Missouri Museum Day in Lower School

Our second and third-grade students recently enjoyed a “Museum Day” in the Lower School Library which provided an engaging expansion of their studies of St. Louis and Missouri in the classroom.

The “museum,” sourced and curated by Lower School Librarian Thomas Buffington and Library Associate Nicole Liebman, contained an arrangement of primary sources, secondary sources, and artifacts about St. Louis and Missouri (mostly the Ozarks) and included vintage maps, 1904 World’s Fair memorabilia, newspapers, postcards, historical sports souvenirs, arrowheads, and more.

Third Grade Teacher Meg Mottl said, “While working on their family history projects, third graders learned about what it means to be a «curator» and how we can use primary sources and artifacts to gain a better understanding of the past. It’s wonderful for students to have the opportunity to see actual Missouri artifacts and make connections between their own lives, the lives of their ancestors, and what they are learning in the classroom.”

Buffington added, “Students were especially interested to learn about artifacts such as antique fishing tools from the Missouri Ozarks, original arrowheads from Missouri Native American nations, and 1904 World’s Fair souvenirs and relics. Of course, they were also very excited to page through St. Louis sports history with newspapers, game programs, and photographs.”

We look forward to bringing Museum Day back to Beasley in the future!