Distance Learning

Social Studies: Distance Learning

Programs are designed to run 45-60 minutes; a maximum of 30 participants is recommended.

Colonial and Early America

North American Indians: Before European Contact

Grades 2–6

For more than 10,000 years before the first Europeans arrived in North America, various Native American cultures made the Eastern Woodlands their home. Participants will examine the tools and skills required to survive in this environment, how technology changed during this time, and explore how archaeologists are learning more about these ancient cultures through ongoing research.

The Uneven Triangle: Trade with the New World

Grades 4–12

Caribbean sugar and molasses, New England rum and West African slaves made up the three corners of one of the most durable economic models of the last 500 years. This session explores the three separate endpoints of the Triangle, and how individuals and societies were impacted.

Frontier Surveying

*available after 9/1/08

Grades 6-12

The American frontier was settled largely due to the efforts of surveyors, including George Washington, who spent years measuring and mapping millions of acres. Participants will examine the tools and skills needed to perform this amazing feat and how surveying directly impacted settlement patterns.

Civil War and the Steamboat Era

Taming America's Inland Rivers: The Steamboat Era

Grades 2–8

Explore the experiences of river travelers during the mid-nineteenth century, specifically the role steam played in revolutionizing the way goods and passengers were moved from one location to another. The program introduces students to the lives of those on the river—passengers and crew—through first-person interpretations by Cincinnati History Museum staff.

Civil War: The Causes

Grades 4–10

The “war between the states” divided Americans along political, economic, regional and moral lines. Slavery, certainly, was one leading cause of the struggle, but it was truly symptomatic of several larger issues facing the young country since its inception. This session explores the root causes of the Civil War and examines whether or not war could have been avoided.

Civil War: Into Battle

Grades 4–10

Soldiers and sailors during the Civil War came from all walks of life, and used all manner of weapons and gear to survive on the battlefield. Through first-person interpretations by Cincinnati History Museum staff, students will take a look at the gear, food and other pieces of equipment from a front-line Union officer from Kentucky.

Civil War: Reporting from the Front Lines

*available after 9/1/08

Grades 4-10

In recent times, we have seen reports from embedded reporters in Iraq and Afghanistan, but this tradition of front-line reporting in American history dates back to at least the Civil War when periodicals like Harper’s Weekly carried updates of battles and events of the day for a large general audience. Through first-person interpretations by Cincinnati History Museum staff, students will examine what life was like for these front-line reporters and sketch artists.

The Changing Lens of Photography: J.P. Ball

*available after 9/1/08

Grades 6-12

African American daguerreotypist James Presley (J.P.) Ball was born a free man in Virginia in 1825, but his 79 years of life constituted an amazing personal journey that carried him across the United States from Virginia to Hawaii, from the time that the United States was a slave society through the turbulent years of the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the rise of segregation. Through first-person interpretation by Cincinnati History Museum staff, students will meet J.P. Ball and explore his experiences. This program is available on Wednesdays and Fridays only.

The 20th Century

Bring Me Your Tired, Your Poor …

Grades 3–12

America is a land of immigrants of various nationalities, cultures and religions. This session explores immigration, both voluntary and involuntary, and its impact on the American identity. Discussions include “native” movements and federal immigration policy, and can be adapted based on the focus of participating students.

Women’s Suffrage

*available after 9/1/08

Grades 4-10

It was not until 1920 and the passage of the 19th Amendment that all women in the United States had the right to vote. The debate leading to the passage of this amendment traces its roots back to the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, but it was in many ways a very local issue. Participants will join a debate between two first-person interpreters, one a pro-suffrage activist and the other an anti-suffrage proponent.

Victory on the Homefront

*available after 9/1/08

Grades 4-10

Even when fighting a war on the other side of the world, the impacts can be felt right here at home. Participants will explore the effect that World War II had on life in America, including Victory Gardens, war bonds and sacrifices such as rationing.