Name: Amzah Koroma
Date: November 16, 2024
Introduction: On November 16, 2024, I got to visit the American Museum of Natural History, and it was such a fun experience! I was super excited to learn about fossils, dinosaurs, and how animals have evolved over time. The trip included three guided tours and time to explore on our own. We even watched a Space Show, which was awesome! The museum is huge and packed with so many cool things to learn about, from dinosaurs and marine life to mammals and the universe.
Dr. Merck focused on how animals have evolved over time, starting with the earliest fish and marine life. He explained cladistics, which is like making a giant family tree for all life on Earth. Most of the examples on this tour were about fish or animals that lived in the water.
The hall was set up to tell the story of life through time. You move through it like a timeline, seeing how animals changed. There were fossils hanging from the ceiling and displays showing things like how jaws evolved. Some parts of the exhibit were outdated, though, because science has improved since they were built. Dr. Merck said it would be super hard to fix without tearing down the whole building!
Dr. Holtzs tour was all about dinosaurs. He explained how they are grouped into families and how different environments shaped their evolution.
The dinosaur hall was super interactive. There was a life-size Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton (it was HUGE) and smaller ones like the Velociraptor, which surprised me because it was way smaller than in movies. There were also touchscreen exhibits where you could learn more about specific dinosaurs, but the animations were kind of slow, and I wished I could skip them.
In my free time, I explored the mammals exhibit. It was cool to see how mammals, including humans, evolved. I focused on the history of horses and learned:
The hall showed this with fossils lined up in chronological order, they even highlighted exceptions to the trends, which made the story of horse evolution more interesting. There were interactive displays about mammals and fossils, but like the dinosaur hall, the videos were a bit slow for me.
The Space Show was my favorite part, it was called *Journey Through the Cosmos* and showed how galaxies form, how dark matter works, and other mind-blowing facts about space. The animations were beautiful, and I learned so much about the universe.
The AMNH does a lot to make sure all visitors can enjoy their visit, no matter where they come from or what kind of help they need. One way they do this is by having signs in many different languages so that people from all over the world can understand what they are looking at and learn from it. Another thing the museum has is interactive displays, like touchscreens in the dinosaur halls and other places, which let people learn at their own speed, and this is really helpful for younger kids or anyone who likes to learn by looking at pictures and touching things. They also have lots of accessibility features, like ramps and elevators to help people who have trouble walking, and they provide audio guides and signs with big letters so that people who can't see very well can still enjoy the exhibits. These things show that the museum cares about making sure everyone can appreciate what's inside and have a good time learning about all the cool things on display.
This field trip was incredible, I learned so much about evolution, fossils, and space, and it made me want to learn more about science. The museum does a great job of making learning fun for everyone. If you get a chance to visit, you totally should.
Walking through the museum and exploring New York City was inspiring, it made me realize how connected we all are, both to nature and to each other. Learning about evolution reminded me that everything, including us, is always changing and adapting. It is exciting to think about what we will discover next.
