Teaching Content and Concepts – Specimens and Exhibits

One of the reasons that the internet is so amazing is the quantity of information that is available for free for you to use in your lessons. This wealth of information makes it hard to locate what you need. Learning to use search terms effectively is the first step (see Tips to Effective Internet Searching). It is also helpful to consider how the information might be organized. This can help you locate interesting sites as well as better organize your own media.

Information can be organized a collection of the same item (specimens) and or around a central concept or idea (exhibit). If you are planning a lesson that focuses on comparing similar objects,  a specimen collection might be useful. A good example would be a biology lesson that explains the function of the brain; a specimen collection like the one located at Comparative Mammalian Brain Anatomy offers cross sections and interactive videos of various brain specimens that would be too costly or delicate for the average teacher to obtain for their class. By viewing many specimens, it is possible to develop an understanding of the parts of the brain that are distinct and common to different mammals. This is a good way to explain content and factual knowledge.

In contrast, if you are interested in illustrating an idea, an exhibit might be more useful. The web site Causes of Color uses many different objects and specimens to illustrate how we perceive color. The common element linking these objects is the relationship of the each object to the concept of color. Although you could develop a web site that illustrates color by featuring a specimen collection of butterflies, the use of multiple objects such as bubbles, gemstones and stars frees us from oversimplifying the concept of color since the emphasis remains on the idea rather than the objects.

If you are interested in teaching the common elements and subtle differences in an object, consider using a specimen collection since this will best support comparisons and contrasts in between samples. If you are interested in illustrating an idea, consider using an exhibit which features objects selected by their relationship to idea that you are teaching. The purpose of the lesson will determine which organizational approach is more effective for your media.