The Wisconsin Historical Society and the Milwaukee County Historical Society present Hands-On History, bringing research-based, best practice, museum education into the classroom. Our onsite 1-hour sessions are designed to engage the minds and excite the imaginations of young history explorers. Aligned with the Wisconsin Standards for Social Studies and designed for grade bands K-2 and 3-5, these sessions will enhance your classroom study of Wisconsin's past.

Request Hands-On History Here!

Students engage with these objects the way that historians and archaeologists do, by asking questions and drawing conclusions for themselves: What can we learn from objects? What questions do we ask? How do objects help tell the story of the past? Teachers may choose from an array of topics within the span of Wisconsin history:

First Peoples and the Fur Trade
Explore the history of Wisconsin from the end of the last Ice Age to the height of the Fur Trade Era. From mammoth teeth to mound building to beads of glass, the land we now call Wisconsin is rich with stories from the distant past. Play a game of snowsnake to see who could be the best hunter in your clan!

Hands-On Archaeology
Immerse your class in the discovery of a historic and pre-historic site through hands-on small group interactive work. Students take the on the roles of artist, recorder, digger, and site leader as they search through the layers of Wisconsin history. 

Jobs
Dig through our lead mining past; learn the lore of the lumberjacks, explore shipwrecks, discover America’s Dairyland and more as we burrow into Badger history through hands-on exploration of images and artifacts from our collections, focused on the jobs that drew people from all over the world to Wisconsin, our home.

Journeys
From the Native Americans who have always been here to immigrants from all over the world, explore the story of Wisconsin's many people. Through images and objects, this program invites learners to explore the origins of many of Wisconsin's Native nations and later arrivals of Swedes, Germans, Latinx, African Americans, Hmong, and more that have made Wisconsin home.

Made in Wisconsin (PreK-2)
Creativity never ends! Discover the many ways people design, invent, and play throughout Wisconsin history. Designed for younger learners, explore the history of Wisconsin through the amazing and creative things people have made.

Maritime Archaeology
Calling all underwater explorers! Learn all about shipwrecks and scuba diving in Wisconsin waters. Discover the stories of Lake Michigan shipwrecks, why they sank and how they are studied today through puzzles, games, matching activities and more! Materials for the Maritime Archaeology program been made possible by funding from the Wisconsin Sea Grant Institute.

Making the Journey – Program in your Classroom
Explore an immigration story through the objects of a family's immigrant trunk. Reflecting the stories of our site and beyond, staff from Old World Wisconsin lead hands-on exploration while we step into the shoes of one family who came to call Wisconsin home. Program is available to groups in Waukesha, Jefferson, and Walworth counties. Groups in Dodge, Milwaukee, Racine, Rock, and Dane counties may be accommodated as well depending on staff availability. January 2 – April 15, Mondays – Friday.

Registration fees:

• $115 per class/presentation
• $100 per class/presentation for economically disadvantaged schools 

Milwaukee County schools are served by the Milwaukee County Historical Society. Please contact Mary Jo Knapp ([email protected]) to schedule your visit.

Email Education Services for pricing and scheduling information.