K-12 Educator's Guide
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K-12 Educator’s Guide By visiting this extraordinary collection of artifacts on loan from the National Museum of Denmark combined with interactive things to do, your students will have the opportunity learn the story of how fearless explorers set sail from Scandinavian lands in search of knowledge, resources, and influence. Over a thousand years later, the legend of the Vikings persists, but the full story of their achievements is less known. During your visit, students will: • Learn about Scandinavian cultures. • See 600 artifacts from the Age of the Vikings—approximately one thousand years ago. After your visit, students will: • Think about how science and technology help us understand the past. • Understand that spiritual beliefs influence history. Quick Tips ✓ The exhibit entrance is located on the upper level of the Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion. Enter the exhibit via the main Bartol Atrium. Your students will walk up a ramp for access to the exhibit. ✓ On average, most groups will spend about 60 minutes in the exhibit, if carefully examining all of the displays. Restrooms are located in the Bartol Atrium. There are no restrooms inside the exhibit. ✓ The exhibition is located in two galleries—one in the Nicholas and Athena Karabots Pavilion and the other in the Mandell Center. Midway through the exhibit, you will exit the first gallery and follow a path along a ramp to enter the second gallery. ✓ There is no gift shop located within the exhibition. The Sci-Store in the Bartol Atrium has a selection of Vikings-themed merchandise available for purchase. ✓ No food or beverages are allowed in any of the exhibit galleries. ✓ Non-flash photography is permitted in the exhibit. ✓ Running through the exhibit is not allowed. Designate a meeting location within the exhibit when you arrive in case someone gets separated. Please do not congregate at the entrance/exit, however, so as to enable other guests to enter and exit easily. How to Prepare Students should know that the artifacts on display are priceless artifacts never before seen in Philadelphia. The objects on display—especially the full-size Vikings ships—are NOT TO BE TOUCHED! While touching the artifacts is not allowed, there are several hands-on things for students to do throughout the galleries. Students should be encouraged to try all of these activities in order to enrich their learning experience. Chaperones and students should know that the museum encourages conversation around the displays and children should ask questions and discuss what they see. Museum etiquette suggests that the conversation be kept to an appropriate indoor volume level. About the Exhibit THE VIKING AGE Between 800 and 1050 CE, the pagan people of Scandinavia became known and feared throughout the world. How did these small fragmented kingdoms of Northern Europe achieve such widespread influence? Throughout the Viking Age, the centralization of power would lead to major changes in society that helped to improve the quality of life. Trade networks flourished as villages and towns developed specialized skills. Many kingdoms became three—Denmark, Norway, and Sweden—as life became more stable. With growing stability at home, Viking explorers sailed farther and wider seeking treasure and dominance. The exhibition is arranged around eight themes, each with its own section. 1. Introduction Visitors begin by watching a short video that introduces the key themes of the exhibition. 2. A Wind Age–Ships, Sails, and Sea This area showcases Viking shipbuilding, kinds of ships, life on board ship, and navigation. A key artifact to notice is the reconstruction of a Viking ship called the Joanna (pronounced Yo-Ahna). This small ship is a reconstruction of the remains of a ship found in a burial mound in Gostak, Norway. Prominent Vikings were buried in ships with prized possessions to transport them to the afterlife. The modern reconstruction was made by hand for the exhibit using original tools and wood sourced to the site of the original ship in order to make it as authentic as possible. Another artifact to notice is the Hevring Flak rudder which is 230 cm long and very well preserved. It is made of oak and has been cut from a single, solid root. Today, the right side of a ship is known as its starboard side. This practice began with the Vikings who steered their ships using a rudder placed on the right side. The steering side of the ship became known as the starboard side and eventually came to mean the right side, even on ships where the rudder was elsewhere. 