Visiting a Dirty Museumby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 17 Jul 2008 08:18 PM Bring along extra Wet-Ones if you are planning a trip to the National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. this summer. Forget about what your mom said about not playing in dirt, the Smithsonian Institution is taking soil to new depths. In its new exhibit--"Dig It"--the museum is giving guests the chance to explore the mysterious and complex world of dirt. Curators say their goal with the new exhibit is to get people to see how soil is the foundation of all the Earth's ecosystems, and that it is "as important as air and water." Some of the exhibit's hands on displays include: "At Home in the World of Soils." In this area museum guests can learn about the connections between soil and culture. It includes a scale model of a suburban house lot that highlights soils in and around our homes. A video presentation, which illustrates how soils act as the "secret ingredients" in thousands of everyday items including medicine, food, fiber, paint, cosmetics, and pottery. Soil samples, which provide close-up looks of two different urban soils found in Washington, D.C. "The Big Picture" includes a world map and computer interactive stations that highlight global connections to soils. For younger children the museum has set up two interactive stations, including a detective-story video that tells the tale of decomposition, and in which soil scientists investigate a grisly pumpkin murder. The other hands-on learning display that is drawing a ton of attention is "Chef's Challenge" - a la "Iron Chef" - where soil chefs create different soils from the same ingredients. The "Dig It" exhibit will remain at the National Museum of Natural History until January 3, 2010. After that it will be packed up and go on tour to other museums around the country. Related Articles: Are You Traveling to Washington, D.C. for the Inauguration? Visiting Washington, D.C.'s Most Popular Museums Hawaii's "Not So Famous" Military Memorials National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific at Punchbowl Pearl Harbor: An Unforgettable Trip Visiting Pearl Harbor's Newest Attraction More Educational Vacation Destinations Family Friendly Attractions in Baltimore More Of Maryland's Top Family Friendly Attractions Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevanttravel tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Discuss this article
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