Welcome To The Education Resource!

June 2- June 8, 2011

This Week We Feature Ideas for History Field Trips for Summer Schools and Families

Frequently summer school directors or parents ask teachers to suggest fun and challenging educational experiences for their students or families. The Field Trip section of this Resource identifies and showcases a diverse variety of cultural, educational, and historical resources across the state. Many of these venues have carefully prepared educational materials that will serve to introduce young people to the rich historical legacy of Washington state institutions and their surrounding neighborhoods.  An interactive map on the Field Trip page provides an easily accessible method for identifying museums, organizations, and other education centers that offer history-education opportunities.

For example, if you are in the King County area, you could recommend the Mary Olson Farm, in Auburn, Washington.  For more than 15 years, the White River Valley Museum has been working with the City of Auburn to restore the Mary Olson Farm, which has been recognized as the best preserved historic subsistence farm in King County. The vast majority of the restoration efforts are finished and the farm will celebrate with a free grand-opening event on June 18, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Opening-day visitors will have the option of walking around the farm at their leisure or receiving a tour from a volunteer docent.  Interactive curricula designed for grades K-2 and for grade 6 have been developed to introduce students to life on the farm and to the miracle of spawning salmon.

The National Park Service has many history venues across the state that offer youth and family activities,  Fort Nisqually, Fort Vancouver, Fort Walla Walla, the  Klondike Gold Rush Museum, and Mount Rainier,  Mount St. Helens, and  Olympic National Parks.  Each of these sites offers unique services such as specialized activities for children and guided tours.

Over the past several years, HistoryLink.org has developed educational materials and curriculum projects that would be a great choice for those who live in this area or are visiting local historical sites from out-of-town.  All activities can be easily downloaded from this site. Here are several examples:

• Leave No Stone Unturned is a curriculum that investigates the history of the popular shorelines of West Seattle and Alki Beach and develops an appreciation for preserving and maintaining community natural habitat and historic landmarks. Visit the Pioneer Monument, Luna Park|, and Constellation Park to learn the significance of these sites.
• Bart’s Magical History Tour was developed through a partnership with HistoryLink.org, The Seattle Times Newspapers in Education Program, and Bartell Drugs to commemorate the 120th anniversary of Bartell’s - the longest-operating family drug store in the Pacific Northwest. Each week for 16 weeks, a clue was published in The Seattle Times (and posted on the NIE and HistoryLink.org websites) to challenge students and their families to identify and explore historic sites in this region. While the prizes described in the original pdfs were only available during the contest that was held in 2010, the activities are still fun, thought-provoking, and historically relevant for class or family outings.
• PastMapWA is a new feature offered by HistoryLink.org. Download the free app and it turns your Android into a perfect travel companion and valuable education tool. Explore the history of Washington geographically with this nifty map app! As you travel around the state, learn about the history that happened right where you are.

4Culture’s Destination Heritage: Historic Places around King County invites visitors and residents to explore historic places in Seattle and King County. Themes include agriculture, industry, and maritime. Explore sites using a convenient interactive map.

Next week we will look at history-related summer programs for students and professional development opportunities for teachers.

Image of Bus at West Seattle viewpoint, Seattle, ca. 1947 Courtesy, Museum of History & Industry