K-12 Virtual Field Trips

Join our educators to learn about one of the themes below in civics, economics, or geography. First a tour, then students will practice skills in critical thinking and problem solving to create a bill proposal, invention, political platform, or a map of one of Kentucky’s early settlements. See how a virtual museum tour and hands-on activity meets the Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies here.

If you plan on purchasing a supply kit, please register three weeks in advance of your chosen date.

Logistics 

• Audience: K-8^th grade students
• Duration: 60 minutes with a 30-minute live tour and 30-minute live activity. There are pre-recorded tours and instructions if you would rather assign for homework. The timeslots can span across two days if needed.
• Date/time: Available Tuesday-Friday, 8 am – 3 pm EST
• Cost: $50 per session, up to 100 participants (scholarships are available)
• Payment: Due one week before the session. Check or charge.
• Platform: Virtual Conferencing (Zoom, Google Hangout, etc.)
• Scheduling: All visits must be scheduled a minimum of three weeks in advance
• Questions: Submit them to KHSeducation@ky.gov

Options

Click here for a printable flyer of the options below.

Government in Action 

Tour the Old State Capitol to learn about Kentucky’s three branches of government. Write your own bill proposal and debate it with your class.

Needed materials: Paper and writing tool.

Optional kit: Turkey feathers, pens, and rubber bands to create your own quill pen. $1 each student + shipping.

The Industry of Innovation

Tour the Great Southern Exposition to see Kentucky during the industrial age and understand how the economy gained momentum at the turn of the 20^th century. Just like the early entrepreneurs, you will be tasked with designing your own invention patent, model, and sales pitch.

Needed materials: Paper, writing tool, and materials to make an invention such as straws, recyclables, or craft supplies.

Optional kit: Masking tape, papercraft straws, and newsprint. $1 each student + shipping.

Exploring the Frontier 

Tour the Kentucky frontier along the Wilderness Road to find a flatboat and log cabin within the museum. Act as new settlers to survey land and design one of the first Kentucky towns. Write a journal entry as a new settler.

Needed materials: Pencil and notebook paper. Large sheets of butcher or craft paper about  2ft x 2ft and markers. Maps can also be designed using a digital platform such as Paint or PowerPoint.

Running for Office 

Tour the Hall of Governors to learn about Kentucky’s political accomplishments since statehood. Create your own platform to run for an elected position by writing a speech and designing a campaign poster.

Needed materials: Construction paper, notebook paper, glue, markers, and writing tool. Graphics can also be created with digital applications such as Paint or PowerPoint.

Book your Museum Tour and Hands-on Activity

Museum educators invite you to join in a student-driven conversation with historians about some of history’s hottest topics in your virtual classroom! Students will hone their skills in visual literacy, historical literacy, and critical thinking, by participating in a brief learner-centered analysis of a historical image using the inquiry-driven Visual Thinking Strategies teaching method. Students will not only gain knowledge from an expert but will be given the opportunity to share their own questions and perspectives with our historians in a moderated dialogue. See how Host a Historian meets the Kentucky Academic Standards for Social Studies here.

Logistics 

• Audience: 8-12^th grade students
• Duration: 45 minutes with a 10-minute Visual Thinking Strategies session, 15-minute lecture from the historian, and a 20 minute moderated discussion
• Date/Time: Available Tuesday-Friday, 9am-4pm EST
• Cost: $50 per session, up to 100 participants (scholarships are available)
• Payment: Due one week before the session. Check or charge.
• Platform: Virtual (Zoom, Google Classroom or Meet, etc.)
• Scheduling: All visits must be scheduled a minimum of three weeks in advance
• Questions: Submit them to KHSeducation@ky.gov

Options

Click here for a printable flyer of the options below.

Manifest Destiny: The Ripple Effects of Moving West 

Historian: Daniel J. Burge, Ph.D. 

Manifest destiny is one of the most well-known phrases in U.S. history. This session examines the rise of the idea of manifest destiny and its role in western expansion by focusing on the annexation of Texas, the U.S.-Mexican War, and the sectional crisis of the 1850s. Students will learn about the justifications for expansion but also how opponents of the ideology, like Henry Clay, who mobilized his party to challenge it. Dr. Burge will not only illuminate the topic of western expansion, but also its impact on Kentucky and how that expansion helped trigger the Civil War.

Civil War Era Kentucky: Emancipation and Freedom in the Bluegrass State 

Historian: Chuck Welsko, Ph.D. 

This session will focus on how Kentuckians dealt with the process of emancipation and the destruction of slavery in the Commonwealth during the mid-19^th century. Dr. Welsko will discuss how African Americans fought for, acquired, and struggled to maintain freedom before, during, and after the war. Students will have the opportunity to discuss the unequal process and results of emancipation, and how similar conversations about inclusion in American society and legacies of the Civil War are still present today.

Civil Rights and Racial Justice: The Long Walk Toward Equality in Kentucky

Historian: Amanda Higgins, Ph.D. 

This session will focus exclusively on racial justice in the 20^th century. Linking the long history of Kentuckians’ work toward greater racial justice, students will learn about school desegregation efforts and the 1966 Kentucky Civil Rights Act—the first of its kind in the South. Dr. Higgins will also discuss the role everyday Kentuckians continue to play in creating a more just and inclusive society.

Coal in Appalachia: Fueling Industrialization, Activism, and Identity

Historian: Stephanie M. Lang, Ph.D. 

This session will focus on the evolution and effects of the coal industry in Kentucky’s Appalachian region. Dr. Lang will discuss the early formation of the coal industry at the turn of the 20^th  century, its impact on the residents and environment of the Appalachian region, and how Kentucky’s “coal country” continues to leave a legacy.  Students will have an opportunity to share their thoughts on industry, activism, and attempt to answer the question: What is Appalachia and how does it affect Kentuckians today?

Bookings are dependent on our Historian’s and Museum Educator’s schedule. Please book three weeks in advance.

Book a Host a Historian!