Chicago Students Count Beans

Have you ever wondered how museum exhibitions get made?  Every year, high school students from various Chicago Public Schools get a chance to find out.  Students registered in CPS’ Office of Academic Enhancement go to The Field Museum one afternoon a week for a course called Museology.  Over the course of a year they learn how and why museum exhibitions are created.  As a student project team, they mimic a real Field Museum project team and as a class develop their own exhibition.  This year the students chose the topic of coffee for their exhibition. 

The students began researching the content for their exhibition and quickly learned that decisions had to be made about what to include, what to leave out.  As the exhibition “story” grew, they realized that it would be impossible to talk about coffee without addressing the current issue of fair trade. Relying on the expertise of Ted Erkse, Geography professor at McHenry County College, as Content Advisor, a text panel was developed.  Still, the topic seemed perfect for a larger educational deliverable.  Thus, as a special service learning project the students additionally created a pocket card that could be easily referred to by the general public when shopping for Fair Trade Coffee. The pocket card became a special part of the exhibition for which the received separate recognition via the Lt. Governor’s Cesar Chavez Serve and Learn Program.  Via this initiative, students across Illinois learn the importance of community service by addressing hunger and development issues, by volunteering at nursing homes, by cleaning up parks and by planting gardens.  The program couples academic instruction with related projects to instill an ethic of service and civic responsibility in young people.

On May 8^th, a year’s worth of student exhibition development culminated in the opening of Coffee: What are you drinking? Upon entering the show, visitors were first introduced to the growing and harvesting process of coffee plant cultivation.  One student produced a video with audio that took viewers through the cultivation process of the coffee bean.  A sub-team of students worked with Field Museum Production staff in the wood shop to build and interactive map of the world showing the “bean belt” in lights.  The 2D designer developed a color palette for the show, complete with designing all text panels, the Fair Trade Pocket card and exhibition signature images. Another sub-team working on content created a cohesive organization, so that upon leaving the experience of Gallery One, visitors entered Gallery Two- devoted entirely to the Culture of Coffee-drinking.  Visitors read intriguing consumption statistics and testimonials from other countries as to how coffee is consumed (with sugar or without?).  Visitors were also able to test their aroma sensibilities by a scent interactive that revealed the roast they most enjoy.  Younger visitors were treated to “story time” with an original student-written manuscript about the goat herder Kaldi, who according to legend first “discovered” the coffee bean.  In the final gallery, guests were exposed to some of the effects, both positive and negative, of caffeine on the human body.

The Museology project team was also fortunate to have the enthusiastic support of Fair Trade Chicago who were generous in their willingness to help distribute Fair Trade Pocket cards and enthusiasm for student work.

For additional information on the Cesar Chavez Serve and Learn Program, please visit the following page: http://www.standingupforillinois.org/servelearn/ch_program.php

For more information on the Chicago Public Schools Office of Academic Enhancement Offsite Programs, call (773) 553-2240.

For more information about The Field Museum, visit their web site: www.fieldmuseum.org