Each of the elementary grades has a topic related in some way to the social studies curriculum material being studied that year. The programs are optional, but it is hoped that all teachers will find a way to integrate them into their teaching plans. In some programs the students will be able to keep a sample of a pioneer skill taught during the session. Favorable attitudes about museums in general may result. These connections act as a bridge to show the students that they can be active participants in local and world history at any age.
Modern pioneers provide a comparison.
Working together to make a life-size exhibit on pioneer kitchens, students demonstrate how museums use artifacts and other objects to tell the stories of history. Grade 2 Life on the Farm Farm chores and early farming practices are actively experienced and compared to those found today. The methods of proper record-keeping and preservation of the collection illustrate a major responsibility of the museum. In addition to examining their notions and attitudes about Indians , students review the path of Native Americans from prehistory up to the present. Difficulties in interpreting the fragmentary evidence of prehistory show the advantages of the better documentation we have of historic times.