These standards-based activities are suggested for students in grades 3rd – 5th, but please feel free to modify them to suit your specific needs. The first activity is a general introduction to museums and how we use objects and collections to tell stories. The next three activities are each tied to a section in our ongoing exhibition Tropical Dreams: A People’s History of South Florida. You may use these activities before your visit to the Museum to help you prepare your students or after to reinforce ideas and concepts. Make sure to come back often for new activities!
When you join us for a guided program at the Museum or offsite, try some of these resources to help make the most of your visit.
Little Stories program Pre K- 2nd grade
- Try this Little Stories Activity Booklet as a post visit activity to extend your learning.
History Mysteries program 3rd-5th grade
- These are two of the paintings you can see when you visit HistoryMiami Museum. We have included some sample discussion questions to help you and your students spark conversation. These activities can be used before or after your visit to the Museum.
We the People program 6th-12th grade
- Federal v. State Constitution – an interactive tutorial that compares and contrasts our federal Constitution and the state Constitution of Florida. Pair this activity with a guided experience like our We the People tour.
Making Miami Home program 6th-12th grade
- Learn more about some of the pioneers who helped to make Miami the community it is today by reading documents known as designation reports for the W.F. Stirrup House and the Mariah Brown House. You can create DBQ’s, assign a close reading activity or ask students to interpret the material for their classmates in creative ways, like posters or power point presentations.
Miami-Dade County Courthouse program 3rd-12th grade
- Try these Courthouse Resources to get you started. We do a mock trial as part of this program and this is the script we use: Mock Trial Script for Students.
Virginia Key Beach Park program 3rd-12th grade
- Before your visit to the park with us, use The Green Book Presentation and The Green Book Presentation Notes as a warm up for your trip. We created this resource to help you prepare your students for this visit but also to introduce topics like Jim Crow and Segregation.
Cape Florida Lighthouse program 3rd-12th grade
- The Cape Florida Lighthouse was once a stop on the Underground Railroad for people escaping to the Bahamas. Check out PBS and National Geographic for ideas and resources related to teaching about the Underground Railroad.
Miscellaneous Resources
