The Bidwell House is pleased to offer education programs for students of all ages, including two new offerings for K-8 school groups: an on-site field trip program for 3rd–5th graders and a colonial history resource kit that teachers may borrow for use in their classrooms. Both the field trip program and resource kit meet the Massachusetts frameworks for History and Social Science, English Language Arts, and Science and Technology/Engineering. For high school students, the Bidwell House sponsors a summer internship program.
Field Trip Program
Growing up in the Massachusetts Hinterland:
A Sampler of Daily Life in Early America
Program Length: 3 hours
Cost: $5.00 per student / $100 per class
Group Limit: 24 students or 1 class
The Bidwell House Museum field trip program explores the everyday experiences of children in Western Massachusetts during the Colonial/Early Republic time periods through hands-on, minds-on engagement with historic buildings, objects, and landscapes.
- examine reproduction household objects and tools and see the contexts in which they were used through a tour of the 1750s Bidwell home;
- explore the various uses of the herbs and vegetables growing in the heirloom and dooryard gardens; and
- consider the geography and conditions of the land when first settled by the colonists and the work required of families to survive in the hinterland through the study of period tools and undisturbed areas of the property.
Please Note: Some areas of the Bidwell property and house are not handicap accessible. Please let us know if there are disabled members of your group so we can make accommodations.
To Schedule: To learn more or to schedule a program, please contact Barbara Palmer at (413) 528-6888 or email@example.com.
Funding: The Bidwell House Museum has grant funding to cover program and transportation costs for a limited number of groups. Contact us at (413) 528-6888 or firstname.lastname@example.org to learn more.
Colonial History Resource Kit
Colonial Life in the Berkshires: A Hands-on/Minds-on Resource Kit
Loan Length: 2 weeks
Cost: $20 handling fee
The Bidwell House Museum colonial history resource kit provides teachers with access to a variety of primary and secondary source materials—including reproduction artifacts, document, maps, and books—to support and supplement the teaching of Colonial and local history in the classroom. Together, the materials illuminate the experiences of the early colonial settlers of the Berkshires as they worked to harness the area’s natural resources and build a thriving and productive community.
The kit is loosely structured; the Teacher Guide includes detailed historical information about the materials included and suggestions for integrating them into the Social Studies, English Language Arts, and Science and Technology curriculum. In an effort to “crowd-source” good teaching, teachers are encouraged to share their lesson ideas so that they may be formally added to the lesson suggestions included in the Teacher Guide.
The Bidwell House Museum is continually striving to grow and improve our educational offerings for both students and teachers. Please check back often to learn about new developments.
If you would like to be on our teacher mailing list, email email@example.com with your name, preferred mailing address, preferred email address, school, and grade level and we will include you in future mailings.
The Bidwell House Museum wishes to thank the following individuals and organizations for their generous support of our educational programming: Upper Housatonic Valley National Heritage Area, Anonymous Fund of the Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Barbara Tryon, John Demos, Rob Hoogs, Nancy Jones, L. Chapin Fish, Richard and Lindsay Greene, Delight and Paul Dodyk, Marc and Kathryn Roberts, Libby Wolf, Chris Keller, Sharon Milukas, Kathy Clausen, Danielle Forest, Carol Edelman, Chris and Ellen Fletcher, Brian Andreoli, Beverly Hyman, Wilma and Charles Spice, Marie Bidwell Leuchs, Carl and Elise Hartman, Ian and Christa Lindsay, and Roman and Christine Goik.