From zoetropes and mutoscopes to live multiscreen TV, the Museum of the Moving Image, located in the heart of Queens, takes the visitor on an experiential journey through the complex history of the motion picture.  We combined our classes to go on an immersive excursion where the students would work together to complete an English scavenger hunt.  

In preparation for the trip, we held a collective class in the morning in which we screened the scenes from Martin Scorsese’s Hugo that show the development of early filmmaking through the story of Georges Méliès; the students used a vocabulary and comprehension worksheet as a listening guide.  We then took the subway up to the museum where we took in the Martin Scorsese exhibit that is showing this winter along with interactive installations like a voiceover recording station and such significant artifacts as the original Chewbacca mask.  Some students enjoyed the atmosphere so much that they decided to stay at the museum even after our class time had officially elapsed.  If you are in love with the magic of cinema and you find yourself in New York City, the Museum of the Moving Image is well worth the trip.