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Building Blocks: New Educational Resources

These clothing accessories are part of "Luxurious Layers".

"The Spider Weaver," a folktale from Ghana, relates the creation of kente cloth.

Posted: August 1, 2007

Building Appreciation for Other Cultures

Have you ever played an African thumb piano or seen a lovely kimono close up? These are the types of experiences available through the Museum’s World Heritage Museum Guild Educational Resource Center. Since 2002, hundreds of objects have been loaned to educators in central Illinois. Most of the loans consist of small groups of objects (with available information) requested by theme or area of origin.

During the 2007–08 school year, the Museum will debut a new series of learning modules called Building Blocks. The modules will contain artifacts, media, lesson plans, informational sheets, and materials for crafts, games, and other culture-related activities.

These resources may be borrowed by educational organizations (schools, libraries, scouts, etc.) for two-week loan periods on a first come, first serve basis. A returnable $10 deposit will be required at the time of the loan. For more information on the Resource Center or to discuss potential loans, contact Kim Sheahan at 217/244-3355 or ksheahan@uiuc.edu.

The telephone and boom box shown here are made of paper. In China, paper objects like these are burned as offerings to the ancestors; the smoke sends the objects to them in the afterlife.