Education
Field Trip and Classroom Resources
Elementary
On Site Field Trips & Tours
Walking Tour: Outdoor Museum Campus Walking Tour, with a trained guide, up to 1 hour, (Group size depends on docent availability). Covers all six eras of Los Alamos history: Ancestral Pueblo, Homesteading, Los Alamos Ranch School, Manhattan Project, Cold War, and Contemporary Los Alamos.
Additional Experiences
(depending on docent availability)
Hands on Group Activity (led by Museum staff)
Independent Museum Exhibits Guided Exploration (handout provided)
On Site Programs
The Eras of Los Alamos
(can accommodate up to 60 students at once) Please contact our educator for specific days this program is offered
Location: The History Museum Campus
Time: Approximately 2 hours in length
Students will travel to six stations where docents will introduce them to an era of Los Alamos history including both content and a hands on activity. Each station is approximately 15-20 minutes each with travel time in between.
Eras:
The Ancestral Pueblo 1250-1500
Homesteading 1880s-1942
The Los Alamos Ranch School 1917-1942
The Manhattan Project 1942-1945
The Cold War 1945-1989
Contemporary Los Alamos 1990-present day
Classroom Visit Programs
Coming Soon: Teaching Timelines using Los Alamos History
Middle School
On Site Field Trips & Tours
Walking Tour: Outdoor Museum Campus Walking Tour, with a trained guide, 60-90 minutes, (Group size depends on docent availability). Covers all six eras of Los Alamos history: Ancestral Pueblo, Homesteading, Los Alamos Ranch School, Manhattan Project, Cold War, and Contemporary Los Alamos.
Additional Experiences
Guided, independent exploration of Museum Exhibits (handout provided)
On Site Programs
Los Alamos Before the Scientists
Can accommodate up to 60 students (broken into two groups of 30 each) 1.5 hour program (45 minutes classroom setting/45 minutes museum campus and exhibit exploration) This program explores New Mexico and Los Alamos before the Manhattan Project. Students will visit on campus sites and learn about ancestral pueblos, homesteading, and the Los Alamos Ranch School. In a classroom setting, Students will take an in-depth look at life on the Mesa through pictures and artifacts of Homestead and Ranch School eras; they will participate in a small group activity to enhance their learning
Classroom Visit Programs
Adapted Los Alamos Before the Scientists
Students take a digital tour of the Los Alamos History Museum Campus to learn about ancestral pueblos, homesteading, and the Los Alamos Ranch School. Students then take an in-depth look at life on the Mesa through pictures and artifacts of Homestead and Ranch School eras; they will participate in a small group activity to enhance their learning
Coming Soon: The Art of Writing Letters: Recording History in Los Alamos
(also available for High School)
Students utilize letters and journals to learn about primary and secondary sources. A History Museum staff member or trained volunteer will present to students about how historians and archivists learn about the past through primary sources such as letters and journals (includes specific examples from Los Alamos Historical Society Archives). Students will also learn how to site letters and journals; Includes a cumulative assignment writing a letter from a perspective of someone in the past as well as writing a letter about contemporary life in Los Alamos Recommended: A field trip to Los Alamos Historical Society Archives after completion of project (can be combined with Museum Campus tour)
Coming Soon: The Oral History Project (also available for High School)
Through a presentation by History Museum staff or trained volunteers, students will learn about how Oral histories are collected and utilized in preserving history. Students will choose an Oral history to listen to (provided by the History Museum) and then write a short summary of the history. Students will learn how to site oral histories and incorporate information into a research paper. As a cumulative assignment, students will create a list of questions and then interview and record an oral history from the person of their choosing. Students will then create a list of important topics in the oral history (as might be stored in an archive for archival research purposes.) Recommended: A field trip to Los Alamos Historical Society Archives after completion of project (can be combined with Museum Campus Tour)
High School
On Site Field Trips & Tours
Walking Tour: Outdoor Museum Campus Walking Tour, with a trained guide, 60-90 minutes (Group size depends on docent availability). Covers all six eras of Los Alamos history: Ancestral Pueblo, Homesteading, Los Alamos Ranch School, Manhattan Project, Cold War, and Contemporary Los Alamos.
Additional Experiences
Independent Museum Exhibits Guided Exploration (handout provided)
On Site Programs
Los Alamos: Where History and Science Connect Past and Present
This program explores New Mexico and Los Alamos from the Manhattan Project to today with a focus on Manhattan Project and Cold War eras. Includes a 45 minute tour of the Museum Campus Manhattan Project and Cold War buildings. In a classroom setting, students will take an in depth look at important people in Los Alamos Manhattan Project and Cold War history including J. Robert Oppenheimer, General Leslie Groves, Norris Bradbury,
Classroom Visit Programs
Los Alamos and the Cold War
Coming Soon: The Art of Writing Letters: Recording History in Los Alamos (also available for Middle School)
Students utilize letters and journals to learn about primary and secondary sources. A History Museum staff member or trained volunteer will present to students about how historians and archivists learn about the past through primary sources such as letters and journals (includes specific examples from Los Alamos Historical Society Archives). Students will also learn how to site letters and journals; Includes a cumulative assignment writing a letter from a perspective of someone in the past as well as writing a letter about contemporary life in Los Alamos Recommended: A field trip to Los Alamos Historical Society Archives after completion of project (can be combined with Museum Campus tour)
Coming Soon: The Oral History Project (also available for Middle School)
Through a presentation by History Museum staff or trained volunteers, students will learn about how Oral histories are collected and utilized in preserving history. Students will choose an Oral history to listen to (provided by the History Museum) and then write a short summary of the history. Students will learn how to site oral histories and incorporate information into a research paper. As a cumulative assignment, students will create a list of questions and then interview and record an oral history from the person of their choosing. Students will then create a list of important topics in the oral history (as might be stored in an archive for archival research purposes.) Recommended: A field trip to Los Alamos Historical Society Archives after completion of project (can be combined with Museum Campus Tour)
university
Tours:
Walking Tour: Outdoor Museum Campus Walking Tour, with a trained guide, 90-120 minutes. Covers all six eras of Los Alamos history: Ancestral Pueblo, Homesteading, Los Alamos Ranch School, Manhattan Project, Cold War, and Contemporary Los Alamos. When available, groups are encouraged to participate in our regularly scheduled walking tours. Cost is $25 each and includes Museum entrance fee. If you cannot schedule your tour with our regular walking tour, please reach out to our educator for a possible private tour availability. education@losalamoshistory.org
classroom resources
Recommended Classroom Reads
Upper Elementary and Middle School
- The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages
- The Secret Notebook Project by Carolyn Reeder
Middle School and High School
- Oppenheimer and the Atomic Bomb by Eric Singer (a young adult version of American Prometheus)
- Bomb by Steve Sheinkin
Recommended Websites
- Los Alamos Historical Society Archives (coming soon)
- Voices of the Manhattan Project
- Los Alamos Historical Society YouTube Channel
- Manhattan Project National Historic Park
- Los Alamos National Laboratory Historical Articles
- Atomic Heritage Foundation
- Museum Campus Buildings
- Manhattan Project Discussion Questions
coming soon: Lesson plans
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