Module at Museum School
What is Module at Museum?
All students in grades 9-11 take four museum module courses during the year. These courses are one full week long, and occur in October, December, March, and May. During these module weeks, students will not take their regular classes, and instead be immersed in the module project study all week at different museums and various cultural institutions around the city. At the culmination of these 5 days of museum modules, students will create a portfolio of work or similar culminating project. The different modules for each grade are as follows:
Grade 9:
Biodiversity
Mr. Mezias and Ms. Benjamin
Students study the concept of Biodiversity and explore what it is, why it is important, humans’ impact on it, and ways to preserve it. Students visit the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH), Bronx Zoo, Brooklyn Botanical Gardens (BBG)
History of World Religions
Ms. Carr and Mr. LaLena
Students explore the core belief systems of the 5 major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. They look at how societies who have held those beliefs have interacted throughout history, and how our modern worldviews are shaped by these belief systems. Students visit the Met, Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, Eldridge Street Synagogue, a Hindu temple, and the Kadampa Meditation Center.
Ms. Skirianos and Ms. Abraham
Students explore the questions Who Am I? How do I represent my identity? How do others see me? How do others represent me? Students receive their 9th grade art credit through this module, which culminates in some artistic representation of their identity, having been inspired by the artistic works – from ancient to modern – seen in various museums. Visits are different each module, but may include the Whitney, Museum of the City of New York (MCNY), Guggenheim, Museum of Art and Design (MAD), Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), and Brooklyn Museum.
Latin American Colonization and Cultures
Ms. Holmes and Ms. Austin
Students explore the conversion of cultures that have led to the formation of Latin America as we know it today – looking at its European, African, and indigenous traits, and understanding how cultures change drastically as a result of imperialism. Students visit AMNH, the Met, and the National Museum of the American Indian.
Grade 10:
Geology
Mr. Wassmuth and Ms. Grace
Students look at the unique geology of New York City and Long Island, and understand what it can teach us about the earth overall, with lessons about the ice age, tectonic plates, global warming, and more. Students visit the Hudson River, Central Park, AMNH, and Inwood Hill Park.
Geometric Structures in our World
Ms. Schleissmann, Mr. Stein, and Ms. Shum
Students look at enormous architectural structures – bridges, skyscrapers, subway tunnels, cathedrals, Grand Central Terminal – to understand how these structures can withstand enormous amounts of pressure because of the seminal geometric principal that underlie their construction. The class is a cross between geometry and physics. Students visit the Skyscraper Museum, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Staten Island Ferry, “The Vessel,” and the Met.
Imperialism
Ms. Siegelberg and Ms. Daly
Students explore the important theme of imperialism, looking at Africa, China, and India, as they did the previous year with Latin America. Students study in great detail the means used by various imperialist nations and the way power is distributed throughout the world. Visits include AMNH, the Met, Union Square, and the Customs House.
Japan Past & Present
Ms. Sei and Ms. Edgington
Students look at Japan as a first-world country on the other side of the globe, explore its traditions and culture, and reflect those experiences against our first-world experiences here in New York City. Students experience aspects of Japanese culture that they would otherwise not have been exposed to: calligraphy, sumi-e, tea ceremonies, kimono/yukata, and more. Students visit Japan Society, the Met, AMNH, and BBG.
Grade 11:
Activism in US History’s Great Oratory Moments
Ms. Mazzella and Ms. Rojek
Students explore the movements throughout US History that have led to change: Women’s Suffrage, Civil Rights, LGBTQ+ Rights, to name a few. They look at posters, media, speeches, and other means of raising awareness, and how those messages were spread effectively. Students visit MCNY, the Whitney, and the Paley Center for Media.
Engineering
Mr. Snyder and Ms. Gogiya
This module is under development currently but will consist of students learning important concepts in building and electronics. For example, students last module constructed artificial limbs and tested them. Visits are to be determined, but currently include the New York City Center for Aeronautics and Applied Motion.
New York City Through New Eyes
Ms. DeStefano and Ms. Wynn
Students look at the iconography of New York City that we take for granted as residents, from the perspective of someone new to this city. They connect to the immigrant experience as well as the history behind the growth of our city. All visits are used as inspiration for creative writing pieces, and the module is a feeder for our school’s literary and arts magazine The Archive. Visits include a senior citizen center, MCNY, the NY Transit Museum, Woodlawn Cemetery, and the Whitney.
Here are some pictures and videos of some of our Modules!
Activism with Mr. Rojek and Mr. Johnson
