History Education

TOUR PERMANENT WHATCOM COUNTY HISTORY EXHIBITIONS
Enjoy an age-appropriate interactive tour of the Syre Education Center’s permanent history exhibitions: Nooksack Valley Settlement Cabin and Tools, This Was Logging, and Victorian Bellingham. Students engage in observation, discussion, creative thinking and writing activities as they compare life in settlement times with life today. Read more about the exhibitions.

PIONEER LIFE AND CRAFT
This hands-on history workshop, presented at your school or at the Whatcom Museum by local historian and educator Janet Oakley, includes a PowerPoint and talk about pioneer life followed by stations on butter making, homestead life, herbs, and spinning and carding wool. Cost: $100. Scholarships may be available through Allied Arts Education Project, (360) 676-8548 X3.

NATIVE PEOPLE’S NORTHWEST COAST CULTURE
People of the Sea and Cedar Tour
Learn about regional Native American culture through artifacts, reproductions and photographs. Students discover the ingenious tools, clothing, masks, and other objects the People of the Sea and Cedar produced from materials in the rich temperate coastal environment. (Available for preschool – adult; 45 minutes plus time to look on own)

People of the Sea and Cedar Hands–on Workshop (Special program designed for 3rd and 4th grades) In this hour-long workshop, students rotate through five stations to prepare inner cedar bark, make cedar bark twine, learn about weaving, woodworking, fish hooks, bentwood boxes, and more! Schools provide 5–8 volunteers to work at the stations. Please add $25 for Museum staff to bring the workshop to your school.

TOUR CURRENT EXHIBITIONS
Many of our art exhibitions also offer insight regarding history and nature. Take a look at our current exhibitions and decide what works best for your class, then contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , Education & Public Program Coordinator (360) 778-8961.

SPARK bonus! When coming with two or more classes, you can schedule tours to rotate between the SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention (formerly AMRE) and the Whatcom Museum. For more information about SPARK tours and schedules contact Anne Bargetz at (360) 738-3886.