Sailor’s Sea Chest 

In this virtual version of one of our most beloved school outreach programs, students will explore the items that a sailor would have packed for a long journey at sea. Students will analyze each of the objects and learn about the adventures aboard 19th-century ships.

• grades K-5
• 45-60 minutes

Conversations in 1876: Meet a Mystic Seaport Museum Roleplayer! 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to speak with someone from the past? We invite you to do just that with a Museum roleplayer! Through the art of first-person interpretation, our roleplayers blend research, historical perspective, and emotional connection to bring the past to life. Based in our country’s centennial year of 1876, each presentation includes a composite character that shares their personal accounts through storytelling and audience interaction, creating a unique education experience that can broaden your students’ understanding of history at the local, national, and international levels. Several themed programs are available including immigration, whaling, and life ashore.

• grades 2-12
• 45-60 minutes

Life in a Seaport Town

Students will learn what life was like in a coastal town in the 1800s.  Using a combination of brief videos, artifact analysis, and live tours of vessels and exhibits from the grounds of Mystic Seaport Museum, students will have the opportunity to learn what it was like to go to school, work in a trade, and participate in domestic life in a maritime community.

• grades 3-12
• 75 minutes (can be scaled down to 60 minutes if needed)

19th Century Whaling and the Charles W. Morgan 

This program explores the history of 19th-century whaling through the lens of the last wooden whaleship in the world, and one of the star artifacts at Mystic Seaport Museum, the Charles W. Morgan. Learn how and why Americans went to sea for more than a century in search of the great leviathans; learn about the true tale that inspired Herman Melville to write Moby-Dick; and see rare artifacts from the Museum’s collection that connect to American whaling history. This program uses a combination of brief videos, artifact analysis, and live tours of vessels and exhibits from the grounds of the Museum. 

• grades 3-12
• 75 minutes (can be scaled down to 60 minutes if needed)

Music of the Sea 

Sing along with one of the Museum’s renowned musician educators. Our chantey staff make sailors’ work come alive with stories told through music. Students are invited to become crew members as they join in a chorus, picture the events in a ballad, or use a chantey as a tool to help accomplish hard work like raising sail from their home or classroom.  Students will learn about the history and use of sea chanteys and participate in interactive songs with a live musician.  

• grades 3-12
• 45-60 minutes

Scrimshaw: The Sailor’s Art 

Learn about the sailor’s art of scrimshaw in this interactive program. Create a piece of modern scrimshaw alongside a Museum Educator! Please book at least three (3) weeks in advance in order to ship materials.

• grades 4-12
• 60 minutes

From Corsets to Coopers: Primary Sources from 19th-century Whaling 

Using artifacts from our collection, reproductions, historic images, and video footage, students will gain a deeper understanding of New England whaling in the 19th century.  Students will learn about our collections, why Museums collect things, the what and why of whaling, and discuss what can be learned from primary sources. 

• grades 4-12
• 45-60 minutes

The Story of the Gerda III: Rescuing Jews During WWII

This program uses the resources of several institutions to tell the story of the Gerda III, a Danish lighthouse tender that played a critical role in carrying Jews to safety in Sweden during October of 1943. Students will experience survivor accounts, oral histories, and behind-the-scenes footage of the vessel. Specific connections to the book Number the Stars can be made for classes that are reading that book. This program is a partnership between The Museum of Jewish Heritage:  A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, the Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh, and Mystic Seaport Museum. 

• grades 4-12
• 75 minutes (can be scaled down to 60 minutes if needed)

The Story of the Amistad 

This joint program between Mystic Seaport Museum and Discovering Amistad tells the story of the Amistad and how it serves as an example of citizens and communities working together to bring about landmark change. Using the legacy of the 1839 Amistad Uprising, the program bridges history and the challenges of that time to present-day issues of inequity. The program features behind-the-scenes footage from the vessel itself and a special planetarium show that showcases changes in the night sky as seen by the Amistad Africans on their return trip to Sierra Leone and the role that celestial navigation played in this local story.

• grades 4-12
• 60 minutes

History Detectives: Primary Source Inquiry 

Broadcast live from our Museum studios into your classroom, a Museum Educator will guide students through the analysis of primary source documents and artifacts from the Museum’s collection to help develop their historical thinking skills. Themes include whaling and life in a seaport town.

• grades 5-12
• 45-60 minutes

In the Footsteps of Charlotte Doyle 

In this program, students will explore parallels between The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi and the resources, artifacts, and ships of Mystic Seaport Museum, including the Charles W. Morgan.

• grades 5-12
• 75 minutes (can be scaled down to 60 minutes if needed)

Zoo in the Sky 

This program will unlock your students’ imaginations to see animal shapes in the stars! After sharing a story about one of the animal constellations, we will connect the dots together as we tour the “zoo” in the sky. We will end with a short craft activity where we can turn our favorite animals into constellations.

• grades K-3
• 30-45 minutes

Patterns of Change 

This program explores the very first concepts of Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Earth and Space Science covered in early elementary grades. Our dynamic world is always moving and changing, and after centuries of people observing patterns in the world around us, we have a better understanding of how Earth and other objects are moving through space.

• grades K-3
• 30-45 minutes

Navigation and Explorers 

Join us to learn about navigation through the lens of explorers throughout history. We will see the tools used by Magellan and Cook, among others, and identify some lesser-known but equally-important navigators. Ultimately, we will make a connection between technological improvements and safer, more precise movement around the globe. We will finish the program by using some household supplies to build a simple navigation tool that you can try out yourself!

• grades 4-8
• 45-60 minutes

Phases of the Moon 

Using hands-on activities and real-world math problems, students will learn about the phases of the moon and its relationship to Earth.  We’ll talk about scale models, tides, eclipses, and much more.

• grades 4-8
• 45-60 minutes

Night Sky Update 

Join us to explore the current night sky! We will share information about the moon, planets, and the constellations that are visible this time of year—where they are and how to find them in the sky. By the end of our program, you’ll have everything you need for some backyard stargazing.

• grades 4-12
• 45-60 minutes

Scaling the Solar System 

Some concepts in astronomy are difficult to convey due to the vastness of outer space and the size compared to Earth. Scale models are one powerful way to overcome these hurdles. In this program, we use a variety of models and methods to devise fun ways to express astronomical distances and to compare the different sizes of celestial bodies.

• grades 4-12
• 45-60 minutes

Design A Mission 

This program introduces students to the engineering behind space exploration missions. After establishing how technology has enabled us to reach further into space, students will recognize that some missions have been successful while others have not. Students will be assigned to teams and given the chance to design their own spacecraft and mission. The success of each team’s mission will be dependent on a series of carefully-considered choices. After designing their spacecraft, we will view a customized simulation of each team’s mission.

• grades 4-12
• 45-60 minutes

In the Footsteps of Galileo 

An important aspect of critical thinking in the science world is the ability to use observations and data collection to make predictions about the future. This program challenges students to take on the role of the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei and to see exactly what he saw centuries ago as he sought to explain the mysteries of outer space. In this workshop, we will take Galileo’s observations of the four large moons around Jupiter, and provide historical context into the magnitude of his findings. We will then take a small sample of data, make precise predictions about what will happen next, and evaluate the results.

• grades 6-12
• 45-60 minutes