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Elementary students explore future career possibilities at SIU museum

By Laura Chapman, The Southern

Friday, May 16, 2008 11:28 PM CDT

CARBONDALE - Students from Thomas Elementary school wandered the galleries of University Museum on the campus of Southern Illinois University Carbondale Friday afternoon.

The 260 second- and third-grade students broke into groups and huddled around sculptures, paintings and other exhibits, discussing what they saw and scribbling down notes to save for later.

They weren't there only for a look at the museum; they were reporters with an assignment: To look at several exhibits, take notes and write an article about their findings.

The students from 14 different classes were part of a career exploration day at SIUC.

It was the first time the school hosted a career exploration day on the university's campus.

The purpose was to give students a chance to see what it was like to be a reporter by turning their gathered information into a written story, said Bob DeHoet of the university museum.

"They're actually journalists," he said. "They get a chance to actually be writers."

Not only did students learn about journalism through this project; they had a chance to see how a museum is dependent on several jobs - such as the work artists make or exhibits historians put together - to make a museum what it is, he said.

After writing their stories, students were eventually going to see their work printed in a large banner-like newspaper that could be hung up at the school, DeHoet said.

The "newspaper" gave students something to look forward to, said Carole Knight, who works at the museum.

"Giving them the end result of a newspaper gives them something to look forward to," Knight said.

Before ending the day at the museum, students spent the morning learning about engineering, earthquakes, theater and health, said Amy Dozier, a second-grade teacher at Thomas.

Although most students seemed more interested in one or two careers, she said, almost all of the students seemed especially attentive during a brief talk about earthquakes, because it was something all of them had recently encountered.

Kathryn and Sarah, both 8-year-olds in Michelle Garth's second-grade class, said the museum was their favorite part of the day.

Kathryn liked looking at the exhibits and said the art inspired her to become a sculptor.

Although Sarah wants to be a pediatrician, she said coming to the museum was fun and something she hopes students get to do in future career days.

"I think it's pretty great," she said. "I think we should do this again."

laura.chapman@thesouthern.com

351-5816