Sneak peak at the Lemelson Center

I arrived in Washington, DC on the afternoon of Wednesday, June 17. Since my internship does not start until June 22 and I have some time on my hands, I decided to re-visit the National Mall the following day. It has been almost seven years since my last visit and I have forgotten how many people come to see its museums! If only visiting museums could be as popular in the Philippines...

Enid A. Haupt Moongate Garden

Pharaoh Kahmunrah's pile of pilfered artifacts from the movie "Night at the Museum: battle of the Smithsonian" currently on display at the Smithsonian Castle

From the castle, I made my way to the National Museum of American History (NMAH). They recently re-opened after a two-year renovation. Among the changes are the redesigned museum's lobby and a new environmentally-controlled exhibition space for the Star Spangled Banner (the same flag that inspired their national anthem). 

The Greensboro Lunch Counter

On my way to the Lemelson Center, I saw the Greensboro lunch counter  and it reminded me of our course on museum exhibitions last Spring where one of my groupmates, Jenn, focused her virtual exhibition on the Civil Rights Movement in St. Augustine. The counter was one of the objects we "borrowed" for the exhibit.

I finally got to the Spark!Lab, one of the two spaces run by The Jerome and Dorothy Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation at the NMAH. As expected the Spark!Lab was filled with kids (and adults too!) eagerly waiting to participate in the experiments that are conducted every hour. It was 230 in the afternoon so I thought I'd visit the Invention at Play first then come back before 3pm to watch the experiment.

 

I came back later to watch the CO2 experiment. What is interesting about the Spark!Lab is that kids do not only watch the experiments but they are allowed to actively participate in them- hands-on learning at its finest! They are given protective goggles, beakers, flasks and other laboratory apparatuses to be used for the experiment.

This is an interesting video of Steve Madewell introducing the Spark!Lab. I will be working with him during my internship!