Project- based learning (PBL) builds student engagement, fosters effective communication and collaboration, and allows students to wrestle with complex questions.  The National History Day (NHD) model guides students in grades 6–12 through a semester of historical research and inquiry, interpretation, and creative expression. Harnessing the effectiveness of student-centered, project-based learning, NHD asks students to conduct primary and secondary source research on a historical topic and present their work as a documentary film, website, performance, paper, or exhibit.

Join us to explore the history of China-U.S. trade through a local lens, starting with the Early U.S. Republic and running through the Opium Wars. We will tour the Forbes House Museum and model their place-based school programming for grade 5-12 students. We will explore primary source sets with documents, artifacts, and illustrations that explore multiple Chinese and U.S. perspectives on the benefits of trade and its ramifications. Finally, we will discuss the impact and legacy of the opium trade: for Chinese society, for China-US relations, and for the Boston merchants who profited from it.

Pre-registration required. This workshop is for teachers who are registered to attend the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) annual conference happening in Boston from November 21-24, 2024. After registering for the conference, teachers can sign up for this workshop at the MHS at no additional cost.

At Saturday’s workshop, scholars and K-12 educators will gather for an informal discussion that bridges themes that emerge during the conference and the content of the teacher workshop to follow. Together we will identify important takeaways from the conference, reflect on the accessibility of current scholarship for the K-12 classroom, and discuss best practices for introducing these themes to our students.

Join education staff at the MHS for a show-and-tell of treasures from our collections and learn about class visits. Drop in at any point from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM on 16 April, to view objects and talk to staff about bringing your class to the MHS!

Project- based learning (PBL) builds student engagement, fosters effective communication and collaboration, and allows students to wrestle with complex questions. The National History Day (NHD) model guides students in grades 6–12 through a semester of historical research and inquiry, interpretation, and creative expression. Harnessing the effectiveness of student-centered, project-based learning, NHD asks students to conduct primary and secondary source research on a historical topic and present their work as a documentary film, website, performance, paper, or exhibit. During this course participants will explore the NHD program from the inside out and learn to use the tools of NHD to build and scaffold all of the skills-based content standards for History and Social Science Content in MA, including: