Resources for Teachers and Educators

Land, Economics, and Politics: Loyalists and the Fur Trade

Program Delivery: at the Museum
Appropriate for: Grades 7-8
Hands-on tinsmithing activity is included

This comprehensive program looks at the trade relations between Indigenous peoples and Early Europeans, the development of Canada, and its relevance to the museum. The students also gain an outlook into the settlement of Windsor and Essex County. Students will have the opportunity to critically assess the negative and positive aspects of the fur trade, land development, and the long-term effects of colonialism in Canada.

The American Revolution and the Park House History: House Tour

Program Delivery: at the Museum
Appropriate for:
Hands-on Activity is included

Built in the 1790’s at the mouth of the Rouge River in Michigan, this house is rooted in a rather unusual history; during the house tour students learn of the house history and of its connection to the United States. How did the American Revolution affect the development of a Canadian town?

French Settlements in Essex County

Program Delivery: at the Museum
Appropriate for:
Hands-on Activity is included

While the program is in the delivered in the English language, it is rather rich in cultural heritage. Students take a look into the past and discover French influences during the settlement of Essex County. Highlights include: Assumption Missionary, settlement of Detroit, the Fur Trade, Indigenous People, the Seven Years’ War, and Petite Cote.

Past Traditions: Victorian Christmas

Program Delivery: at the Museum
Appropriate for: JK/SK, Grade 2
Hands-on Activity is included

This whimsical program illustrates how children and families celebrated Christmas in the 1850's. Stringing popcorn, singing carols, baking cookies and making crafts are among the number of possibilities to customize this programs to your students’ needs and interests.

Past Traditions: All Hallows Eve and the Autumn Harvest

Program Delivery: at the Museum
This program is also available as a secondary/ post – secondary lecture.
Appropriate for: JK/SK, Grade 2
Hands-on Activity is included

This program examines at the history of Halloween. Beginning with the Irish tradition of All Hallows Eve and 19th Century immigration to Essex County, students learn of the transition into the Halloween that we know today. At the same time, students learn the importance of the harvest and celebration surrounding autumn. Students are able to see Edwardian decorations and try a hands-on activity.

Healthy Habits: Disease and Medical Development in Canadian History

Program Delivery: at the Museum
Appropriate for: Primary
Hands-on Activity is included

This program investigates healthy habits, medical practices of our ancestors, local progress, the development of germ theory, gender roles, and the professionalization of nursing. Students are able to view Victorian medical insturments. What do we do differently?

Herbs and Heritage

Program Delivery: at the Museum
Appropriate for:
Hands-on Activity is included

This program teaches students about the historical importance of herbs and their uses. Students look at the different characteristics of the plant. Gardening is the hands-on activity; students plant an herb to take home.

What is Foraging Through the Past?

Program Delivery: at the Museum
Appropriate for: Meets curriculum expectations for grades: 6, 7, and 8
Hands-on Activity is included

This field trip is divided into two 45-minute stations.

Outdoor Artisans: Students will participate in an artisan workshop where they will learn about the art of tinsmithing; next, they will be able to choose a premade template or design a template of their own to create a 4” by 6” tin print to bring home.

Foraging through the Past: While indoors, students will work in smaller teams to decipher the clues, answer the questions, and discover their role in history. Let’s break it down; each team will be given a name of a past person/ event and a series of support questions. With the use of technology, students will then search for the audio clues throughout the house, listen to the story/ details provided, and with the use of communication and critical thinking decipher who they were in the past. Content for this immersive foraging adventure has a heavy focus on the fur trade, European and Indigenous relations, and the socio-economic development of our area. Tablets will be provided for use throughout the immersive adventure; students are also welcome to use their cell phones as listening devices.

Students will be split into two main groups that will work in 45-minute sessions: one group will be indoors and the other outdoors and then rotate to the next station.

Hands On Tinsmithing

Program Delivery: In your classroom
Appropriate for: Suitable for grades 5 and up.
Hands-on Activity is included

The Park House is now offering a hands-on classroom tinsmith program. Each student will be issued their own set of sanitized tinsmithing tools to use for the duration of the class; students will learn about the history of tinsmithing, tool safe-handling procedures, and make their own tin print to bring home.

The History Detective

Program Delivery: Virtually via Google Docs Appropriate for: Meets curriculum expectations for grades: 7 and 8 Hands-on Activity is included Make history come alive using virtual boxes of objects amd multi-media and a variety of topics pertinent to our local history. There are 10 boxes with an accompanying teacher guide. Details for this program can be found on The History Detective page. Click on the image to view the Teacher Guide:

Archeology, Anthropology, and Museums

Program Delivery: Off-Site at School or at the Museum
Appropriate for: High School Social Sciences
Hands-on Activity is included

This program focuses on the roles of archeologists, anthropologists, and museum workers in the study of the past and crafting concise narratives that discuss the history of humanity and its development from pre-historic times into our modern era. The program is broken down into two parts.

Part 1: Students will engage in an interactive lecture where we will discuss the roles of archeologists, anthropologists, and museum workers and how they work together through excavations, artifact interpretation, and research to improve our knowledge of the past. During this, the students will learn about key concepts such as: provenance, deterioration, and interpretation.

Part 2: Students will break into small groups and will have the chance to examine objects found during an archeological dig of the original site of the Park House, access them, and determine what they can tell us about the people of the past. This will allow them to apply their knowledge from the lecture.