University of Alberta

Muse Programs

Explore the wonders of primary-source research at the University of Alberta Museums. The Muse Project is an innovative, curriculum-based program in Science and Social Studies for grades 4-9. Students participate in a 2.5 hour guided, interactive program on campus, complete with Field Notebooks. Borrow a Discovery Kit for further exploration back in the classroom (lesson plans provided). All programs are free, but transportation to and from the university campus is the responsibility of the educator/school.

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Muse Program Descriptions:

New!  Ancient Alberta: Our Cultural and Fossil HeritageMuse Programs - Alberta

  • Best curriculum fit: Social Studies 4.1 - 4.3, 4.S.1 - 4.S.3, 4.S.7; Science 4-1, Topic E
  • Investigate artifacts to learn how Plains First Nations have lived off the land, and how their traditional ways of life are changing. Become a paleontologist by investigating fossil specimens to explore ancient plant life and Alberta's fossil heritage.
  • Available: December 5th, 2011 - June 22nd, 2012
  • Program Resources

 

 

Arctic: Traditional and Changing Ways of LifeMuse Programs - Arctic

  • Best curriculum fit: Social Studies 5.2 Canada: The Land, Histories and Stories; 5.S.1-3, 5.S.7
  • Become an anthropologist by studying Canada's Arctic region. Investigate artifacts to learn about Inuit survival and innovation in the Arctic climate. Practice mapping skills and engage with historical photographs of life in the North in the early 20th century. Apply those visual literacy skills to mystery artifacts to discover the region of Canada where the artifacts were made.
  • Available: October 3rd, 2011 - June 22nd, 2012
  • Program Resources

 

 

 

Journey to Ancient GreeceMuse Programs - Greece

  • Best curriculum fit: Social Studies 6.2 Historical Models of Democracy: Ancient Athens; 6.S.1-3, 6.S.7
  • Get a glimpse into ancient Athenian life by researching the artifacts left behind. Learn how pottery can teach us about politics in the W.G. Hardy Classics Museum. Visit the Print Study Centre to investigate the social structure of Athens and how that affected citizen participation in the Athenian democracy.
  • Available: October 3rd, 2011 - June 22nd, 2012 (Tues, Thurs, Fri)
  • Program Resources

 

 

 

 

The World Beneath Our FeetMuse Programs - World Beneath Our Feet

  • Best curriculum fit: Science 7 Unit E: Planet Earth
  • Dive into a research project in the Paleontology Museum, and learn what fossils can teach us about changes in the Earth over time. Investigate mineral identification and learn about the rock cycle in the Mineralogy Museum.
  • Available: October 3rd, 2011 - June 22nd, 2012
  • Program Resources

 

Edo/Meiji Japan: From Isolation to Creative ExplosionMuse Programs - Japan

  • Best curriculum fit: Social Studies 8.1 Worldview: From Isolation to Adaptation: Japan; 8.S.1, 8.S.2, 8.S.7, 8.S.8
  • Explore Japanese worldview during the Edo and Meiji periods through art, artifacts, and sound recordings. Explore explicit and implicit messages in historical woodblock prints from the University of Alberta Art Collection. Visit the Clothing and Textile Collection to research artifacts including musical instruments, historical books, textiles, and masks. Listen to traditional Japanese sound recordings from the Smithsonian folkwaysAlive! collection to complete the primary-source research journey.
  • Available: September 15th - December 15th, 2011 (Thurs only), April 19th-June 22nd, 2012 (Mon-Fri)
  • Web Component
  • Program Resources

 

Programs Coming Soon:

Discovering Diversity
  • Best curriculum fit: Science 9 Unit A: Biological Diversity
  • Explore the adaptive nature and diversity of the living world by researching beetle specimens and conducting a DNA experiment with wheat germ. Take a trip into the prehistoric past in the Paleontology Museum to investigate how dinosaurs adapted to survive in their ecosystems.