November 5, 2010
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History will present its “Second Saturday” of museum activities on Nov. 13, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m., at the Culture Center, State Capitol Complex, in Charleston. The free program is geared for children of all ages. It is recommended that children under the age of 13 be accompanied by an adult.
On Saturday, Nov. 13, kids can enjoy participating in a scavenger hunt while using the Museum Bingo Sheet all day long. They also can take part in the “Make ‘n Take” craft activities in the North Connections Room of the museum from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Participants can color pages with images of the state’s symbols such as the black bear and the cardinal. They also can make a 3-D turkey decoration out of paper.
At 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and noon, participants can gather in the North Connections Room to hear a reading of the book Long Night Moon by museum staff. Veteran Newbery Medal-winning author Cynthia Rylant wrote this story about old legendary tales of Native Americans giving names to the full moons they watched throughout the year.
At 1 p.m., visitors should gather in the Museum Education Media Center to see the West Virginia Humanities Council’s History Alive! character Chief Cornstalk as portrayed by Dan Cutler of Milton. Cornstalk was a Shawnee chief who fought in the French and Indian War and carried out raids into the Greenbrier Valley during Pontiac’s Rebellion in 1763. On Oct. 10, 1774, he led a thousand Shawnee warriors against an equal number of Virginians at the Battle of Point Pleasant in the major engagement of Dunmore’s War.
The History Alive! program brings historical characters to life through portrayals by presenters who have conducted scholarly research on their character. It provides a passport to the past for student and adult audiences in West Virginia. The presentations consist of three parts, beginning with a monologue in which the character introduces the historical, social and political issues of the era; followed by the character initiating a discussion with the audience, allowing time for questions, debate and disagreements with the character; and wraps up with the presenter breaking character to answer questions as a researcher.
Museum staff also will take kids on a mini tour of the museum’s section on “Frontier Life” during the “Museum Walk ‘n Talk” sessions at 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. They can see artifacts from the time period such as wood planes, scales and hetchels, tools used to process flax.
For more information about “Second Saturdays,” contact museum guest services at (304) 558-0220, ext. 111.
The West Virginia Division of Culture and History, an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts, Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary, brings together the state’s past, present and future through programs and services in the areas of archives and history, the arts, historic preservation and museums. Its administrative offices, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, are located at the Culture Center in the State Capitol Complex in Charleston, which also houses the state archives and state museum. The Culture Center is West Virginia’s official showcase for the arts. The agency also operates a network of museums and historic sites across the state. For more information about the Division’s programs, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
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