Go West! Virtual, Curated Westward Expansion Series *ONLINE* (13 Programs)

Description:

The Oregon and Sante Fe Trails. The transcontinental railroad. The Gold Rush. The lure of America’s vast, unsettled west drew millions in the 19th century. Discover stories of the journey west through live, synchronous online programs and virtual field trips facilitated by educators and docents at museums around the country in this curated* virtual series.

Join us as we learn how to pack a covered wagon, which direction to head, and what to look for when we get there. Peek inside log cabins, meet costumed interpreters, and see an 1870s one-room-school house on the plains. Fans of Little House on the Prairie, and anyone learning about American history will enjoy this interactive series. “Tour” locations throughout the western US - through 13 engaging programs offered by 11 museums and historic sites. Criss-cross the country from the comfort of your own home to visit the The Frontier Culture Museum (Staunton, VA); Log Cabin Village (Fort Worth, TX); Gateway Arch National Park (St. Louis, MO); The Bullock Texas State History Museum (Austin, TX); Durham Museum (Omaha, NE); Sacramento History Museum (Sacramento, CA); Union Pacific Railroad Museum (Council Bluffs, IA); San Diego History Center (San Diego, CA); San Jose History Museum (San Jose, CA); Homestead National Monument of America (Beatrice, NE); and Fort Larned National Historic Site (Larned, KS)
The Programs will cover:

  • 3/2/2021: Westward Expansion (Frontier Culture Museum)
  • 3/9/2021: Frontier 101 (Log Cabin Village)
  • 3/9/2021: Heading West- St. Louis (Gateway Arch National Park)
  • 3/16/2021: Heading West- Sacramento (Sacramento History Museum)
  • 3/23/2021: Pioneer Life (The Durham Museum)
  • 3/30/2021: Gone to Texas (The Bullock Texas State History Museum)
  • 4/13/2021: Gold Rush (Sacramento History Museum)
  • 4/20/2021: Westward Ho! (History San Jose Museum)
  • 4/27/2021: Stories of San Diego (San Diego History Center)
  • 5/4/2021: Legacy of the Transcontinental Railroad (Union Pacific Railroad Museum)
  • 5/11/2021: A Day in the Life of a Homesteader (Homestead National Monument of America)
  • 5/18/2021: A Day in the Life of a Frontier Soldier/Santa Fe Trail (+Wives of Soldiers) (Fort Larned National Historic Site)
  • 5/25/2021: A School Day in 1872 (Homestead National Monument of America)

    • All programs begin at 3:00 PM EST/EDT on Tuesdays and are 45-60 minutes long. Participants will be e-mailed a Zoom link prior to each session. The registration fee is per family, not per student. The program is geared for students in 4th-6th grade, but younger and older students may participate. Parents are welcome to participate alongside their children.

    *What is a curated virtual series? Compass has researched the distance learning options offered by museums and historic sites around the country in order to schedule and package synchronous, virtual class workshops and field trips around a central topic in an organized unit study. Use these curated programs to enhance a subject you have worked on this year or to introduce a new unit study. The programs are all offered as “classroom” experiences meaning a group registration is needed to access the opportunity. All sessions are synchronous, live presentations with a museum educator or docent who can answer participants’ specific questions real-time.

    We are sorry but registration for this event is now closed.

    Please contact us if you would like to know if spaces are still available.