During the BIG History Lesson week, the Michigan Historical Museum is a diverse learning environment where students make discoveries across a variety of disciplines. Following are some of the presentation topics that teachers can request to engage their students in an exploration of Michigan history.

Programs are given by appropriate presenters, including artists, historians, archaeologists, genealogists and education staff. They incorporate artifacts, tours, role-playing, videos, crafts and other hands-on activities.

NOTE: This is a representative overview of program topics. Specific programs or program features change from one academic year to the next.

• Like what you see? Apply for your classroom to be part of The BIG History Lesson at the Michigan Historical Museum. Click on "The BIG History Lesson Application" in the column at right.

For more information about the Big History Lesson, please contact Laurie Catherine Perkins at (517) 241-0731, or send e-mail to PerkinsL1@michigan.gov.

AFRICAN AMERICANS

Learn about the lives of enslaved African Americans as they made their way to freedom in Michigan along the Underground Railroad. Discover the role African Americans have played throughout Michigan history—including inventors, businessmen, statesmen and entertainers.

ARCHAEOLOGY

Why do archaeologists dig? How do they know where to dig? What do they look for and what do they find? Features a mock-up archaeological excavation.

ARMED SERVICES

From the American Revolution to today, find out how soldiers' lives changed over time (their uniforms, gear and food), and what things have stayed the same (service, discipline and duty).

ART

Sketching an object is one way to examine it closely, discover and understand its characteristics and record what one learns. Students learn the differences between drawing from the imagination, drawing from memory and drawing from observation.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Go behind the scenes of the Archives of Michigan or the Michigan Historical Museum. Take a tour of an archival vault to learn firsthand about primary sources. Meet with artists and graphic designers to learn how they create museum exhibits.

BRITISH IN MICHIGAN

When most people think of the American Revolution, they think of places like Boston and Philadelphia, but the Great Lakes region also played an important role in the war. Find out what critical part Michigan played in the War of 1812 and learn what life was like for the Native Americans, soldiers and sailors who fought the war.

CIVIL WAR

Students take a behind-the-scenes tour of the state's Civil War Battle Flag collection to learn the remarkable story of flag bearer Abel Peck. Learn about the lives of Civil War soldiers through an exploration of the contents of one soldier's pack.

GENEALOGY

Learn how to research, record and preserve your own family history. Tour one of the ten largest genealogy collections in the nation. Find YOUR own birth announcement in the paper or read about events that took place more than a century ago.

THE GREAT DEPRESSION

Find out about the plight of Michigan residents through economic downturns, auto strikes, food shortages and the gathering clouds of World War II. Learn how the Civilian Conservation Corps put thousands of young men to work planting trees and containing forest fires.

IMMIGRATION

Learn about Michigan's diverse cultural heritage through immigrant stories based on oral history. Why would someone leave his or her home to move to a new place? What attracted people to settle in Michigan? What did they bring? What did they leave behind?

LABOR HISTORY

Learn how Henry Ford and R. E. Olds perfected the assembly line and how Michigan's early-20th-century workers reacted to it. Students work on their own "assembly line."

LUMBERING

Students take on the roles of lumberjacks in Michigan's pine forests to discover their lifestyle and work skills. Learn how the lumber industry changed Michigan history and helped its economy grow. Learn about Michigan trees as a renewable resource and the importance of the lumber industry in Michigan today.

MARITIME HISTORY

Learn about lighthouses, beacon technology and the lives of the lighthouse keepers. Also, the "gales of November," the fishing industry and the Mackinac Bridge.

MINING

Learn what it was like to work in northern Michigan's early copper and iron mines. See how the state's rich mineral deposits have affected the lives of its residents, from early Native Americans to people in the industrial age.

NATIVE AMERICANS

Learn about Paleo-Indians—Michigan's first inhabitants—and their way of life thousands of years ago. Discover their rich cultural history and learn the importance of Native American contributions to modern Michigan.

ONE-ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE

Discover what was the same and what was different between school today and in the 1880s. Sit up straight, recite lessons and practice writing on a slate board.

STATEHOOD

Learn about how Michigan became a state, the Toledo War and the history of the state seal. Students take on the roles of historical figures involved in this great political struggle. Learn how early means of transportation helped settle Michigan.

TRADE & BARTERING

A French voyageur helps students explore the concept of trade from the 17th through the 21st centuries, and how Michigan residents have used goods and/or money under a variety of economic conditions in our past.

WOMEN IN MICHIGAN HISTORY

Examine the changing roles of women during the middle of the 20th century. Costumed interpreters answer questions related to their individual characters and the historical context within the museum's galleries.

Go to:

• Teaching Michigan History home page
• Michigan Historical Museum home page
• Michigan Historical Center home page

Updated 12/16/2009