New-York Historical Society

Education Mission

The Education Department at the New-York Historical Society offers a wealth of resources and learning opportunities designed to make history come alive!

Education programs are made possible through endowments established by the National Endowment for the Humanities and The Hearst Foundations. Programs are supported, in part, by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council and by a grant from the New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency. Additional support is provided by The Barker Welfare Foundation, The Hyde and Watson Foundation, the May and Samuel Rudin Family Foundation and Verizon.

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Educators

American Musicals Project >

The New-York Historical Society is proud to introduce
A NEW HOME FOR HOMESCHOOLERS

Make history come alive! This fall the New-York Historical Society launches a new program for homeschooled students, designed to enrich and support the study of American History through its unique program, the American Musicals Project.

By coupling the power and emotional energy of American musical theater masterworks with evocative and thought-provoking exhibitions and primary sources from the collections of the New-York Historical Society, students explore four significant themes in American History: Independence, Slavery, Suffrage, and the Great Depression. Over the course of the classes, students will explore the museum’s vast treasures, participate in hands-on history, and engage in group work.

Each theme is taught in four hands-on sessions and is designed to:

Develop critical thinking skills as the student engages with primary source materials and experiences the wonder of making historical discoveries.
Develop media literacy as the student forms observations and interpretations of scenes from American musicals that shape his/her understanding of history.
Engage the student with in-class projects that promote inter-disciplinary learning.

Appropriate for students ages 11–14

Fridays, 1:30–3 pm
Independence: November 18, December 2, 9, and 16, 2011
Slavery: January 6, 13, 20, and 27, 2012
Suffrage: March 2, 9, 16, and 23, 2012
Great Depression: May 4, 11, 18, and 25, 2012

Register for all four themes for $200, or $65 per theme, per student.
To register, please contact us at (212) 485-9236 or amp@nyhistory.org.

Recommended Resources

Visit the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, including a catalog of their collection of historic documents on deposit at the New-York Historical Society.

Library of Congress (loc.gov)

The nation’s oldest federal cultural institution, the Library of Congress is home to millions of books, manuscripts, recordings, photographs, and maps.

New York Public Library (nypl.org)

Browse the New York Public Library’s online catalogue for materials ranging from monuments of human culture to those that document the lives of otherwise anonymous people.

American Library Association (ala.org)

The American Library Association promotes and develops library and information services, offering resources for Collections Management, School Libraries and other areas.

Smithsonian Institution (si.edu)