Classroom programs
The VHS is proud to offer a variety of educational classroom programs for your students. These presentations are delivered in a hands-on fashion using artifact reproductions. The cost per session for schools in central Virginia is $75. For localities further from the VHS, the cost is $150 per session and the minimum number of sessions that can be scheduled is two.
 Pocahontas and the Powhatan Nation
Students' attention is captured right away as the presenter unpacks replicas of artifacts used by the Powhatan
Indians nearly 400 years ago. It is nearly impossible to keep
students in their seats when they see the bow and arrow, stone hatchet, furry deer hide,
and antler rake among many other tools. Students are encouraged to identify the various natural
resources used by Native American men, women, and children to make their tools and clothing. Students will also engage in a discussion about Pocahontas and the myths and truths associated
with her. The class will experience a thrilling moment when they view an image of what Pocahontas
actually looked like, as compared to what they've seen in the movies. This is an extremely interactive program and is wonderful for all ages.
• Suggested group size: students | 45–60 minutes
• Request this program | FAQ
Slavery in Virginia
This classroom presentation discusses the African American experience in Virginia from the early 17th
century through emancipation. The students will discuss tobacco ( the labor intensive, cash crop of early
Virginia), indentured servitude, and the start of slavery in our country. The students will explore the daily
lives of slaves through the use of primary sources in the form of letters, inventories, and advertisements.
The students will learn about the types of foods and clothing issued to slaves, their living conditions,
and their work conditions in the fields. Students will learn about African traditions, and consider the
politics and controversies associated with slavery. The presenter may discuss several famous names
associated with slavery and abolition such as James Armistead Lafayette, Harriet Tubman, Henry
"Box" Brown, and president Abraham Lincoln. Volunteers will be chosen to demonstrate various
instruments from West Africa that greatly influenced American music, and to participate in African
cultural traditions such as "broom jumping," a traditional wedding ceremony performed by slaves
and still incorporated into weddings today. This program is intended grades 4 and up.
• Suggested group size: 30 students | 45–60 minutes
• Request this program | FAQ
Voices of the Revolution
Using replica artifacts, documents, and images, students will learn about the contributions made by men and women—white and black, rich and poor—during the fight for independence and gain insights into the lives of the patriots and loyalists who are often overlooked in textbooks. This program is geared for grades K through 5.
• Suggested group size: 30 students | 45–60 minutes
• Request this program | FAQ
Virginia and the Westward Movement
The Westward Movement program covers the time period of exploration and migration from the
Louisiana Purchase to the years immediately before the Civil War. Letters and diaries from the
VHS's collections are used to guide students' imaginations to a time of adventure and hope,
as well as hardship and fear. The students will begin to develop an intimate portrait of a person
from the past through his/her written words and connect that image to objects similar to those
used by that person while traveling in a Conestoga wagon. The students will identify objects
and their uses through hands-on exploration. They will discover that, what at first appeared
to be a cheese grater, is actually a lantern or that a small stick was the equivalent to
today's toothbrush. The students will discover the roles that men, women, and children were
expected to play on the wagon trails or when they finally settled west of Virginia. This program
is geared for grades 4 through 6.
• Suggested group size: 30 students | 45–60 minutes
• Request this program | FAQ
The Civil War Soldier: A Common Man
This program involves the active participation of the entire class as students investigate the trials
and hardships of a Civil War soldier. Students will be chosen to model for the class a uniform worn by
a typical soldier from Virginia, as the class examines similarities and differences of equipment used
by the Union and Confederate soldiers. The class will have an opportunity to feel the textures of the
fabrics and the weight of the gear, and draw their own conclusions of what it may have been like to
carry these items during the four seasons of the year without modern transportation. This program
is geared toward older students, grades 4 and up. Students will examine facsimiles of
letters written and discuss the effect the war had on Virginians and the country. Students will explore
the contributions made by women, slaves and children, whether they worked side by side with the
soldiers or helped to maintain the homefront while the men were away.
• Suggested group size: 30 students | 45–60 minutes
• Request this program | FAQ
Virginia at the Turn of the 20th Century: Teaching with Photographs
Using turn-of-the-century photographs, this program is designed to allow students to examine changes in Virginia's society and politics. The students will explore context clues from these primary source photographs to develop an awareness of the changes that occured across the commonwealth during the early 1900s. The students use their knowledge of urban and rural development and the different regions of Virginia to identify where the photographs were taken. By applying what they have learned in the classroom about Jim Crow laws and segregation, the students will have an opportunity to discuss how the photographs reflect the society of the day. The students will identify items that were new inventions and how they influenced Virginia's industry, lifestyle, and social climate. Students will be encouraged to work in smaller groups in order to have the opportunity to examine photographs closely, and promote an
exchange of ideas and knowledge. This program is well suited for grades 4 and up.
• Suggested group size: 30 students | 45–60 minutes
• Request this program | FAQ
Cost:
The cost per session for schools in central Virginia is $75.
For localities further from the VHS, the cost is $150 per session and the minimum number of sessions that can be scheduled is two.
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