Museums And Public Schools
(MAPS), a new direction for teaching Chicago's children, will
create a lasting impact on teaching and learning by integrating
museum resources into the educational process and serve as a
national model. Through this sustained partnership of museums
and schools, students and teachers will be engaged in authentic
learning experiences.
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The MAPS initiative was created
to strengthen the educational relationship between nine museums
(including Chicago Children's Museum, The Art Institute of
Chicago, The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum of the Chicago
Academy of Sciences, Chicago Historical Society, DuSable Museum
of African American History, The Field Museum, Mexican Fine Arts
Center Museum, Museum of Science and Industry, and John G. Shedd
Aquarium) and the Chicago Public Schools teaching community. The
vast resources of these institutions serve as an indispensable
learning tool for Chicago Public Schools in establishing a
commitment for lifelong learning among its students.
MAPS is aimed at accelerating
classroom practices of new and creative approaches to teaching.
It is guided by the Illinois State Learning Standards with
the intention of incorporating museum resources as an integral
part of classroom learning and teaching. Through curriculum
models developed by museum and CPS educators, classroom
instruction will be enlivened while fulfilling specific academic
standards. This collaboration will advance school improvement
and is an investment in Chicago's future.
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