Home >> Education >> School Programs >> Museum Programs

Museum Tours & Programs

Museum tours, programs, and related activities are thematic and focus on a wide range of social studies topics from Connecticut history to civics and geography. Programs take place in the museum’s permanent and changing exhibitions or in other non-exhibit spaces at the CHS. Download a chart showing Connecticut Framework content standard connections below.

Pre-kindergarten – Grade 8

• Group Limit: 50 students or 2 classes
• Length: 1 ½ hours
• Cost: $8 per student

Work and Play from Long Ago (Grades Pre-K-2)

In this introductory museum tour for our youngest visitors, students explore the museum, trying out a variety of hands-on activities to compare work done by men, women, and children in the past. After their "work" is done, students play with historic toys and games.

Native Americans and Natural Resources (Grades K-2)

This tour introduces students to the lives of Native Americans in early Connecticut and emphasizes their use of natural resources. Focus is placed on multi-sensory learning, a varied pace of activities, and handling reproduction objects. Students hear a Native American story and make a bear claw necklace to take home.

What Makes a Community? (Grades 2-3)

This three-part program explores communities. Using a large floor map and building-shaped blocks, students focus on the physical building of a community by creating their own town. Students tour the Making Connecticut exhibit to learn about the people who live in a community and the jobs they do. The program concludes with an activity focusing on contributing to your community and being a good citizen. Map skills, object observations, hands-on activities, and citizenship are emphasized throughout the program.

This is Connecticut! (Grades 3-5)

What makes our state so special? During this thematic tour students will learn about famous Connecticut people, places, events, and products. From the mighty white oak to the tiny nutmeg, "Constitution State" to famous (and not-so-famous) Connecticut people, students will explore the unique stories behind our state history and symbols. The program concludes with a quiz show game where students compete on teams to answer questions about Connecticut.

The Legend of the Charter Oak (Grades 3-5)

Why is the white oak a symbol of Connecticut's strength and independence? During this program, students bring the people and events from the legend of the Charter Oak to life using a variety of dramatic techniques, period costumes, and specially-designed props. Students discover the significance of Connecticut's colonial charter and its connection to the legendary white oak tree. Please note: This "process drama" program does not include a museum tour.

Growing Up in Colonial Connecticut (Grades 3-5)

Students explore the colonial period in Connecticut by looking at the lives and experiences of both Native American and English colonial children. They examine artifacts and learn about children's daily routines, contrasting Native American and European traditions, including village life, clothing, education, and chores. Choose one of the following hands-on activities:

• Comparison Object Study: Examine Native American and colonial artifacts.
• School & Games: Make a hornbook and try colonial toys.

Connecticut and the Revolution (Grades 4-8)

Students investigate how Connecticut citizens participated in the American Revolution, looking at issues from both the Patriot and Loyalist perspectives. They start by creating a human timeline of events leading up to the revolution and go on to explore elements of the Making Connecticut exhibit that bring to life the struggles faced by everyday people.  Choose two of the following hands-on activities:

• Join the Cause: Students read and sign an "Oath of Allegiance" using a quill pen.
• The Soldier's Life: Using reproduction artifacts, students examine the equipment of a Patriot soldier and officer.
• Primary Source Workshop: Students work with reproductions of primary source materials to discover information about the daily lives of colonists and soldiers during the war.

On the Move: Immigration and Migration to Connecticut (Grades 4-8)

This two-part program uses hands-on activities to introduce students to stories of moving to Connecticut. In the Making Connecticut exhibit, students try out the kinds of jobs done by different immigrant groups who arrived in Connecticut in the 19th and 20th centuries. During the workshop, students work in teams to examine artifacts from "immigration trunks" and uncover many different family stories about moving to Connecticut.

The Three Branches of Government (Grades 4-8)

During this program students explore Connecticut's executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government and discover who makes the rules in Connecticut. To better understand the role of each branch, students elect a governor from among their classmates, debate a bill, and hold a mock trial. Through movement, improvisation, role-playing, and active participation, students learn the purpose of rules and laws, explore the separation of powers, and discover the rights and responsibilities of individuals. Please note: This role-playing program does not include a museum tour.

NEW!
City Life: Urban Planning and Changing Communities (Grades 6-8)

This two-part program examines urban planning and city life in Connecticut. Using an interactive floor map, students work in teams to create their own ideal city. In the exhibit portion, students learn how Connecticut cities grew by examining shifts in population and technology. Close reading of multiple types of sources, graph and data analysis, and independent and group learning are emphasized throughout the program.

Slavery and Abolition in Connecticut (Grades 6-8)

Students discover the history of slavery in our state from the enslavement of Native Americans and Africans in the early colonial period through the beginnings of the abolitionist movement and the Civil War. Using historic documents and activities, they compare conditions of enslavement in the North and South, explore how different people in Connecticut felt about slavery, and explore ways people resisted and fought against slavery.

Gallery Visit Add-on (Grades Pre-K-8)

Group Limit: 50 students or 2 classes
Length: 30 Minutes
Cost: $2 per student
Give your students additional time to explore the CHS exhibitions on their own. For this brief add-on program students are divided into class-sized groups and spend 15 minutes in the Making Connecticut exhibit and 15 minutes in the other CHS galleries. Visit chs.org/exhibits for more information on current exhibits.
Please note: The gallery visit add-on may not be available for all groups. We will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Habit of Survival: An Historical Encounter Add-On (Grades 6-12)

What was it like to be enslaved? Ruth is one such person, kidnapped from her home in Africa and brought to America. In this story, Ruth looks back on her capture, enslavement, and ultimately freedom.
Gwendolyn Quezaire-Presutti, Artist-In-Residence at the CHS, is a talented storyteller, researcher, and performer.  Her powerful first-person performance makes history come alive.

• 45-minute dramatic presentation added before or after one of the CHS museum programs
• $400 single performance, $700 double performance (pre-payment is required)
• SUBJECT TO AVAILABILITY

LOOKING FOR A LONGER VISIT OR A WAY TO ACCOMMODATE A LARGER GROUP?

These programs work well together for an extended day or for groups larger than 50 students:

• The Three Branches of Government & Connecticut and the Revolution
• The Legend of the Charter Oak & Growing up in Colonial Connecticut
• The Legend of the Charter Oak & This is Connecticut!
• The Legend of the Charter Oak & On the Move: Immigration and Migration to Connecticut
• The Three Branches of Government & Slavery and Abolition in Connecticut

Grades 9 -12

• Group Limit: 50 students or 2 classes
• Length: 1 ½ hours
• Cost: $8 per student

Gallery Tour & Researching with Primary Sources Workshop

This two-part program emphasizes research and inquiry skills development, close reading and observation, and analysis. During one half of the program, students explore the interactive Making Connecticut exhibit through a guided, thematic tour. During the other half of the program, students work with original and reproduction documents, artifacts, or images from the CHS collection to develop an understanding of how to use primary resources to gather information. Working individually and in groups, students examine and analyze 4-5 documents related to the chosen theme.

Please choose one of the following program themes:

• Connecticut and the American Revolution
• Slavery and Abolition in Connecticut
• Coming to Connecticut: 400 Years of Immigration History
• Connecticut in World War II
• Women in Connecticut History
• Change Over Time: Towns, Cities, and Suburbs
• Other topic of the teacher's choice

Call or visit chs.org/exhibits for more information about our exhibits.

Downloads

2013/14 Museum Programs Standards.pdf Download (58 KB)