Minnesota History Center MuseumTransforming School Field Trips with

History Player in the Classroom

Mary Mannes

School Programs Manager

Wendy Jones

History Center Museum Manager

Minnesota Historical Society

History Center Museum

St. Paul, MN

www.mnhs.org/HPIC

About the Minnesota History Center Museum

Minnesota History CenterAttendance

2007-2008 Fiscal Year

• 203,643 annual visitation

• Field Trip Attendance – 64,846 students

– 11,294 chaperones

History Player in the Galleries

Grey Cloud Woman (1793-1849) Joseph Nicollet (1786-1843)

Maud Hart Lovelace (1892-1980)

History Player in the Classroom

Harriet Bishop (1817-1883) St. Paul’s First Public School Teacher

History Player in the Classroom Pre & Post Visit Materials

Thomas Lyles (1843-1920) Community activist and entrepreneur.

Elements of the History Player in the Classroom

Performance

• Primary Sources

• Inquiry Based Learning

• Universal Themes

• Techniques–Storytelling

–Role Playing

–Surprise

• Unscripted & FlexibleJames Goodhue (1810-1852) Editor of Minnesota’s First Newspaper

History Player in the Classroom is Like a Box of Legos®!

The Fur Trade(Early Candlelight)

Beaver Pelt

St. Paul Dispatch

Newspaper

Mad Hatter

Fort Snelling

Military Review

Blue Willow China

Historic Research

Maud’s Costume

Students Remember Being Involved in History Player in the Classroom

Brandi, Third Grade Wyatt, Fourth Grade

“You do such a great job involving the students. They just love it when they try on costumes and help with the artifacts.”

School Librarian for 3rd Grade Students, Maple Grove, MN

Students Remember Personal Connections to

History Player in the Classroom

Corinne, Third Grade

“She made it real for the students.”

5th Grade Teacher, Redwood Falls, MN

Students Remember Artifacts Used in History Player in the Classroom

Matthew, Second Grade

“The students were fascinated by seeing so many authentic articles from the past.”

5th Grade Teacher, Mankato, MN

Students Remember History Can Be Fun!

Carter, Third Grade

Staffing and Operations for History Player in the Classroom

• Development

• Finding Staff

• Training

• Scheduling

• Costumes & Storage

Four Harriet Bishops (1817-1883) St. Paul’s First Public School Teachers

History Player Land

Funding for Development of History Player Programming

• Initial Investment–$5,000 to $10,000

• Small Grants–Women’s History

–African American History

• Exhibit Funding

Virginia Mae Hope (1921-1944) WWII Ferry Pilot (W.A.S.P)

How Has History Player in the Classroom

Transformed the Field Trip?

*The History Center Museum had free admission for school groups unless a formal staff lead program was delivered until FY 2006.

History Player in the Classroom vs. Student Field Trip Museum Attendance

What We Learned From History Player in the Classroom

• Hiring Proper Staff

• Pre & Post Visit Activities

• Literacy Component Key

• Serves Unintended Audiences

George Nelson (1786-1859) Fur Trade Clerk

Other Aspects of the History Player Program

• History Player’s Dilemma

• Future of the Program– Distance Learning Program

– Directly Market to Adults

John Beargrease (1858-1910) Mail Carrier on Minnesota’s North Shore

Transforming the School Field Trip withHistory Player in the Classroom

Mary Mannes

School Programs Manager

Wendy Jones

History Center Museum Manager

Minnesota Historical Society

History Center Museum

St. Paul, MN

www.mnhs.org/HPIC