Tuesday 13 May 2014

International Museum Day - May, 18

MUSEUM COLLECTIONS 
MAKE CONNECTIONS



May, 18 is the International Museum Day. The theme for 2014 Museum Day proposed by ICOM (International Council of Museums) Advisory Committee is "Museum collections make connection" suggesting that museums help create bonds between visitors and different cultures and generations. 
For more information:

“After all, isn't the purpose of the novel, or of a museum, for that matter, to relate our memories with such sincerity as to transform individual happiness into a happiness all can share?” 

Some students activities

The following activities about museums could be  useful  in our EFL classes for many reasons:
  • to enrich vocabulary
  • to talk about foreign culture (and culture or art in general)
  • to enhance listening skills (through videos), reading skills (through the websites' contents) writing skills (through essays and compositions), speaking skills (through oral reports)
  • to talk about giving or asking for directions (through maps activities)
1) Let's start with a video about some useful museum vocabulary 


2) Then, let's go to London to visit some of its most famous museums!

Click on the link below to have some information about the major London museums:

3)  Now let's have a 3D tour and let's see where the most famous 
London museums are on the map thanks to Googleearthweb.


4) Let's watch the following video to get some more information 
about the top five museums to visit in London by Howcast.


5) Now, click on the Thinglink image I prepared and have some 
virtual or online tour! 
Once you open the image, you have to click on each icon you see on the map. 
The stars bring you to each museum site and the circles allow you to have a virtual tour! 



6) Now, try to answer the following questions:

You have just seen some of the most interesting London museums, could you tell which one you like the most and why?
Have you ever been to London? Did you already visit some of these museums? If you didn't, talk about a museum you visited and about the things you saw.
Do you think art and cuture can connect different people and countries? Why?


"Museums are living institutions that help create bonds 
between visitors, generations and cultures around the world. 
The museum is an institution that preserves and communicates the past, yet it is grounded in the present. 
In its very essence, it is a link between the generations, 
as it allows present and future generations 
to better comprehend their origins and history."


In a museum you can travel through time and space... and you can live fantastic adventures... 


VISIT A MUSEUM!

"When I was growing up, my mother would take me 
to plays and museums, 
and we'd talk about life. 
Those times helped shape who I became."