EXPLORING MAMMALS | USING THIS GUIDE

This exploration guide is designed to assist the educator in preparing students for a visit to the Natural History Museum. The guide provides general background information on mammals, information on the different biomes that mammals inhabit, and activities that can be used in the classroom.

There are three mammal halls at the Natural History Museum. There is an African Mammal Hall located on the first floor. There are two North American Mammal Halls, one on the first floor and one on the second floor. Many of the concepts in this guide will relate to animals in all three halls. If you will be guiding your class through the halls without the help of a museum docent, you may want to refer to the sections What You Can Do, Ask, and See for some helpful suggestions.

As you read through the content information of the guide, look for the sections labeled “How do we fit in?”. This information shows how humans share characteristics with other mammals.

Activities are found at the end of each content section and include background information, materials needed, and a description of how to implement the activity. There is also information on which grade levels the activity is most appropriate for, the subjects that the activity addresses, and the length of time the activity will take. Activity time requirements are designated as the following:

Quick:
an activity that needs little or no preparation and takes less than a 1/2 hour.

Moderate:
an activity that has some preparation and will take about 45 minutes to an hour of class time.

Involved:
an activity that requiresadvanced preparation and will require an hour or more of class time.