to represent the physical and cultural characteristics of another place (city, region, state). Using these collections, ask students to write summary statements describing the unique human and physical characteristics of places researched. Discuss student collections and what makes each place unique.
Stephanie Norby
68
