Traveling History Kits
Overview
Traveling History Kits, developed by the Deerfield Teachers' Center, are available for loan to schools and educators. These multi-media kits are filled with primary and secondary source materials and reproduction artifacts. Engaging activities are geared toward developing logical thinking and analytical skills. Guided by curriculum and Massachusetts Frameworks, the kits integrate the study of local history with language and visual arts, science and technology.
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Kit Descriptions
Captivated: Looking at the 1704 Raid on Deerfield
Through the Eyes of Children
This kit introduces students and teachers to the 1704 Raid on Deerfield,
Massachusetts, through the eyes of two children captured during the raid
and taken to Canada. The activities in this kit are designed to foster exploration
and discussion and help students in grades 3-12 explore this critical event
from different perspectives. Students will gain knowledge about the 1704
English, French, and 2 Northeast Woodland cultures.
Lessons include an examination of the book, The Boy Captive of Old Deerfield,
comparisons of food, clothing, shelter and cultures, deciphering primary
sources, mapping, “The Mathematics of 18th C. Travel”, exploring
a probate inventory and more. Items include clothing, toys, color pictures,
The Boy Captive of Old Deerfield, and more.
An 18th Century Gentleman’s Haversack
What defines an 18th C. gentle person vs. a common person? By examining
an 18th century traveling man’s possessions, students also discover
some of the purposes of a tavern. The main themes include money, the postal
system, behavior, and taverns. This kit includes a list of suggested activities,
background information about the major themes, primary sources including
excerpts from a travel journal and “Rules of Civility”, and
a haversack of reproduction touch-its.
A Dread Reality: The American Civil War:
Exploring the Connecticut River Valley Experience
This kit introduces students and teachers to the local impact of the Civil
War. The lessons include examining primary sources to find out more about
the experiences of 3 different soldiers (including information about a soldier
who fought in one of the Black regiments from Massachusetts), the work of
Sanitary Commission volunteers, and the life of a young girl in Atlanta
during the Atlanta Campaign. The lessons also include a mapping activity,
a look at songs from the period, and an activity for younger children to
sort the jumbled belongings of a Sanitary Commission worker and a soldier.
Kit items include excerpts from the diary of a Deerfield soldier, a reproduction
military map and reproduction touch-its typical of what a Sanitary Commission
worker might have needed and the contents of a soldier’s haversack.
World War II Home Front:
The Massachusetts Connecticut River Valley
This kit will help teachers and their students see how families in Franklin
County, Massachusetts, were involved in supporting the war, and they will
understand the effects that World War II had on civilians. Students will
understand that many people, including children, worked together in a variety
of ways to support their soldiers and keep us safe. Included in the kit
are lessons, primary and secondary sources, images, and reproductions of
artifacts.
Eastern European Immigrants in Franklin County:
" Everybody was a Pole"
This kit is designed to allow students and teachers to investigate the nature
of Eastern European immigration to this area on many levels. Kit materials
and activities are grounded by the fictional story of Kaitlyn Jeronski,
a modern-day 4th grader, who is discovering her own heritage. Included are
elementary, middle and high school readings and activities, scholarly essays
and historical documents, and a basket filled with hands-on items. Activities
include “Creating an Immigration Story”, writing letters to
fictional relatives in America, writing journal entries, deciding what to
bring, answering questions from a sample manifest, and examining a local
newspaper for examples of racism and ethnic stereotyping.
Pilgrim History Kit
The Pilgrim History Kit is a collection of models, reproduction artifacts,
children’s literature, and teacher resource guides. A hand-crafted
Pilgrim house, ink and quill pen, and table top ninepins are just a few
of the manipulatives that transport students to an earlier era in American
history. Guides and books are grounded in primary source materials, affording
participants a quality hands-on study of the life of the Pilgrims during
the 1600’s. Combined with a guide book referencing such topics as
foodways, geography, clothing, and home, the Pilgrim History Kit is appropriate
for students Pre-K through upper elementary grades, and will help educators
focus their topic of study in a structured manner, while aligning to the
Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.
The Tea Tax Tempest
Through this kit students can examine the colonists’ reaction to taxes
imposed upon the colonies by Great Britain prior to the Revolutionary War,
learn what was imported and exported to and from the colonies, learn the
value of the American tea ceremony, and “take tea” in the classroom.
Lessons include figuring tax amounts, creating political cartoons or poems,
holding a debate and dividing reproduction items into piles of imports and
exports. Kit items include a tea set large enough for a class of 24 to “take
tea,” and reproductions of samples of imports and exports.
Math in History
Who needed to know what kinds of math in the 18th and 19th centuries? Students
will explore this question through a wide variety of hands-on lessons that
range from using the Golden Ratio, to figuring out 18th century sales taxes,
to doing map work and comparing rates of travel.
Seadogs of the Caribbean
Examine the world and history of pirates and explorers of the Caribbean
through a multi-disciplinary approach. Lessons include mapping, a math activity
involving the division of treasure, a hands-on comparison of imports, exports,
and the Triangle Trade, a comparison of films about pirates and explorers
to actual history, sleuthing a myth about Captain Kidd, and more.
Loan Policy
As part of its mission to provide engaging and educational experiences for students studying history, the Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association provides Traveling History Kits for educators to use in their classrooms.
Fees for Kits
Kits will be available at a non-refundable rental fee of $35.00.This fee
covers maintenance and replacement of kit items damaged through incidental
wear and tear. Separate charges apply to items damaged beyond reasonable
use, lost items, etc. Borrowers accept financial responsibility for all
items loaned to their care.
Loan Period
Kits may be borrowed for two week loan periods. A one-time, one week renewal
is allowed upon submission of an additional $10.00.
Sharing a Kit
In the event that another teacher in the building wishes to use the kit during the same loan period, the kit and its contents remain the responsibility of the original borrower. If another teacher wishes to use the kit immediately following the original loan period, the kit must first be returned by the original borrower to the Teachers' Center for inventory and check in.
Check-out
Kits may be checked out by appointment during regular Teachers' Center hours.
No more than two kits may be borrowed by the same individual at any one
time. Each kit will undergo a complete inventory upon checkout by Teachers'
Center staff with borrower present. To ensure that a kit is in loanable
condition, loan requests need to be made a minimum of one week in advance
of check-out. Call or email
the Teachers' Center to check on availability and to request a kit: 413-774-7476,
ext. 280.
Check-in
Kits may be checked in by appointment during regular Teachers' Center hours. Teachers' Center staff will inventory the kit upon check-in with the borrower present.
Late Fines
Please be prompt in returning the kit, as others may be waiting to borrow it. Kits returned after the due date without prior approval from Teachers' Center staff will be subject to late fines of $1.00 per day to be paid by borrower upon final inventory and return.
Perishable Items
Please Note: some kits contain perishable items. The Teachers' Center can
provide these items or provide a list of items to purchase as the borrower
prefers. Unused perishable items do not need to be returned.
Cancellation Policy
Borrower must provide at least 48 hours notice of their intent to cancel the kit loan, except in the event of extenuating circumstances. (illness, school cancellation, etc.) This is a courtesy to other educators who may be waiting to check out the kit.
Kit Care: DOs and DON'Ts
- Do keep kit items stored in kit container when not in use.
- Do keep the kit in an upright position.
- Don't stack additional items of any kind on the kit container; don't stand or sit on the container.
- Don't attempt to clean soiled items or to repair damaged items.
- Do leave a note in the event an item is soiled or damaged: "X got torn; X bottle broke," etc. and address the note to the attention of the Teachers' Center staff.