Hey there! Guess what? I’m sitting in a super cool place called Stanley Field Hall at the Field Museum of Natural History. It’s one of the biggest natural history museums in the United States. Today, I’m going to show you some of the amazing exhibits you can see if you ever visit the Field Museum. Let’s get started!
Right now, I’m in the Hall of Mammals. It’s filled with awesome displays of animals from all over the world. These displays are called taxidermy dioramas, and they show different mammal species in their natural habitats. Did you know the Field Museum has over 2.4 million invertebrate specimens? That’s a lot of insects!
With The Brain Scoop moving here, we’ll be talking about all sorts of cool natural history topics. We’ll learn about anthropology, which is the study of humans and their cultures. We’ll explore fascinating places like Africa, Ancient Americas, Ancient Egypt, and Asia. Plus, we’ll check out botany, which is all about plants. Fun fact: all the plants in this hall are made from wax!
There’s so much to see here! We have dinosaurs, early humans, Ice Age animals, and even meteorites. You can also visit the Grainger Hall of Gems and the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Hall of Jades. And guess what? The museum even has award-winning bathrooms!
This is the DNA lab, where scientists study genetic information from thousands of different species. It’s like solving a giant puzzle to learn more about life on Earth. Oh, and meet Richard Lariviere, the president of the museum!
The Field Museum has an enormous collection of artifacts. But did you know that they only show less than one percent of them to the public at any time? I’m super excited to explore behind the scenes and share more of these amazing artifacts with you in the future.
That’s a wrap for this episode of The Brain Scoop. Thanks for joining me on this adventure! I can’t wait to share more exciting discoveries with you in the days, weeks, months, and years to come. Stay curious!
Imagine you’re a curator at the Field Museum! Choose a mammal from anywhere in the world and create a mini diorama of its natural habitat using materials like clay, paper, and paint. Share your creation with the class and explain why you chose that animal and what makes its habitat unique.
Pick a culture from Africa, Ancient Americas, Ancient Egypt, or Asia. Research and create a short presentation about their traditions, clothing, and daily life. You can include drawings, photos, or even a short skit to make your presentation come alive!
Become a dinosaur detective! Research a dinosaur that interests you and write a short report about its size, diet, and when it lived. Create a timeline to show where your dinosaur fits in Earth’s history and present your findings to the class.
Learn about the fascinating world of botany by creating a wax plant model. Choose a plant, research its characteristics, and use wax or clay to model its features. Present your plant to the class and explain its importance in its ecosystem.
Explore the world of genetics by creating a simple DNA model using colored beads or candy. Learn about the basic structure of DNA and how it helps scientists understand life on Earth. Share your model and what you’ve learned with your classmates.
Welcome to The Brain Scoop’s new office! Isn’t it cool? I’m sitting here in Stanley Field Hall at the Field Museum of Natural History, one of the largest natural history museums in the United States. Right now, I’m going to take you on a tour of some of the public exhibits that you can see if you visit the Field Museum. Let’s go!
I’m in the Hall of Mammals, surrounded by numerous full-mount taxidermy dioramas of various mammal species from around the globe. The Field Museum has a vast collection of invertebrates—over 2.4 million specimens, with a significant portion being insects.
As part of The Brain Scoop’s relocation, we will be branching out to discuss various aspects of natural history, including anthropology. We’ll explore topics related to Africa, Ancient Americas, Ancient Egypt, Asia, botany, and plants of the world. All the plants in this hall are handcrafted from wax!
We have dinosaurs, early hominids, Ice Age mammals, meteorites, the Grainger Hall of Gems, and the Elizabeth Hubert Malott Hall of Jades. And yes, even award-winning bathrooms!
This is the DNA lab, where they analyze genetic data from thousands of different species. This is Richard Lariviere, the president of the museum.
And that’s just a small fraction of the incredible artifacts in the Field Museum’s immense collection. At any given time, they display less than one percent of their artifacts to the public. I am so excited to go behind the scenes and share more of these artifacts with you in the coming days, weeks, months, and years.
This has been an episode of The Brain Scoop. Thanks for watching!
Mammals – Warm-blooded animals with hair or fur that usually give birth to live young and feed them with milk. – Dolphins are mammals that live in the ocean and breathe air through their blowholes.
Species – A group of living organisms that can interbreed and produce fertile offspring. – The giant panda is a species that is native to China and is known for its distinctive black and white fur.
Insects – Small arthropods with six legs and a body divided into three parts: head, thorax, and abdomen. – Butterflies are colorful insects that undergo metamorphosis from caterpillars.
Anthropology – The study of human societies, cultures, and their development. – In anthropology class, we learned about how ancient civilizations built their societies.
Cultures – The shared beliefs, customs, arts, and practices of a group of people. – Different cultures have unique traditions and ways of celebrating holidays.
Plants – Living organisms that typically produce their own food through photosynthesis and have roots, stems, and leaves. – Sunflowers are tall plants that turn their heads to follow the sun across the sky.
Dinosaurs – Extinct reptiles that lived millions of years ago and varied greatly in size and shape. – The Tyrannosaurus rex was one of the largest meat-eating dinosaurs.
Genetic – Relating to genes or heredity, which determine the characteristics of living organisms. – Genetic information is passed from parents to offspring, influencing traits like eye color.
Information – Data or knowledge that is communicated or received about a particular topic. – Scientists gather information from experiments to learn more about how plants grow.
Artifacts – Objects made by humans, typically of historical or cultural interest. – Archaeologists discovered ancient artifacts that helped them learn about early human life.
