SCHOOL & COMMUNITY PROGRAMS
 School and community groups may schedule educational programs on weekdays by calling 720-5260 - Ext. 1 for an appointment. There is never an admission charge to the Visitor Center or any of its programs.
Your visit is planned to allow for a program and
exhibit exploration in a 45-90 minute visit. It is
necessary for all groups to reserve in advance and
arrive on time to avoid conflict with other groups or
activities. If your group develops a problem, call us
as soon as possible. Group size for programs is
limitied to 20-50 people, but larger groups may be
accommodated by dividing them.
 Groups should have adequate supervision, with one
adult for every 8-10 students. On arrival please have
your group wait outside or in the lobby until
notifying the staff person at the information desk on
the museum's upper level. Most programs will begin in
the meeting room on the lower level.
Restrooms and drinking fountain are located off the
lower level entry. The museum is handicap-accessible.
Listed below are brief descriptions of our programs,
their length, and suggested ages.
Calendar of Events |
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Welcome-(5-25 min)
K-Adults
Orientation describes the Marine Museum, its exhibits
and services as they reflect Great Lakes shipping and
development. Tailored to your schedule; may use slides
and artifacts.
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Tall Water & Steel Ships-(30
or 60 min versions)
4th-Adult
The Great MATAAFA Storm of 1905 was the most
devastating ever for ships on Lake Superior. Historic
photographs illustrate vessels caught in this storm.
Also discusses marine weather forecasts and lifesaving
equipment
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Who's in Charge?-(25-30 min)
K-3rd
What is it like to work aboard a Great Lakes ship?
Program discusses the ships' crew, their jobs and
shipboard life.
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Rail Meets Sail-(25-30 min)
4th-Adult
Program illustrates shipping activities in
Duluth-Superior Harbor and the Great Lakes. Hands-on
look at coal, taconite, grain, and other cargoes
handled by local docks and overall waterborne
commerce.
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All Aboard-(20-30 min)
K-4th
A special program for young audiences including a
hands-on tour of ship's pilothouse, engine room, and
living quarters. Group size is limited to about 15
students. Larger groups will be divided.
|
Great Lakes Question-(25-30 min)
4th-Adult
Explores competing multiple-use demands for limited
Great Lakes water resources. How would you develop and
maintain this delicate balance?
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Ships: How Big is Big?-(25-30 min)
K-4th
Did you know that one boat load of coal from today's
Great Lakes sips could heat a typical home for 10,000
years? This program is designed for young audiences to
discover the enormous cargo capacity of vessels using
the Twin Ports..
|
With All Hands-(30
or 60 min versions) 4th-Adult
Explore the wreck of the EDMUND FITZGERALD which
foundered on Lake Superior with all hands during a
heavy storm on the night of November 10, 1975.
|
Up & Down the Soo Locks-(25-30 min)
K-6th
Because of the difference in lake levels, all ships
coming to or going from Lake Superior must pass
through the Soo Locks. The purpose and operation of
the locks are explored using a modeal, maps, and an
exciting fast-paced and humorous film.
|
Castle in Our Backyard-(30
min) 6th-Adult
The "Castle" has been the symbol of the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers for over 150 years. Find out what
it represents and how it came to symbolize the world's
largest engineering organization..
|
What Makes Ships Float?-(30-35 min)
4th-8th
How can a heavy steel ship float, and with more than
60,000 tons of cargo? Find out in this hands-on
interactive science experiment where students discover
for themselves.
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Shaping the Twin Ports-(30
min) 6th-Adult
Explore the transformation of Duluth-Superior Harbor
into the Great Lakes largest commercial port and the
Corps of Engineers' role in harbor maintenance and
channel improvements ov erthe last century. Do dredge
"spoils" have value?
|
A Class of Their Own-(30
or 60 min versions) 4th-Adult
The largest ships on the Lakes are 1,000 feet long and
carry as much as 70,000 tons of cargo. Learn more
about these massive self-unloading bulk freighters
through an illustrated profile of one which visits
our port each week.
|
Shaping the Twin Ports-(25-30 min)
8th-Adult
The story of the ship canal piers at Duluth and
Superior entries to the Twin Ports. Illustrated
history of Corps of Engineers construction from
original drawings and photographs..
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FILMS, VIDEO TAPES AND PROGRAMS BY SPECIAL
ARRANGEMENT
|
Engineering Science
Outreach Program-(30-45 min Classroom program)
6th - 12th
Learn in your own classroom about the challenges of
engineering and maintaining the nation's waterways
from engineers and technicians in the Corps of
Engineers, the world's largest engineering agency.
CALL (218) 720-5260 ext. 1 for this program ONLY |
Formation of the
Lakes -(30 min slide
program) 4th - Adult
Learn how the Great Lakes and our own harbor came to
be. And, just how large and how important they are
to each of us. |
The Greatest Lakes-(30 min video)
4th - Adult
Environmental changes affecting Great Lakes water
and air quality are examined.
|
The Rise and Fall of
the Great Lakes-(20 min video)
1st - Adult
Graphically animated description of the glacial and
geological changes which created the Great Lakes. |
Tell Us About
Taconite-(20 min slide/tape)
3rd - Adult
Introduction to the production of taconite pellets
on the Minnesota Iron Range.. |
Paddle to the Sea-(30 min video)
K - 5th
Story and adventures of a little boat built and
launched on Lake Superior, as it makes its way 2,400
miles down to the Atlantic Ocean. |
A Postcard from Home-(20 min multi-image slide/tape)
3rd - Adult
A nostaligic look at past and present shipping
activities in the Twin Ports. |
Great Lakes
Connection-(30 min film)
6th - Adult
Highlights the history, importance, and operation of
the Soo Locks, the connecting link for all shipping
between Lake Superior and the rest of the Great
Lakes - St. Lawrence Seaway system. |
Building A Nation-(30 min film)
4th - Adult
National history of the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers. |
Mussel Menace: Zebra
Mussels and You-(15 min video)
4th - Adult
Learn about exotic organisms and their impact on the
Great Lakes ecosystem. |
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