News…

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Families are invited to the West Virginia State Museum on Saturday, Aug. 18, 2012, for a rowdy round of Classroom Jeopardy, a historical scavenger hunt and a quest to learn more about certain artifacts.

With one of the museum’s complimentary digital tablets or a personal smartphone, family members can click on Quick Response Codes placed throughout the museum to learn more about some of the more than 6,000 historic artifacts that focus on West Virginia’s natural and human history, arts, music and lifestyles. Families also may check out video cameras to create memories of their visit to take home with them.

Children of all ages will have fun searching for a basketball signed by West Virginia native and basketball legend Jerry West, an antique Ouija board and other fascinating items as part of a treasure hunt inside the museum.

Families will get the chance to use the museum’s Education Center, which converts from a computer lab to a hands-on play area to an interactive game room for Classroom Jeopardy. They also may visit the Education Media Center, which is equipped for media presentations, lectures, and video conferencing.

Sign-ups to play Classroom Jeopardy are set for 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., and 2 p.m. in the Education Center. This one-hour activity accommodates three teams in each session. Photo IDs are required to check out cameras and electronic tablets.

Each visitor will receive a commemorative token featuring a black bear, the third in a series of tokens depicting state symbols from the West Virginia State Museum.

Activities are scheduled from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Culture Center on the State Capitol Grounds in Charleston. Admission is free.

For more information, contact Nancy Herholdt, education manager, at (304) 558-0220 ext. 175 or by email at Nancy.P.Herholdt@wv.gov.

The West Virginia Division of Culture and History is an agency within the West Virginia Department of Education and the Arts with Kay Goodwin, Cabinet Secretary. The Division, led by Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith, brings together the past, present and future through programs and services focusing on archives and history, arts, historic preservation and museums. For more information about the Division’s programs, events and sites, visit www.wvculture.org. The Division of Culture and History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

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