Description:
Forces of Change is a comprehensive program being developed by the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History, through funding from NASA and other donors, to explain the geological, environmental, and historical processes that have shaped our world. It will consist of a permanent exhibit in the Museum, a traveling exhibit, publications, interactive computer programs, and public programming which will include a lecture series and electronic classroom courses.

The cornerstone of the Forces of Change program is a permanent exhibit in the National Museum of Natural History scheduled to open early in 2001. The 5,400 sq. foot display will examine the forces of change that have shaped and sustained the Earth since the beginning of geologic time. The goal of the exhibit will be to inform visitors about the history and present condition of our environment as the world prepares to enter the 21st century. The exhibit will be a marriage of traditional and high-tech approaches to learning about Earth systems and managing our precious natural resources. Upon entering, visitors will encounter the Earth Systems Monitoring Station, a multi-media display of remote-sensing imagery, real-time data links, historic evidence and other techniques that demonstrate how the Earth is affected by geological, environmental, and human changes, and how all of these processes are interconnected. A rotating case study area will highlight regional themes, changing every two years and allowing visitors to learn about how global forces have affected specific parts of the planet. The inaugural section on Antarctica will illustrate how the relatively pristine landscape of this remote continent serves as a living laboratory for scholars around the world interested in studying the processes of global change through geologic time. Other regional studies under consideration are the North American Grasslands, Hawaii, the Chesapeake Bay and Amazonia.

In addition to the exhibit, Forces of Change will be available in a variety of formats - videos, CD-ROMs, and posters - for use in: classrooms, municipal buildings, malls, and airports. A traveling exhibit on agriculture in the North American grasslands will circulate through libraries nationwide and a richly illustrated coffee-table book, published by National Geographic, will further articulate the programs themes. 

Organization:
National Museum of Natural History
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Contact:
Barbara Stauffer, National Museum of Natural History, Office of Exhibits, 10th and Constitution, Washington, DC 20560-0101; Phone: (202) 357-2377; Fax: (202) 786-2567; Email: stauffer.barbara@nmnh.si.edu

Education Level:
General

Subject:
Earth System Science
Global Environmental Change
Remote Sensing

Program type:
Informal Education

Date Added to teachearth.com:
5/1/00