Museum brings history out of the box

Museum brings history out of the box

Written by Beth Wade Saturday, 07 April 2007

Museum uses trunk of costumes, period objects to teach the lessons of history

Armed with a trunk packed with period clothing, food items and toys, the Williamson County Historical Museum takes a new approach to teaching history.

Traveling Trunks began in 2004 to help reach children throughout Williamson County and educate them on the history of Texas with a focus on the county.

“We realized we had a small museum facility,” Chris Dyer, museum director, said, “and we wanted every kid in the county to have interaction with the museum, but we can’t do that in person. These trunks help spread the word of the museum along with education.”

The museum currently has two trunks that feature pioneer and cowboy life. The trunks provide children with history, as well as an opportunity to touch and feel actual items used in that time period.

The trunks are focused on third, fourth, fifth, seventh and eighth grade lessons and help teach information from the TAKS test.

Each trunk can come to the classroom with a full week’s worth of lessons and activities, or trunks can be reserved along with museum staff to teach the lessons. Trunks are available to stay for two weeks at a time.

Currently the museum is working to expand the trunks to include lessons on Texas immigrants and archeology. These trunks will be available in schools in October.

“We are going to keep working on them,” Dyer said. “As we gain more staff and volunteers, and as new ideas are passed down, we will definitely be adding more trunks.”

The trunks are available for schools throughout Williamson County, but Dyer said they would consider requests in other areas.

“We are happy with the response to [the trunks],” Dyer said. “We are hoping the new trunks will take off like the other two did.”

Trunks can be reserved from the museum by calling Dyer at 943-1674.

For more information on the Williamson County Historical Museum, visit www.wchm-tx.org.

School News Briefs

Grandview Hills

Parents and administrators met March 26 to discuss preliminary results from the environmental testing of the proposed Grandview Hills Elementary school site.

The tests included 150 air, soil and wipe samples and yielded trace amounts of the chemicals in some locations, Susan Litherland, Weston Solutions vice president, said. Litherland said she did not believe there was a threat to future occupants; however, several areas of the site will be tested further.

A more complete report is expected April 24.

International Baccalaureate

The School Board chose Grandview Hills Elementary School as a Primary Years Program associated with the International Baccalaureate Organization.

The program involves staff training and collaboration to plan the transdisciplinary inquiry-based approach to learning that will be used to teach all children.

PYP is focused on teaching children ages 3-12 and aims for total growth of developing children.

For more information on the International Baccalaureate Organization, visit www.ibo.org.

Rouse High School

Leander’s newest high school, Rouse High School, will open with ninth grade only. The campus, opening in Fall 2008 is located off Crystal Falls Parkway near Wiley Middle School in Leander. The school board voted in March for a ninth-grade-only opening based on past school openings, such as Cedar Park High School, that resulted in a lower than normal sized tenth grade class.