A Long Way Home

1 hour, at either museum or your site

What makes a place home? Why might people choose to leave that place for a foreign country? In this program, students examine the lives and stories of families from four countries (Ireland, Italy, Ukraine, and China) at the turn of the 20th century. Using artifacts, photographs, and other primary sources, they piece together the stories of immigration to Newton.

Best suited for grades 9-12. 

Register here.

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Colonial Survival and Civility

1.5 hours, at the Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds

How did families survive in the colonial era? In this program, students explore the museum to see how the lives of early colonists differ from their own. They then do seasonal colonial activities, such as gardening, grinding corn, and playing games. The program culminates in a cooperative game in which the class must barter, ration, and work together to survive the year.

Best suited for grades 2-5.

Register here.

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Conflict in the Colonies

1.5 hours, at the Durant-Kenrick House and Grounds

How did different people living in the Colonies form opinions on the British Government during the events leading up to the Revolution? In this program, students take on the role of someone living at the time and figure out their character’s opinion on the matter through museum exploration. At a town hall meeting, students debate the question of boycotting goods and declaring independence.

Best suited for grades 3-8 and 9-12.

Register here.

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Digging for Evidence

1 hour, at the Jackson Homestead and Museum

What can we learn about people who lived in the past from the objects they left behind? In this program, students participate in a mock archaeological dig to uncover artifacts used by local Indigenous groups. They then work together to figure out what each object is and how it was used.

Best suited for grades 3-8.

Register here.

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Journey on the Underground Railroad

1 hour, at the Jackson Homestead and Museum or at your site

How have people historically responded to injustice, and how can we continue to do so? In this program, students explore the topic of slavery in the United States and learn the stories of a few freedom seekers traveling on the underground railroad. Using primary source documents, they figure out the impact of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 and the ways abolitionists worked against it. The program culminates in students investigating the actions of the Jackson family, who were active abolitionists and ran a stop on the underground railroad at the homestead.

Best suited for grades 5-12.

Register here.

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Mapping Change in Your Community

1.5 hours, at either museum or your site

How and why do communities change over time? In this program, students investigate historic and modern maps of Newton to see how the area has changed, while figuring out why. They learn about land use categories used by city planners, then put their skills to use and design a map for Newton in the 19th, 21st, and 22nd centuries.

Best suited for grades 2-6.

Register here.

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Native Artifact Handling

1 hour, at your site

How can we use artifacts to learn about the past? In this program, students learn about the Indigenous people of this area and imagine the landscape as it used to be. They investigate artifacts to learn what they are and how they were used. At the end of the program, students make a Native-inspired ring and pin game to keep.

Best suited for grades 2-6.

Register here.

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The “First” Thanksgiving

1 hour, at either museum or your site

How do inaccurate historical narratives persist? In this program, students unpack the idea of the first Thanksgiving as a story of cooperation between Native Peoples and the English. Using art and primary and secondary sources, students learn more about historical accounts of the event, consider multiple perspectives, and figure out how the narrative “First” Thanksgiving came to be. The program culminates in a creative writing/drawing exercise to rewrite the long told story.

Best suited for grades 3-12.

Register here.