Educators'/Childrens' Group Information
Fort Ancient offers seven unique, age-appropriate guided tours designed to complement classroom and Homeschool curriculum guidelines, providing students with a unique educational experience.
$5.00 per student
$5.00 per adult chaperone
Free admission for parent helpers who assist with the school program.
Programs are available for groups of 20 or more
Adult and Senior Groups: $5.00 per adult.
For most tours, groups should allow 45 minutes to 1 hour (grades K – 2) and a minimum of 2 hours (grades 3+). Please note that for all groups, parents/chaperones will be asked to assist students with scavenger hunts through the Museum. Some programs may vary, based on the weather, but alternative programs will be made available in cases of inclement weather.
For larger groups (over 60) a maximum of 6 parents/chaperones will be asked to assist students with scavenger hunts through the Museum. It is best if parent helpers can arrive 40 minutes early for a short orientation, helping provide the best possible program for the students.
For grades 4 through 12, and groups larger than 20, the students will begin with an orientation to Ohio Valley prehistory. After the orientation, the group will be divided into two separate groups; half of the students will explore the Museum while the other half participates in a series of hands-on activities, including spear throwing, double ball and a classroom program. The groups will then switch, allowing each student to benefit from the full experience.
Tools of Mother Nature (PreK-Grade1)
Designed for our youngest students, this hands-on class allows students to touch animal furs and bones to see how the American Indians used their natural environment to live off the land. Hands on items could also include: turtle shell, flint, bone beads, a shell hoe, a deer shoulder blade hoe, stone axes, stone hammers, sinew, several different animal furs, puzzles, a small wigwam (shelter), rattles and drums.
Program: Explorer (Grades 2-6) Available September - May ONLY
Explore the lifestyles and artifacts of the earliest people in Ohio and follow the transition from a hunting and gathering society to an agriculturist society, and when the Native community changed with the introduction of European contact during the historic period Ohio. The program includes an introduction to prehistoric and historic American Indians, hands on activities, and a scavenger hunt. Also included is an overview of Fort Ancient and how the 2,000-year-old site has been preserved. Students will also be given a grade appropriate scavenger hunt to go through the museum.
Critical Thinking (Grades 7+)
Help your students engage their brain at this hands-on class that utilizes the entire museum as an extended classroom! Students will look at the different cultures, examine artifacts and then practice critical thinking skills when asked questions about why certain items were made, and how would certain decisions affect their lives. Questions including; Why do you think farming started, who were healthier, hunters and gatherers or farmers, will engage the students to make decisions by inferring from the evidence they are given. This program requires student participation in order for it to succeed.
Day Care Centers and Home Schools
Due to the wide range of ages present, home schools and day care center programs are designed to provide the same fun and access to all that Fort Ancient has to offer, while accommodating their unique needs. Children will begin their program with an orientation of Fort Ancient in the classroom. Students can also explore over 75 objects in the classroom, and scavenger hunt materials will be provided for the home school parents or day care leaders in order to complete the Museum tour at a pace that best suits the needs of all their students.
Each educational program meets the designated curriculum requirements for each grade level. The classroom has many objects to touch and explore including, stone axes, a grinding stone, sinew, brain tanned leather, wooden pottery puzzles, bird nest puzzles, a deer skeleton puzzle, animal hides and bone tools, two large raw hide drums, small hand drums, rattles, an 18th Century dress up box, and a small wigwam.
If time permits, students are encouraged to have lunch in the picnic area and to walk a trail. Please allow at least two hours in the museum and additional time for picnicking and hiking.