Moore Square Brings Raleigh's Cultural Resources into the Classroom
October 1, 2004 - More than 20 museum educators from various Raleigh cultural institutions will meet Oct. 8 at Moore Square Museums Magnet Middle School to build on collaborations that are at the heart of this Wake County magnet school's theme. The first annual Museum Fair will be held on October 8th from 10:30-11:30 am. To better utilize cultural resources and enhance student learning, Moore Square teachers will brainstorm with museum educators and plan lessons that integrate museum study trips with their curriculum standards.First opened to students in the fall of 2002, Moore Square Museums Magnet Middle School's unique mission is to provide an interactive approach to learning in an environment that expands beyond the walls of the classroom to the museum, the community, and the world. It accomplishes this goal by drawing on local resources as sites for study trips as well as bringing these resources into the classroom. Its downtown location provides Moore Square with the opportunity to collaborate with the rich resources found in Raleigh. The Museum Partners that will be in attendance at the Museum Fair include: Artspace, Contemporary Art Museum, Exploris, Joel Lane House, NC Museum of Art, NC Museum of History, NC Museum of Natural Sciences, NC State Archives, Pope House, Raleigh City Museum, and Raleigh Little Theatre.
"In my first few months at Moore Square, I have been impressed by the level of creativity and ideas for collaboration coming from both our staff and the staff of local institutions," said Dawn Daria, the school's Museums Coordinator. One example of the type of collaborations that occur at Moore Square involves the upcoming exhibition at Raleigh City Museum, Nature Unleashed. Students have been gathering oral histories about natural disasters that have affected Raleigh. They are participating in the research phase of exhibition planning and their work will be incorporated in the exhibition. It is collaborations such as these that are essential to the museum theme of this magnet program.
Magnet schools were first introduced in Wake County in 1977 and have been an effective means of addressing issues of diversity, educational equity, and optimal use of facilities. Magnet schools offer a variety of teaching approaches and curriculum offerings which help to customize a student's educational program. Information about all of Wake County's magnet programs will be available at the Magnet Fair to be held on November 6, 2004 at Southeast Raleigh High School.