Hands on Educational Programs for Pre K-2nd Grade

 

Download and print our School Reservation Form.

Take your class on a self-guided tour at your own pace, with or without one or more of our popular enrichment add-ons. Or, let our knowledgeable guides lead the way as they guide your on a tour themed to your needs.

Self-Guided Tours
Self Guided Tours of the Historic Village
Visit the historic village and take an exciting journey of discovery into the past. History comes alive as students spend time at homes, trades, businesses and public buildings that are most relevant to your curriculum plans and their interests. Use your Educator’s Preview Pass for a free advance visit, and then design a tour on which your students investigate, compare and contrast lives of 200 years ago with their own.
NYS Standards Met: A4; CDOS1; ELA1, 4; HPEFCS1, 2, 3; LOTE2; MST1, 6; SS1
Dates Offered: Mid-May through mid-October, Tuesdays – Fridays
   
Enrichment Options:  
History Mysteries
Do your students know how to use a boot jack – or what’s inside a tinderbox? In this program they’ll examine unusual and everyday objects from the 19th century to discover how people devised technological solutions to meet their needs. Students will have the opportunity to handle period objects and make comparisons to the tools and constructs of today.
NYS Standards Met: ELA1, 2, 3, 4; HPEFCS1, 2; LOTE2; MST1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7; SS1
Dates Offered: Fall and Spring

 

Museum Educator-Guided Tours of the Historic Village
Take a specially designed tour of the 19h century with a museum educator. Each guided tour is approximately two hours long, and content is adaptable for your specific grade level. Students will be divided into grops of about 20 each, and groups will rotate among the historic structures.
 
Early 19th-Century Lifeways
Students will travel through a century of American life. Compare homes and children's lives from the beginning to the end of the century. Visit with a tradesman who will demonstrate the latest developments in 19th century technology. Find out how early residents relied upon local business to provide commerce and communication.
NYS Standards Met: A4; CDOS1; ELA1, 4; HPEFCS1, 2, 3; LOTE2; MST1, 6; SS1
Dates Offered: Early May and late October, Tuesdays-Fridays
   
Theme Tours
Do you and your students have a particular interest? We can design a tour around a theme, such as architecture, horticulture, kitchens, textiles and trades. Please call us at (585) 538-6822 x216 to discuss your particular needs and interests.
NYS Standards Met: A4; CDOS1; ELA1, 4; HPEFCS1, 2, 3; LOTE2; MST1, 6; SS1
Dates Offered: Early May and late October, Tuesdays-Fridays

 

Outdoor Science Programs at Genesee Country Nature Center
Discover Your World (Preschool - K)
This program helps young children discover and become comfortable in the natural world. Children are encouraged to participate using all their senses. In addition to a walk, participants will have the opportunity to explore the nature center's exhibits and hands-on displays.
NYS Standards Met: MST1, 4, 6
Dates Offered: Fall and Spring
   

Nature Walk (Grades 1-12)
After a brief introduction, students will walk through various habitats to observe and learn about natural communities, plant and animal populations and geology of the Genesee Country. Walks may be either general or focused on a particular theme at your request.
NYS Standards Met: MST1, 4, 6
Dates Offered: Year Round
   
Special Place Visit - Vernal Pond (Grades 1-12)
Over the course of two visits, one in the fall and one in the spring, students observe the seasonal changes that take place in a deciduous woodland and learn about the unique and fragile nature of a vernal pond.
NYS Standards Met: MST1, 4, 6
Dates Offered: Fall and Spring

 

Focused Field Studies at Genesee Country Nature Center
Sap, Syrup & Sugar (Grades K-12)
This popular program traces the history and science of maple sugaring from early American and present-day commercial production perspectives. Students hike to the sugar bush, learn why maple trees make sap, witness a 19th-century sugaring demonstration, talk with a modern-day syrup maker and taste the final product.
NYS Standards Met: HPEFCS1; MST1, 4, 5, 6, 7; SS1, 3, 4
Dates Offered: Mondays – Fridays in March

 

