The Bone Zone: A Carnival of Healthy Choices

March 24 – June 23

Presented in cooperation with the WELBORN BAPTIST FOUNDATION

Enter an exhibit with a carnival theme that will provide an entertaining setting for children of all ages. Museum visitors can learn about the importance of diet and exercise and how to create and keep healthy bones. This exhibition takes place in the Evansville Convention and Visitor Bureau Center for History and Science located in the newly renovated area of the Museum.

The Bone Zone is comprised of numerous displays which feature interactive games, hands-on activities, entertaining videos, and information about bone health, diet, and exercise. Exhibits such as “Your Bones Are Alive”, “The Incredible Bone Crusher” and “The Amazing Bone Builder” explore the importance of a healthy diet and reveals which foods provide your body with the best source of calcium.

Additional activities include a fun house mirror and a simulated X-ray machine. There is also a computer game that tests your ability to make the best food and exercise choices in order to build a healthy skeleton. The centerpiece for the exhibition is “The Hip Joint” which provides a dance floor where you can tap out a tune with your feet.

The exhibit was created by the Purdue Agriculture Exhibit Design Center with support from the Indiana Dairy and Nutrition Council. According to Connie Weaver, head of the Department of Foods and Nutrition at Purdue University, “Our primary goal for The Bone Zone was to stress that food and exercise choices now affect bone health today and in the future. Bones grow fastest between the ages of 9 and 18 so we encourage school groups and families to visit. Poor diets and little exercise can cause broken bones in young people and lead to bone diseases like osteoporosis in the future. By entering this carnival of learning children can examine important health concepts in an entertaining way.

Skulls & Bones

April 28 - July 24, 2013

In this April 28 - July 24 exhibition, visitors will have a chance to learn about the rigid skeleton system of humans and many animals. Without a structure to support them, our bodies would be a shapeless mass of muscles, organs, and water. We’ll learn about the complex structure of bones, find out how you can identify a variety of animal skulls, and get tips on the importance of diet and exercise in order to maintain bone health. The exhibition contains displays of animal bones and skulls, plus several hands-on activities.

In one section of the exhibition we use a microscope to magnify the amazing structure of bones. We learn to identify the different internal parts of bones and how bones are actually living tissue which, in addition to being a repository for minerals, is also responsible for the production of life-giving red and white blood cells.

In another section of the exhibition, we see how a researcher at the University of Southern Indiana has created a computer model that calculates the force produced when different species of bats bite down on food or prey. Such calculations provide insight on how skull shape relates to the different diets of bats. The skulls of different types of creatures will be on display, giving visitors an opportunity to compare and contrast the sizes and different eating habits of many different kinds of animals.

The exhibition will also include bones of our extinct, ice age mastodon; and a section depicting 3-D animations of select skulls.