Cooper–Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

On Tuesday, March 24th, both the year one and two of Commack's IB Design Technology classes took a field trip to the Cooper-Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City. The museum was founded in 1896 and was originally named the Cooper Union Museum for the Arts of Decoration and was owned by the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art. It is one of the only museums in the United States that is devoted to historical and contemporary design. Its exhibitions explore nearly 240 years of design and aesthetic creativity.

The museum was an interactive experience for students with exhibits that focused on the IB Design Technology curriculum. It was an opportunity for students to apply their classroom knowledge to actual designs and creations found within the museum. After entering, each student was given a pen, which was a storage device for certain exhibits and descriptions throughout the museum. Whenever a student came across an exhibit he or she liked, she could place the top of the pen on a "+" sign that was found at each exhibit. This connection would then allow the student to access his or her saved exhibitions on the internet by using the link that was provided with each pen.

Below are some pictures of students and exhibits:

After spending several hours at the museum, we concluded our trip with a stroll through Central Park and a meal at Dallas Barbecue. 

~Ashley Cooper