Seasonal Programs

Home for the Holidays (Grades K-12)
This one-of-a-kind interdisciplinary program traces the evolution of winter holiday celebrations in America through the 19th century, with special emphases on the contributions of various cultural groups. Historic buildings decorated to period are staffed by museum educators who help students understand the cumulative and changing nature of holiday observances. Students are invited to join in holiday activities during their visit. You may opt to have students make a tin ornament of their own by working alongside the village tinsmith for an extra charge.
NYS Standards Met: A1, 2, 4; CDOS1, 2; LOTE2; SS1, 3, 4
Dates Offered: Fridays TBD in December
   
Sap, Syrup & Sugar (Grades K-12)
This popular program traces the history and science of maple sugaring from early American and present-day commercial production perspectives. Students hike to the sugar bush, learn why maple trees make sap, witness a 19th-century sugaring demonstration, talk with a modern-day syrup maker and taste the final product.
NYS Standards Met: HPEFCS1; MST1, 4, 5, 6, 7; SS1, 3, 4
Dates Offered: Mondays – Fridays in March
 

Wild Winter Quest (Grades K-12)
Students will explore the winter woods to look for animal tracks and signs, discover animal and plant winter survival adaptations, and the mysteries of hibernation. Program fee includes snack with hot beverage and choice of live animal show, snowshoeing trek, or outdoor winter games.
NYS Standards Met: HPEFCS1; MST1, 4, 6, 7
Dates Offered: December through February

 

Movable Museum

Can't make it to the museum? Let us bring our “Moveable Museum” programs to you. These in-classroom learning experiences are excellent on their own or as a pre- or post-visit experience to enhance the lessons of your field trip.

Museum educators bring touchable, usable objects to your classroom in connection with standards-relevant themed programs specially designed to fit with your curriculum. Programs are designed for small class-sized groups and last 45-60 minutes.
 

The Animal Kingdom (Preschool-Grade 3)
A museum naturalist visits your classroom and brings a group of small animal friends for your students to meet. This program focuses on animal diversity and biological adaptations.
NYS Standards Met: MST1, 4, 6
Dates Offered: November through February
   
The Ox-Cart Man (Preschool-Grade 3)
The story of a 19th-century family comes alive as our museum educator brings a cart full of objects for students to see and touch. Based on The Ox-Cart Man by Donald Hall.
NYS Standards Met: CDOS1; ELA1, 2, 3, 4; SS1, 3, 4
Dates Offered: Year Round
 

Quilt Story (Preschool-Grade 3)
Our museum educator uses quilts to bring to life the touching story of a 19th-century girl and her quilt. Based on The Quilt Story written by Tony Johnston and illustrated by Tomie dePaola.
NYS Standards Met: A4; ELA1, 2, 3, 4; SS1, 3, 4
Dates Offered: Year Round
   

Small Folks (Preschool-Grade 3)
Your students can learn what a typical day was like for children more than a century ago through hands-on activities using 19th-century objects and clothing.
NYS Standards Met: SS1, 3, 4
Dates Offered: Year Round
   
19th-Century Games (Grades 2-12)
Who doesn’t love playing with the simple toys of yesterday? Students are encouraged to try jackstraws, cup-and-ball, the whimmy-diddle, buzz saw and much more. Those who like a challenge can try to identify the strategies involved in each game and the physics principles that underlie each toy. The program also provides topics for discussing and/or writing about resource use, the purpose of play, and the comparison of how a young person’s time was – and is – split among work, school and play.
NYS Standards Met: HPEFCS1, 2; MST1, 3, 4, 5, 6; SS1
Dates Offered: Year Round
 

19th-Century Music (Grades 2-12)
All music in the 19th century was live and unplugged. With the guidance of a museum educator, your students will learn about musical instruments available in the 19th century, including the American reed organ, autoharp and pennywhistle, and they will discover the social and historical contexts of familiar patriotic songs and folk songs from America and abroad.
NYS Standards Met: A1, 2, 4; ELA1, 4; LOTE2; SS1
Dates Offered: Year Round

Share/Save/Bookmark
Website Designed and Hosted by Core101