Education

Discover dynamic education programs and curriculum resources about the history of our city, state, and nation.

Education Mission

The New-York Historical Society Education Division provides dynamic programming and curriculum resources for students and teachers in New York and beyond. Historical study sparks curiosity and creativity, promotes cultural understanding, and fosters an empowered citizenry to strengthen our democracy. Our staff of passionate professionals draws on our world-renowned collections to engage learners of all ages in the study of our collective past.

 

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Education programs are made possible through endowments established by
National Endowment for the Humanities
The Hearst Foundations
The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation
Public funds are provided by
Institute of Museum and Library Services
New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council
Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer
New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature

Education programs at New-York Historical receive generous support from
The Achelis and Bodman Foundation
The Edith and Frances Mulhall Achilles Memorial Fund
Acorn Hill Foundation
Altman Foundation
Amazon
Barker Welfare Foundation
AT&T
Best Buy
Maggie & Robert Boroujerdi
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Con Edison
Deutsche Bank
Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation
Mark and Lori Fife
Henry Nias Foundation
Alan Shuch and Leslie Himmel
JPMorgan Chase Foundation
Keith Haring Foundation
IBM
Susan and Robert E. Klein
Caroline Lowndes Foundation
Ann Lozman
Dan W. Lufkin
Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation
The Michael Tuch Foundation
Sandra and Lowell Mintz
Consulate General of the Netherlands
New York Community Trust
Onassis Foundation USA
Heidi and Richard Ong
Pine Tree Foundation of New York
The Pinkerton Foundation
Jean Reid
Denice Rein
Richard Reiss
Rice Family Foundation
Sara Lee Schupf
The Scripps Family Fund for Education and the Arts
Robie Spector
Stavros Niarchos Foundation
Gillian V. and Robert Steel
Thompson Family Foundation
Tiger Baron Foundation
The Waterfall Family Foundation
Rachael Wells 
Winston Foundation
Marie and John Zimmermann Fund

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In-School Outreach Series: Elementary Lesson

Each of these series takes students on a deep dive of American history topics or eras. Any of the lessons can be purchased individually or grouped together to form your own personalized lesson series.

Want to learn more? Complete our booking form and a New-York Historical representative will be in touch shortly. 

Then and Now (grades K-2)
Students will explore artifacts and images from the collection of the New-York Historical Society to compare daily life today with the lives of people who lived long ago and think critically about how and why life has changed. 

  • Objects Then and Now
  • Schools Then and Now
  • Portraits Then and Now
  • Clothing Then and Now
  • Play Then and Now
  • Jobs Then and Now
  • Cooking Then & Now
  • Transportation Then and Now
  • New York City Then and Now

Families and Communities (grades K-2)
Using artifacts and images, students will explore how life in New York City has changed over time as they meet families from different cultures and time periods. 

  • Meet a Family from the 1790s 
  • New York City in the 1790s
  • Meet a Family from the 1860s 
  • New York City in the 1860s
  • Meet a Family from the 1940s 
  • New York City in the 1940s
  • Meet a Family from the 1980s
  • New York City in the 1980s
  • NYC Then & Now

Geography of NYC (grades K-2) 
Students will develop foundational historical skills as they explore the geography of New York and learn how New York became the city it is today.

  • Learning History with Objects
  • Learning History with Images
  • Learning History with Maps
  • Rural or Urban
  • Mannahatta
  • Colonial New York
  • Erie Canal
  • Immigrant City
  • Building the Subway

Transportation Then and Now (grades K-4)
New York is a city on the go! This series will help students understand how people travelled here, there and everywhere throughout New York’s 400 year history.

  • Transportation Then & Now
  • The Erie Canal
  • Building the Subway

Being a Historian (grades 3-5)
This series introduces students to the techniques used by historians to study the past as they build critical thinking and literacy skills. 

  • Objects Tell Stories
  • Urban Archaeology
  • Learning to Read Images
  • Learning History with Images
  • Learning to Read a Map
  • Learning History with Maps
  • Learning to Read a Document
  • Learning History with Documents
  • Being a Historian: The 1939 World’s Fair

History of NYC (Grades 3-5)
Students will trace the history of New York from the 16th century into the early 20th century using artifacts, images, maps and documents from the 217 year old collection of the New-York Historical Society. 

  • New York’s First People
  • Life in New Amsterdam
  • Life in British New York
  • Slavery in New York
  • The American Revolution in New York 
  • New York, New Nation
  • New York Divided—The Civil War
  • Immigration 

Exploring New Amsterdam (grades 3-5)
This series will allow students to do a deep dive into the history of New Amsterdam and the experiences of the diverse people that lived there.

  • Trade in New Amsterdam
  • Life in New Amsterdam
  • Slavery in New Amsterdam 
Creative: Tronvig Group