3. Connecting Continents Viking raiding soon gave way to trading and exchange of resources between countries. Artifacts in this area help tell the story of how Viking travels bring stones and metals back to Scandinavian where crafters fashion complex jewelry and accessories. For example, the Øster Halne tells the story of Viking exploration. It features Arabic coins, as well as beads from a variety of European stones. 4. With the Sword in Hand Vikings were fearsome warriors known for their strength in battle. This section of the exhibit features several of their weapons. Notice the case that features a sword, shield, and a fragment of a helmet. To date, archaeologists have found just one intact Viking helmet—and it does not have horns attached! The image of a Viking wearing a horned helmet is not based on any evidence. In fact, historians credit costume designers at a European opera house for creating it in the mid-1800s. The few helmet fragments found in Viking sites suggest that few warriors wore them and also that they were used for face protection. Try It! In this section, there are swords and chainmail available for students to touch and lift. The swords are tethered to the counter, so students can just lift them slightly but enough to feel the heft of the weapon. Likewise, the chainmail is attached to a form, but students can feel the weight and imagine what it would be like to wear it. 5. Viking Way of Life What was life like in Scandinavia one thousand years ago? This section features artifacts to help answer that question. There are a few cases which show the work of the expert blacksmith who worked iron into all kinds of practical tools. An expert blacksmith could become quite wealthy and famous in Viking society. Notice the Anvil from Præstø. Anvils from the Viking Age have been found in different areas, demonstrating the importance of iron for warriors and farmers alike. Try It! There are three interactive options for students in this area: Viking Dress Up, Dress a Digital Viking, and the Norse Board Game known as Hnefatafl. (pronounced nefa-tafl) Students are welcome to try on Viking clothing. You should plan ahead as to whether or not you will allow all students to take turns doing so, select a couple of representatives to try for the group, or bypass this activity as having every student take a turn will take a considerable amount of your time. Likewise, the digital kiosk where students can dress Viking figures is available for students. Encourage them to try in small groups rather than having every student take a single turn. The strategy game Hnefatafl can easily be played in small teams. 6. King and Power This section explores how Viking social structures began to emerge over time. The ruling class depended on the support of the free people who were empowered to challenge their leadership if warranted. The vast majority of Vikings were free people— farmers, craftspeople, hunters, warriors, and merchants. The Vikings enslaved people who were captured during raids. People who were enslaved had no rights in Viking society, and supported a part of Viking economy. Notice the Women’s Jewelry on display in this section. It features silver denarius coins from western Europe, two dirhams from the Arab world, and Carnelian beads, which could have come all the way from India. The silver could have come from Afghanistan or Central Asia. The mercury used for gilding came from Spain. This jewelry surely belonged to a wealthy woman, but it also showcases the Vikings’ access to international resources. EXHIBIT MIDPOINT As you exit the first gallery, you will find a photo op where students can place their faces in Viking cutouts for fun souvenir photos. Proceed down the ramp and around the corner into the second gallery. 7. Splendour of the Seas–Roskilde 6 The centerpiece of the exhibit is the Viking longship called Roskilde 6 (pronounced Ross-keel-ee) which students will see immediately upon entering the second gallery. It is the longest Viking ship yet found. It was excavated in 1997 from Roskilde Fjord located about 25 miles from Copenhagen, Denmark. About 25% of the ship—including much of the hull and inner timber—remained intact thanks to its waterlogged condition. Scientists have traced the origin of the ship’s oak timber to Oslo and growth rings in the oak suggest the ship was built around 1025 CE and later repaired somewhere along the Baltic Sea around 1039 CE. Therefore, the ship is nearly 1,000 years old! It was built for speed and to carry 100 warriors, 78 of whom would be pulling 39 pairs of oars. The metal scaffolding or skeleton is modern. Only the wood pieces are original, authentic, 1,000 year old parts of the ship. The fact that they exist is remarkable! There is a viewing platform alongside the ship. There are two tablets for students to take turns using to see a digital visualization of the completed ship. As you point the tablet at the real ship, the tablet fills in the missing pieces and even adds digital figures to show how the warriors would have been situated.