OUR PRESENTATIONS:

"California Missions"

This 60 minute presentation is designed for one class at a time. The students will handle Spanish Colonial artifacts that include a variety of everyday items as well as a fantastic period altar piece. Students will learn about the Spanish settling of "Alta California" and why missions were built during the period of 1769-1833. Through a combination of humorous play-acting and stories, they will learn about mission daily life and the lives of native inhabitants of Spanish California. LIMIT 38 STUDENTS

“The "California Gold Rush”

This 60 minute presentation is designed for one class at a time. It is split into two parts. In part one students will handle artifacts from the period and learn how and why the 49’ers came to California. Also discussed are some of the better-known gold rush era personalities such as John Sutter. LIMIT 38 STUDENTS

"The Natives of North America"

This presentation is 60 minutes long and is designed for one class at a time. The presenter will review with students the types of daily life activities of American Indian tribes in North America. Students will learn about the struggle between Native Americans and European settlers through active storytelling and the handling of period artifacts from various nations with a special emphasis on the Sioux. LIMIT 38 STUDENTS.

“The American Revolution”

This 45-60 minute presentation is for one class at a time and brings to light the foundation of our country. It is a lively mixture of historic fact, storytelling and humor which brings to life the birth of our nation. During this offering, students will be given demonstrations of some of the everyday skills that colonial soldiers used in the fight for independence. Authentic artifacts from the revolutionary period will be handled by the students and they will come away from the presentation with a better understanding of the conflict that spawned our nation. This presentation is modified slightly for either fifth graders or middle schoolers.

LIMIT 38 STUDENTS

"Early Man"

This 45-60 minute program's focus is on the "murder mystery" of Outzi the Ice Man. We will examine the facts of his death that modern forensic science has gleaned from his body and belongings, to see how those facts fit in with the multiple theories of how he died. Students will get to examine a recreation set of Outzi's artifacts (we couldn't talk them out of giving us the real ones) and will compare and contrast his axe with Homo Habilis and Homo Erectus stone axes. Stone tools are between 400,000 and 1.8 million years old from the Great Rift Valley in Africa. LIMIT 38 STUDENTS

"The Egyptian Afterlife”

This 45-60 minute presentation is designed for one class at a time. On the premise of providing the necessary items for the teacher to go into the afterlife, our Egyptian presentation utilizes genuine artifacts and Egyptian mythology to demonstrate the perception of life and death held by the ancient Egyptians. This hands-on enrichment program helps the students appreciate the ancient Egyptians' outlook on natural phenomena, art, architecture, monotheism vs. polytheism, as well as the role of women in society. LIMIT 38 STUDENTS

"Ancient Greece"

This 45-60 minute program will focus on the city-states of Athens and Sparta and their conflict with the Persian Empire. The presenter will engage students with vivid accounts of the Battles of Thermopylae and Marathon and will emphasize the long-term impact of the Greeks stopping the Persian expansion. LIMIT 38 STUDENTS

"Ancient China"

In this 45-60 minute presentation, students will learn about the unique contributions of various ancient Chinese dynasties beginning with the Xia dynasty. Students will handle authentic artifacts related to the Zhou, Qin, and Han dynastris, and the warring states period. Museum quality replicas will also be used, as some artifacts are forbidden from sale. The presenter will discuss martial tactics, Sun-Tzu and the Art of War, and will finish with a humorous story about a young girl using Kung Fu to change her life. LIMIT 38 STUDENTS

"The Roman Legion"

This 45-60 minute presentation is designed for one class at a time. On the premise of taking the students on a Roman military campaign, our Roman program utilizes genuine artifacts and Roman mythology to illustrate the importance of military expansion to the Roman civilization as well as the innumerable benefits that the empire brought to the people it touched. In the classic style of oral tradition, students are interactively taught about Roman gods as well as some of the Empire’s most famous people and events. LIMIT 38 STUDENTS

"The Knight in History"

This 45-60 minute presentation is designed for one class at a time. It follows the evolution of the Knight in Medieval Europe, from ancient Rome to the knight in shining armor of the high Middle Ages. Students get to handle real items from the period as well as museum quality replicas of the knight’s equipment. Some lucky volunteers will even get to try on some of the armor that would have kept the knight safe while plying his trade. LIMIT 38 STUDENTS

“The Medieval Tournament”

This 45 minute indoor presentation is designed for multiple classes and takes place in the school’s multi-purpose room. The “Medieval Tournament” is definitely our most dramatic offering, featuring choreographed “combat” between three fully armored “Knights” from different periods of the era. These visiting “Knights” offer an explanation of the medieval arms race between the development of weapons and armor. They will also demonstrate how the tournaments evolved from their origin in judicial duels, to the full-on sporting events that they ended up as. ASSEMBLY

"The Civil War”

This 45-60 minute presentation is designed for one class at a time. It traces the boundaries and differences between North and South, focusing on the clash between state and federal authorities, and the belief on both sides in the validity of their cause. Throughout the presentation, students will be given the opportunity to handle both Union and Confederate artifacts. LIMIT 38 STUDENTS