Sarah Oltrogge, (515)
281-4011
Des
Moines, Iowa—Kids
of all ages will be treated to a full day of fun activities in
conjunction with the State Historical Museum of Iowa's opening of its latest and
greatest exhibit, "Mammoth: Witness to Change."
The fun begins
at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 13 at the State Historical Museum of Iowa, 600 E.
Locust Des Moines. There will be free activities in the atrium, auditorium and
resource center with additional ongoing activities in the Heritage Classrooms
for a $5 fee.
The
schedule is as follows:
Free activities:
10 a.m.: Welcoming remarks by Department of Cultural Affairs
Director Anita Walker and brief introduction about Mammoth: Witness to Change
by Museum Director Jerome Thompson, atrium.
10:30
a.m.: Curator remarks by Bill Johnson, atrium.
10:45
a.m.: Storytime, Resource Center. Local celebrities and community leaders
read mammoth stories. Suitable for any age child.
11
a.m.: Mammoth March, atrium. An original dance created by Janice
Baker, atrium. This dance is a fun, "follow and do" dance for the young
at heart of any age that follows the life cycle of the mammoth, ending with a
grand finale celebration. Children and adults are welcome to participate in this
activity.
11
a.m.: "Mammoths and Humans at the End of the Last Ice Age,"
presented by Mark Anderson, project archaeologist with the Office of the State
Archaeologist, auditorium. What was happening as mammoths watched human entry
into the new world, and how did the two interact? Anderson explores this and discusses
Clovis and Pre-Clovis cultures and finally, Iowa's place in all of this some 12,000
years ago. Anderson includes visual artifacts from his "Time Capsules from
the Past" and a mock demo of some of the tools early humans are known to
have used.
Noon:
Mammoth March, atrium.
12:45
p.m.: Storytime, Resource Center
1-2
p.m.: Flintknapping demonstration by Mark Anderson, atrium. Flintknapping
is the making of flaked or chipped stone tools. This technology was used in historic
times to manufacture gun flints and in prehistoric times to make spear and dart
points, arrow heads, knives, scrapers, blades, gravers, perforators, and many
other tools.
1:15 p.m.: Storytime, Resource Center.
1:30 p.m.: Tour of the exhibit by Sarah Macht, museum education
coordinator, atrium.
1:45 p.m.: Mammoth March, atrium.
Ongoing from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.: Ice Castle, second floor gallery. Explore the ins
and outs of a giant ice castle.
For $5, children and adults can enjoy these activities in the Heritage Classrooms
(located just off the atrium), ongoing from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.:
Decorate Your Own Mammoth T-shirt
Mammoth cookie decorating courtesy of Hy-Vee
Cave art stamping
Create a mammoth collage
Make a stick mammoth puppet or paper bag mammoth puppet
Create mammoth paper cutouts
For more information, call 515-281-4011 or visit www.iowahistory.org.
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