Hands-On-History

Choose from three different interactive experiences Seward House Museum staff can either bring to schools for programs (within the Auburn, NY area) or that teachers can request as on-site activities as a pre-field trip experience. These modules allow students to interact with artifacts that play integral roles in telling the stories of the Seward family. Students learn the skills of museum professionals in handling objects and interrogating them for meaning. This activity will add approximately 30 minutes to a field trip. The modules are:

1. Mr. Seward’s Travelling Trunk - A trunk of assorted artifacts that broadly reveal the history of the Seward family by the things they carried. Ideal for a general introduction to the Museum and the Seward family’s place in history. The trunk contains everyday items as well amazing pieces of nineteenth-century history.
2. Fanny Seward’s Purse - Learn more about American girlhood in the nineteenth century through the handbag of the Seward’s youngest daughter, Fanny. Exploring the objects inside Fanny’s purse allows students to understand more about her life, as well as life for girls in the Civil War era. Fanny Seward portrayal possible upon request. A perfect companion for a specialty tour about Fanny’s life.
3. Family Tree Activity: Explore the Seward family's complex ancestry, learn how to interpret family trees, and create your own! This activity strengthens understanding of family relationships, chronology, and mathematical reasoning. This project has two versions: 2nd-4th grade and 5th-8th grade. 
4. Mr. Seward’s Junior Detective League - Mr. Seward’s Junior Detective League tour is designed especially for 4-6 year olds. Led by retired teachers, this unique experience offers children the chance to explore the first floor of the museum following clues that lead to distinctive artifacts. Once they discover the artifact (and check it off their list), junior gumshoes are told brief stories about each historical object.  When all the special objects have been found, a prize and an award await them from the Seward family.  This 30 minute tour promises to be an exciting activity that will open the world of museums to your child, making it an inspiring adventure.  Perfect for pre-school groups, families, and scouts.