History Is Coming to The Classroom!
The Morris-Jumel Mansion begins renovation this month and closes to visitors until Spring, so our education team is bringing engaging, hands-on programs directly to NYC schools. These in-classroom experiences deliver the excitement of a museum visit while supporting curriculum goals and sparking students’ curiosity about early New York history.
The program includes:
- Grades K–3: Life in the Past
Our What Was Life Like in the Past? programs immerse young learners in daily life centuries ago. In Colonial Communities, students act as tradespeople and farmers to explore how early towns relied on cooperation. In A Day in the Life of a Child, they compare their routines with those of colonial children and handle reproduction artifacts to see how work, play, and family life have changed—and stayed the same.
- Grades K–12: Hands-On History
With Exploring the Past, students investigate reproduction artifacts to uncover how people lived and learned in the 18th and 19th centuries. The session ends with a memorable activity: writing with quill and ink, connecting students directly to figures like Eliza Jumel and George Washington.
- Grades 4–12: Debates and Strategy Games
Older students can dive deeper into the American Revolution. In the Patriot vs. Loyalist Debate, they inhabit the viewpoints of colonists making difficult choices about independence. In The Battle of Harlem Heights Strategy Game,teams analyze maps and reenact the early Revolutionary victory in New York City through an interactive board game.