The Michigan Historical Museum now offers some of its most popular educational group programs to home school students.

Programs are offered for levels K-3 and 4-8 on a variety of topics. Choose a program that interests you and enjoy it in the company of other home school families.

All programs begin at 10 a.m. There are fees as noted below. Spaces are limited and preregistration is required.

OCTOBER 15, 2009

Butcher, Baker, Candlestick Maker - My Community Then and Now
(Grades K-3, 1.5 hrs., $2/student)
Meet the people who work in our community now and those who played important roles in communities of the past. What tools do they use to get things done? How have jobs and communities changed?

Always in the Dark
(Grades 4-8, 1.5 hrs., $2/student)
Dig into Michigan's mining heritage. Discover what it was like to work in the early copper and iron mines of the Upper Peninsula. Try your hand at "cookie mining."

NOVEMBER 19

Old-Time Toys and Games
(Grades K-3, 1 hr., $3/student)
What did children do before TV, DVDs and video games? Play with wooden toys, learn traditional games and make a toy to take home.

Tall Pines and Shanty Boys
(Grades 4-8, 1.5 hrs., $2/student)
Explore life in the lumber camp as you learn how "green gold" changed Michigan's history and economy. Learn loggers' lingo and find products made from trees.

DECEMBER 17

Holiday Ornaments
(All grades, 1.5 hrs., $5/person)
Deck the halls this year with a very special handmade ornament. We have everything you need to create a festive assortment of twinkling stars, glassy bulbs and fun holiday characters!

JANUARY 21, 2010

Native American Storytelling and Crafts
(Grades K-3, 1.5 hrs., $2/student)
Native Americans shared tales about their cultural past and their relationship to nature through storytelling. Discover your memory skills and create and image to use as a storytelling reminder.

Movers and Seekers: The Stories of Michigan's Immigrants
(Grades 4-8, 1.5 hrs., $2/student)
Why would people leave their home to move to a new place? What did they bring? What was left behind? What attracted people to settle in Michigan? Discover how and why immigrants came to Michigan through stories, role- play, artifacts and primary documents.

FEBRUARY 18

African American Storytelling and Crafts
(Grades K-3, 1.5 hrs., $2/student)
Three Centuries of African American History (Grades 4-12, 1.5 hrs., $2/student)
A spellbinding journey through the stories of African Americans in Michigan's history. From the early fur trade to the 21st century, this program will highlight inventors, businessmen, statesmen and entertainers who were significant in creating our state's rich past.

MARCH 18

For more information or to make a reservation, please telephone (517) 241-0708 or send e-mail to RavenA@michigan.gov.

The Michigan Historical Museum—flagship of the Michigan Historical Museum System—is located inside the Michigan Library and Historical Center, 702 West Kalamazoo Street, Lansing. The museum and visitor parking are on the north side of Kalamazoo Street, two blocks east of M. L. King Jr. Boulevard. Here's more information about how to find us.

Updated 09/24/2009