Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum at the University of Michigan held an open house even on Sunday afternoon that focused on "behind the scenes" experiences for children and adults. Our grandsons had the opportunity to do lots of really cool research type things as they moved from one station to another during the afternoon.

Model skulls of prehistoric ancestors of homo sapiens were lined up in one classroom. The instructor showed the kids how the skull of a mammal that walks on four feet differs from one that walks on two feet (the brain stem emerges at a different location at the base of the skull) and then demonstrated spear and arrowhead making.

On another floor of the museum, the boys learned about owls and got to take apart some of the pellets that owls make and then regurgitate as a part of their nutrition cycle. We all enjoyed looking at the bird and mammal displays, especially the snowy owls since these owls have been spotted this winter in Michigan.