Discover how interpretive writing techniques can be a powerful tool in making technical topics accessible to visitors of any age. Using examples from historical bridge building and renovation, this workshop discusses the importance of a multi-disciplinary approach to storytelling and gives concrete examples of how history-based sites can easily incorporate STEM into exhibits.


Workshop Materials:
Workshop Recording
Presentation Slides
Themes vs. Topics Handout
Historic Bridge and Road Specifications
NRHP Listed and Eligible Bridges of Texas

Discussion Group Materials:
New Technology for Building Bridges (3 minute video)
Transcript of New Technology for Building Bridges
Discussion Group Guidelines and Activity

TxDOT Resources on Bridges:
New Technology for Building Bridges (3 minute video)
Leading Innovation in Texas Bridge Design (3 minute video)
Pre-Stressed Concrete in Texas Bridge Construction (40 second video)
Neoprene Pads in Texas Bridge Construction (50 second video)
Bridges of Exceptional Length in Texas (1 minute video)
Across the Rio Grande: International Bridges (50 second video)
"Flying" Across Texas Bridges (50 second video)
Historic Iron Bridges of Denton County, Texas (school curriculum tied to TEKS)
History of a Hamilton County Truss Bridge (5 minute video)
The Stories Behind the Bridges (StoryMap)

Learn how to create engaging educational activities for student audiences, and how these programs will benefit both the students and your site. Explore different programming types and interpretation techniques, and learn how to implement them both at your site and as outreach into the classroom. Using resources on Biology and Environment, discover program planning skills that can be applied at your own site to connect history with STEM to create well-rounded, multidisciplinary programs sought out by schools.

Workshop Materials:
Workshop Recording
Presentation Slides
TEKS Walkthrough (4 minute video)
Monarch Glider Activity

Discussion Group Materials:
School Program Planning Template
Monarch Migration TEKS
Perpetuating Pollinators (5 minute video)
Discussion Group Guidelines and Activity

TxDOT Resources on Biology and Environment:
Perpetuating Pollinators (5 minute video)
Texas Bats and Bridges (2 minute video)
Bats and Bridges (StoryMap)
TxDOT Wildflower Program (webpage, includes links to wildflower facts)
Designing a Butterfly Garden (PDF)
Monarch Butterfly Teacher Guide (PDF)
The Monarch Highway (PowerPoint)

Explore impactful use of digital images and video as a tool to discuss STEM in history exhibits. Learn how to use graphics, images, and video as storytelling techniques to create meaningful digital content. Using examples from Texas transportation history, this webinar shares examples across multiple platforms and provides tools for participants to implement methods both onsite and online.


Workshop Materials:
Workshop Recording
Presentation Slides
Resource Handout

Discussion Group Materials:
Discussion Group Guidelines and Activity
The Development of Highways in Texas

TxDOT Resources on Transportation History:
Texas' Broadway of America: The Bankhead Highway Interpretive Plan (PDF)
Adventure and Agriculture: Texas Aviation Interpretive Plan (PDF)
Incorporating Transportation History into Exhibits (webinar)
Icons of a Century: Historic Texas Gas Stations (StoryMap)
History Texas Highways (webpage)

Dive into best practices in writing for accessibility, readability, and voice. Learn how to use these strategies in onsite and online applications including exhibition text, lesson plans, and website text to incorporate STEM topics into history exhibits. Using road construction techniques particular to Texas as an example, practice different methods for clear and concise writing for your institution's primary audience. During the group activity, participants will practice writing an exhibit label on a STEM topic (provided in advance) using the principles learned in the webinar.

Workshop Materials:
Workshop Recording
Presentation Slides
Accessibility, Readability, and Voice Handout
Audience Handout
Learning Styles Handout

Group Activity Session:
Group Activity Guidelines
Label Writing Approach Handout
Road-Related Property Types Handout

TxDOT Resources on Road Construction:
Historic Road Infrastructure of Texas, 1865-1965 (PDF)
Texas' Roadside Parks: A Historic Context (PDF)
Typology of Historic Roads and Roadside Resources (PDF)

Explore how to create engaging and useful teacher programs and resources that can be used at your site and online. Learn how to build connections with teacher audiences that will make them feel at home at your site, and how to design and execute multidisciplinary educator workshops of several different formats. Using examples on Biology and Environment, practice program planning skills on how to integrate STEM content into teacher programs at history-based sites. During the group activity session, participants will practice program planning skills to develop a STEM-based teacher program based on resources related to bats, bridge habitats, and the environment.

Workshop Materials: 
Workshop Recording
Workshop Slides
Teacher Program Planning Template
Teacher Program Example Documents
Bat Habitat Activity

Group Activity Session:
Group Activity Guidelines
Teacher Program Planning Template

TxDOT Resources on Bats:
Bats and Bridges (StoryMap)
Texas Bats and Bridges: A Mutually Beneficial Relationship (1 minute video)
Texas Bats Brochure (PDF)
Endangered Specials & TxDOT Poster (PDF)

Explore planning processes used to create high- or low-tech interactive components that incorporate STEM-based ideas into history exhibits. Using examples drawn from TxDOT's work on historic bridges in Texas, this workshop will discuss readily-available tools and techniques for both digital and tactile interactives, including low-cost solutions for creating and presenting interactive content to the public. During the group activity session, participants will practice writing learning and experience goals for an interactive, as well as creating a schedule for prototyping and development. 

Workshop Materials:
Workshop Recording
Workshop Slides
Prototyping, Testing, and Evaluation Handout

Group Activity Session:
Group Activity Guidelines
Exhibition Interactive Concept Planning Document

TxDOT Resources on Bridges:
Truss Bridge Visual Glossary (PDF)
State Highway 16 Corridor and the WPA (webpage)

The workshop instructors developed this assessment tool for evaluating projects at a variety of stages.
Evaluation Template

Kate Betz is the Deputy Director of Interpretation at the Bullock Texas State History Museum, where she leads the Museum's education, exhibitions departments, web, and digital media departments, seeking to tell the continually unfolding story of Texas through meaningful educational experiences. Serving more than 300,000 people annually, education programs and exhibitions have at their core the desire to share unique experiences with a diversity of people in an environment that encourages life-long learning and development. In addition to programming, Kate also ensures coordination of interpretive messaging, manages the museum's ongoing evaluation efforts and leads the team responsible for the Museum's social media channels. Prior to coming to the Bullock in 2009, Kate managed public programming at The Farmers’ Museum and the Fenimore Art Museum in Cooperstown, New York.

Kaitlin Lloyd-Leva is the Head of School Programs at The Bullock Texas State History Museum, where she works to bring the Story of Texas to life for students and teachers, both at the Museum and in their classrooms. She creates on-site experiences for students and provides professional development to teachers that encourages the study of multiple viewpoints and a multi-disciplinary approach to teaching at the Museum and in the classroom. She also manages the distance learning programs which bring the Museum into the classroom regardless of where students live. Prior to coming to the Bullock in 2013, Kaitlin managed the traveling trunk program as the Distance Learning Coordinator at the North Carolina Museum of History. She has a B.A. in History from Texas Christian University and an M.A. in Public History and Museum Studies from North Carolina State University.

Evan Windham is the Senior Digital Producer at the Bullock Texas State History Museum, where she develops and supports digital projects through design, content creation, and evaluation. Evan oversees user experience and interaction for exhibition technologies and designs meaningful interactive environments to support museum programming and exhibitions. Evan also oversees institution website updates and works to provide engaging educational experiences across all of the Museum's online properties. She has a B.A. in Film Studies from the University of Missouri-Columbia and an M.P.C. from Edith Cowan University.