For All of Essex County, Massachusetts

The Beverly Historical Society & Museum (BHS&M) welcomes your interest in our educational programming for students from grades 3 to 12.

Mindful of the Massachusetts Frameworks, the BHS&M has implemented stimulating educational programs that encourage’s Essex County students to want to experience the rich history of their city or town. 

We will provide programming that will show the students the local people who took part in various aspects of history from Privateer Captains and Revolutionary solders; to authors such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and Lucy Larcom.  These in-classroom programs are applicable for various history courses plus English courses in which 19th century writers such as Hawthorne and Larcom are discussed.  

We will be involved as a primary source document repository and research library facility for the new Essex County History Program - Essex Lincs www.essexlincs.org  program that will be implemented over the next few years. 

Beverly Public Schools (BPS) will partner with Salem State College (SSC), the Essex National Heritage Commission (ENHC) and the National Archives and Records Administration—Northeast Region (NARA) to present Connecting ESSEX LINCs: Connecting Elementary Teachers, Sources, and Scholarship to Explore Local History in a National Context. This project will increase elementary school teachers’ knowledge, understanding and appreciation of key events and issues in American history through an intensive professional development program. The project combines historian-led content sessions with training in how to use local primary sources/resources for teaching key topics in American history.  Using ESSEX History is a three-year project to improve the quality of American History instruction in Essex County's middle schools and high schools through teacher seminars and summer institutes on the people, places and events of Essex County, Massachusetts.  

To the extent possible, the staff of Beverly Historical Society will be happy to work with individual teachers to add unique elements to their classroom presentations. In addition, some of our most-requested general programs are still available for booking.  So read on! And please give us a call to book your program or to discuss customizing our offerings to meet your needs and objectives.

Classroom Programs

 The BHS&M will offer the following programs from September 6, 2007 - 15 June 2008.

Digging up the past -An Introduction to Archeology

1. Introduction to Archaeology: A Classroom Workshop

The classroom visit begins with a discussion of early European settlement on the North Shore (1620-1650), focusing on the history of the John Balch House (1636), and an archaeological dig done at the site in 1998.  Archaeological terms and procedures are explained.  Small groups of students then perform their own "digs" in "pits" provided by the museum educator.  Each "pit" contains an actual historic artifact that can be examined, identified in resource material, and dated.

Time: 45 - 60 minutes   Cost: $3.00 per student ($30 minimum) 

Table to Trade - A Commodities Trading Activity

2. Table to Trade: A Commodities Trading Activity

The game "Table to Trade" is introduced and facilitated by a Museum Educator.    It is a high-energy activity that shows how colonial Americans conducted maritime trade.  Students first learn about the natural resources that were prevalent in the 18th and early 19th centuries.   Then they take on the roles of Native Americans, West Indies merchants, New England merchants, or British merchants and trade products with each other.  The goal of the activity is to understand Colonial trade and to balance profit-making with enhanced quality of life.

Time:  45 - 60 minutes  Cost $3.00 per student ($30 minimum)

Codfish to Commerce

3. Codfish to Commerce

A high energy multiple choice game on Beverly history. The game "Codfish to Commerce" is introduced and facilitated by a Museum Educator.  The classroom visit begins with a short discussion on the maritime trade of 18th and 19th century Beverly and the development of Beverly’s first commercial bank in 1802.  Students are then divided into groups of five or more and compete against each other by answering a list of multiple choice questions on the material which was covered moments earlier.

Time: 45 - 60 minutes Cost: $3.00 per student ($30 minimum)

Grades 3 - 6

4. Freedom Quest

A card game that teaches students of American History about certain local and national events concerning the founding of our nation. Students ask each other questions of varying difficulty regarding Essex County's role in the Revolution.  

Learn about key figures and events of the American Revolution and its ties to Beverly, MA and greater Essex County.

Time: 40 - 50 minutes Cost: $3.00 per student ($30 minimum)

Grades 7 - 10

Historical Re-enactors

5. A Visit From 19th Century Author, Nathaniel Hawthorne

Bring the works of this famous 19th century author to life with a visit from historical Hawthorne renactor Mark Hurwitz discussing Hawthorne's life in 19th century Salem, Massachusetts and his books.   We offer two programs, one is aimed at grades 3 - 7 in which we will discuss Hawthorne's children's books.  The second program discusses books like the Scarlet Letter and other adult books by Hawthorne and is aimed at older students in grades 9 - 12.

Time: 35 - 40 minutes  Cost: 3.00 per student ($30.00 minimum)

Grades: 3-7 and Grades: 9-12

6.  A Visit from Lucy Larcom, Beverly's First Lady of Letters:  

Author and poet Lucy Larcom, played by Ginny Currier, one of America's earliest and most revered female writers, will visit your classroom or auditorium.  Arriving in authentic period dress, Miss Larcom reads her works and talks about her childhood and life as an unmarried working woman.  Grades 3 - 10.

Field Trips

Balch House Tour

7. Balch House Field Trip

Having been built during the early 17th century, the John Balch house is one of the earliest extant houses in the United States. A field trip to Beverly’s Balch House complements the classroom program.  With a museum educator, students examine the house and its furnishings and discuss what the contents tell us about colonial life.

Time: 50 - 60 minutes  Cost: $3 per student ($30 minimum)

Bus Tour of Historic Beverly

8. Historic Beverly: Bus Tour

Students and chaperones take a short bus tour of many of Beverly’s historic sites, including the Ferry Landing, the John Cabot House (1781), Fish Flake Hill, Independence Park, and the John Hale Farm (1694). The tour concludes at Beverly’s beautiful Lynch Park, where your class can enjoy a picnic lunch.  (School to provide bus transportation)

Time: 90 - 120 minutes  Cost: $3 per student ($90 minimum)

Historic House Tours

 Age appropriate tours are offered at our three historic properties:

Balch House - A structure built during the 17th century, this is one of the earliest extant houses in the United States.

(May 28, 2008 - October 11, 2008; Tue. - Sat.; 12 noon - 4 p.m.)

Hale Farm - The architecture and furnishings of this house reflect the evolution of Beverly history from the witchcraft hysteria of the 17th century to the role of the North Shore in the fight for American independence to the development of Beverly's "Gold Coast" as home to Boston's wealthy, leisured class during summer months in the 19th century.

(By advance appointment only.)

Cabot House - Built in 1781, John Cabot's residence exemplifies the grandeur made possible by the highly lucrative maritime trading during the federal period. Semi-permanent 1802 Beverly Bank Exhibit.  Original location of one of the oldest banks in America, recreated with various artifacts, manuscripts, banknotes, coins, and other currency on display.    Original bank vaults dating from 1800’s.  "Beverly and the American Revolution" exhibit.  A great teaching exhibit with various documents of our "founding fathers," plus original artwork telling the story of the Revolution from "Paul Revere's Ride" to "Washington saying goodbye to his troops."  Various rotating exhibits.

Open year-round: Tue., Thur., Fri., Sat., 10 am - 4 p.m. and Wed. 1 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Please contact our Museum Educator, Mark Hurwitz at: mhurwitz@beverlyhistory.org  or call us at (978) 922-1186 for more information or to secure a date and time.   We look forward to working with you in an effort to make Beverly’s history come alive!

Revised: 01/26/2008

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