THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF THE AMERICAN MUSEUM OF 

 NATURAL HISTORY 



Bjl Mmir'icf J. BkjcUjic 

 Professor of Biology, Teachers College, Columbia University 



T\\V\ most (liscouragiiifj fact conccniiiiu- our l)oastc(l modern science is 

 that its great teachings full of meaning for daily life are so .slowly 

 liltering down from the in\estigators to e\cn many well-educated 

 people, not to mention the great masses with hiiiited or no formal education. 

 We need a rapid expansion of facilities for the ])romulgation of scientific 

 knowledge among the people. This means a movement along two lines: 

 first, there should be greater attention paid to science teaching in schools 

 and colleges; and second, there is need of a science extension system reaching 

 out to those who have already passed beyond the direct control of regular 

 educational institutions. In l)oth of these lines science museums have an 

 opportunity for playing an important part. They may be valuable supple- 

 mentary aids to the science studies in educational institutions, and they 

 may be the people's university of science for the diffusion of scientific 

 knowledge among those not directly reached by teachers. 



Now it must be evident to even a superficial observer that in order to 

 be of such educational value, a science museum must be far different from 

 the old-time collection of natural objects arranged systematically. There 

 must be a limited amount of systematic arrangement, for some idea of 

 system is an essential part of scientific education, but the great view of 

 modern science which the general public needs is only in very small part 

 taxonomic. It must, on the contrary, be chiefly a Aiew of science in relation 

 to modern life in its combined intellectual, practical and festhetic outlook. 

 Therefore a science museum with educational aims must be j)lanned to 

 present the great principles (such as e\"olution) which make an intellectual 

 appeal; it must teach the applications of science to practical life (that is, 

 germ diseases, economic animals and plants); and it must increase the 

 testhetic appreciation of nature and nature's processes. 



Such are the chief opinions as to the educational functions of a science 

 museum as seen by an outsider who is interested in nature study and general 

 science with reference to popular educational mo\cmcnts. Such \iews lead 

 to recognizing that museums have two distinct functions, one the scientific 

 work looking toward an increase in the sum total of knowledge, and the 

 other concerned with selecting and diffusing among citizens young and old 

 the main facts and ideas wherein science definitely touches human life. 

 This means that we need either separate museums of two types, or two 

 organizations within one museum. Obviously the latter is the ideal and 



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