For educators working in the classroom, those teaching remotely and homeschooling parents, we have several resources for connecting with York county history online!
Our latest exhibit: Missing Pieces: An Inclusive Timeline of York County History is on display at the Historical Society Museum, 250 E. Market Street.
Want to teach your students about Juneteenth? Download this Juneteenth Lesson Plan
Click here to learn more about Juneteenth and the exhibit at the History Center!
NEW! VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS
Due to the current COVID pandemic, we recognize most schools are not able to participate in on site field trips. The History Center now offers educators the opportunity to have your class visit us virtually. Our virtual field trips includes a live, guided virtual tour of our historic site hosted over video conferencing platform (Zoom, Google Meet, etc) with printable, hands-on activities to supplement the virtual visit. Choose from these options:
1. The Colonial Experience at the Golden Plough Tavern and the Horatio Gates House: Looks at the creation of Pennsylvania, the establishment of York and what life was like in a middle-class Germanic home/tavern and an upper-class English home. Recommended: grades 3-12. Time: 45-60 minutes.
2. Continental Congress at the Colonial Courthouse: Explores the importance of York’s courthouse and examines Continental Congress’ significant accomplishments (Articles of Confederation, 1st National Day of Thanksgiving, French Alliance, Continental Currency) during their nine- month stay. Recommended: grades 5-12. Time: 30-45 minutes.
3. Breaking Barriers at the Agricultural and Industrial Museum: Focuses on 11 items in the collection that changed the everyday lives of households, farm life, and manufacturing in York and beyond. Due to the nature of the museum, this tour will be pre-recorded with a follow-up chat component for questions and closer looks. Recommended: grades 5-12. Time: 30-45 minutes.
4. History of Transportation in York at the Agricultural and Industrial Museum: Explores a variety of different types of transportation in York from the 18th to 20th centuries and how they evolved as technology improved. Recommended: grades 3-12. Time: 30-45 minutes.
To learn more, get the latest pricing and to book your virtual tour experience, please contact us at schools@yorkhistorycenter.org
WEBQUESTS WITH OUR DIGITAL EXHIBITS
What is a WebQuest? A WebQuest is an inquiry-oriented lesson format in which most or all the information that learners work with comes from the web. Use our digital exhibits to dive deeper into our local history. To find the latest WebQuests, CLICK HERE:
LESSON PLANS AND CURRICULUM
Thanks to a partnership between York College of Pennsylvania (YCP) and The History Center, education majors enrolled in the course “Seminar in Curriculum” were tasked with creating grade specific content, curriculum, and lesson plans that incorporated visits, outreach programs, hands-on activities or other concepts and themes related to the general history of York County as the whole, and the relation to the museums, historic sites, or collections of The History Center. The History Center is grateful for the commitment of York College of Pennsylvania and the dedicated students who have given their time and talents to enhance the educational resources and offerings of the York County History Center.
STEAM ACTIVITIES
The Agricultural and Industrial Museum is a great way to learn science, technology, engineering, art and math concepts. Over the next few months, we will be adding more STEAM related lessons using our artifacts to bridge the gap between science and our history.
OTHER HISTORY SITES
Local history is all around us and there are some great online resources available on a variety of topics. Here are just a few:
