By April Bourie
Navigating schools these days is difficult for everyone. To help enhance students’ learning opportunities, the Presidio Museum has produced several new live and virtual education programs for homeschoolers, other type of student groups, and professional teachers. The following programs support Common Core curriculum for Arizona 3rd and 4th graders, but other age groups will also enjoy participating:
The Morning Muster and History in the Field programs are held in person and include activities and topics such as calligraphy, tinsmithing, archaeology, and learning about early people.
The museum’s Portable Presidio program is held at the pre-formed group’s site and rotates the participants through four stations that may include doing Presidio-era children’s chores like washing clothing, playing Presidio-era children’s games, calligraphy, or learning about the life of a soldier.
The Presidio Museum delivers a trunk of activities to the pre-formed group’s site in The Museum in a Box educational program. The group meets online with a Presidio Museum Outreach Specialist prior to the delivery of the trunk to learn more about the topic they have chosen. Two options are currently available: A Day in the Life of a Presidio Inhabitant and Historic Hats, where participants use the hats worn by various residents in the Presidio to learn about that person’s role in the Presidio and why they were important to the group living within the walls of the Presidio as a whole.
The box for A Day in the Life of a Presidio Inhabitant includes a teacher packet, materials, and supplies for a variety of activities that may include:
Basket making
Calligraphy
Tinsmithing Mexican craft
Those looking for a completely virtual experience will find it in the Virtual Presidio program, which includes a 45-60-minute online presentation with activity sheets provided to the group leader ahead of time. Themes for this program can be chosen from those mentioned above or customized to meet the group’s specific needs.
To learn more about these programs and their cost, group leaders should contact Ginger Thompson, Presidio Museum family programming and educational outreach manager, at gingert@TucsonPresidio.com or see the Presidio Museum’s website at https://tucsonpresidio.com/education-outreach/.
Beginning in January, themed youth educational programs and workshops will also be offered to the public at the Presidio Museum. Individuals may register for $5 per person. The themes will be the same as the History in the Field program mentioned above. All events will be held on a Wednesday and last for two hours on the following dates and times:
Jan. 13, 10 am – How Did They Make That?
Jan. 27, 4 pm – How Did They Make That?
Feb. 10, 10 am – Early Peoples
Feb. 24, 4 pm – Early Peoples
March 10, 10 am – Archaeology
March 24, 4 pm – Archaeology
April 14, 9 am – How Did They Make That?
April 28, 5 pm – How Did They Make That?
Choose the corresponding date and the appropriate educational activity on the Calendar of Events at www.TucsonPresidio.com to register and pay in advance.
April Bourie has been in marketing and writing for over 20 years. Her background is in tourism marketing, and she is the owner of Montage Marketing, through which she promotes the Presidio Museum, locations and activities in Tubac, Arizona, and writes for several magazines and tourism educational programs.
