Our Enrichment Programs, led by Museum Educators, are designed to stimulate critical thinking skills and offer innovative hands-on opportunities and group interaction.
Archaeology/Science ARCHAEOLOGY’S WINDOW TO THE PAST: INTERPRETING REFUSE PITS, CAN YOU DIG IT? Recommended for Grades 4–8 Do you know why archaeology is sometimes called “our window to the past?” Students discover the answer to this question in a hands-on enrichment program. Students are divided into small groups to work with simulated refuse heaps from three different time periods in Pequot history. Their task is to identify and interpret artifacts from each time period, understand why cultures change over time, and the reasons for change.
INSIDE THE FORT: THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF A 17th-CENTURY PEQUOT SITE Recommended for Grades 5–8 What does an archaeological site look like and how do archaeologists figure out what happened there? Join us for this hands-on exploration of a 1670s’ Pequot settlement. It begins in one of our classrooms where you learn to make and read site maps, study artifacts, and try to reconstruct the everyday lives of Pequot people. Then you’ll tour one of our exhibits and visit the actual site, weather permitting. 90-minute program. Site tours are not available December–March.
Hands-on Archeological Research Recommended for Grades 6–8 Visit a real archaeological excavation. Starting May 19, 2010, we are providing opportunities for middle-school students to participate in archeological lab and fieldwork. Space is limited to 20–25 students per two-hour session. Sessions are offered on May 19–22 and May 26–29, 10:30 am–12:30 pm and 1–3 pm. Bus transportation is required from the Museum to the site and back; please wear appropriate shoes and clothing for outdoor work. This program only: $15 per student includes admission to the Museum for the day.
History/Social Studies WITNESS TO A GENOCIDE: A SOCIAL JUSTICE APPROACH Recommended for Grades 9–12 By taking a detailed look at the 1637 massacre of a Pequot Village and the ensuing centuries of oppression faced by the Pequot people, students examine how our personal actions can carry serious consequences. The film, The Witness, is part of the program content. Two-hour program.
LIFE WITHOUT A SUPERMARKET: A 16th-CENTURY NATIVE COASTAL COMMUNITY Recommended for Grades 3–6 In this one-hour enrichment program in the Pequot Daily Life gallery, students discover how Pequots lived without malls and shopping centers. They learn how Native people constructed dug-out canoes, built housing, enhanced personal appearance, and prepared food. This hands-on experience gives students a better understanding of how Native people transformed the natural resources into useful common items.
Ecology COASTAL CONNECTIONS: FISHING WITHOUT POLES Recommended for Grades 4–8 The Pequot people are known as “the people of shallow waters.” Students learn about the Pequot relationship with the estuaries of Long Island Sound and why knowledge of the tides, currents, moon cycles, and the changing seasons would have been important to Pequot fishermen. Dynamic small-group activities engage students in discovering Native relationships with marine ecosystems and stimulate critical thinking.
We recommend that students age 12 and older view The Witness film about the Pequot War to fully appreciate the Pequot experience. The film is 35 minutes in length and well worth seeing! Free with Museum admission.
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