-->
After an entire school year of studying, taking
tests and sitting through lectures, the last thing your teen probably wants to
do is visit educational sites during his or her vacation. Although it may
remind your teen of school, educational sites can actually make learning more
fun and interactive for students of all ages. Not to mention, it offers a nice
change from confined classrooms that will emphasize the fact that learning can
happen anywhere. Consider planning your next vacation to include a stop at one
of the following destinations:
1. The Chickasaw Cultural Center
Schools these days don't spend a lot of time
teaching about the history and culture of Native Americans, so a lot of what
your teen knows might be based on fiction. Visiting the Chickasaw Nation in southern Oklahoma
allows the whole family to become better acquainted with the realities of this
fascinating culture. The Chickasaw Cultural center in Oklahoma is one great
stop for discovering the unique qualities about this tribe, while other nearby
museums and collections showcase the inspiring artwork and artifacts that
Chickasaw ancestors left behind.
2. Smithsonian National Air and Space
Museum
Washington, D.C., is an excellent vacation spot
for educational sites. However, there's much more to discover in this city than
just government-related landmarks and experiences. The Smithsonian offers the
largest collection of museums in the world, with a wide range of different
themes that are sure to accommodate the interests of everyone on board. The
National Air and Space Museum is an especially notable museum in this complex
that features life-size replicas of famous aircraft along with actual
souvenirs from space.
3. Adler Planetarium
Speaking of space, the Adler Planetarium is the
ultimate destination for students fascinated by the universe we live in.
Located in Chicago, the planetarium features several interesting and
interactive exhibits depicting the experience of being in space along with
hands-on, visually striking explanations of what scientists have discovered
about space. A massive theater with a screen on the ceiling makes for highly
engaging learning experiences and memorable viewings of images captured by the
Hubble telescope.
4. The Academy of Natural Sciences of
Drexel University
Philadelphia's Drexel University is home to
America's oldest natural history museum and is a world leader in biodiversity
and environmental research. The museum has been studying, collecting and
showcasing the incredible diversity of our planet's natural world for more than
200 years and has a lot of outstanding exhibits to show for it. The
world-renowned collections feature more than 18 million specimens, ranging from
Lewis and Clark's plant collection to John James Audubon's birds, consisting of
435 hand-colored illustrations.
5. Museum of Modern Art
With schools losing funding for arts programs,
your child may not have gotten much of an opportunity to explore the world of
art. New York City's famous Museum of
Modern Art can allow teens to discover exactly how modern artists are
applying their talents and skills to the real world – and perhaps ignite a
creative spark. The museum has rotating exhibits that are sure to appeal to a
wide range of personalities.
Students often wonder how the lessons learned in
classrooms apply in real-life. So taking them to museums and showing them how
science, art, culture and other subjects have shaped the world can really help
teens understand why their education is important. More importantly, visiting
educational centers teaches students that learning can be fun, which is one of
the most important lessons parents can teach.
