Included is a list of educational programs that are offered through the Geneva History Center.  We currently offer nine core programs to second through fifth grade students that are directly tied to the social studies curriculum and are aligned with the Illinois State Learning Standards.

Second Grade Programs
Third Grade Programs
Fourth Grade Programs
Fifth Grade Programs

The cost for all outreach programs is $2 per student, and field trips to the History Center are $3 per student. The cost for the Viking ship program is $3 per student.

Please make the Geneva History Center part of your students’ experience.  For more information on our engaging school programs, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it at the Geneva History Center or call 232-4951.

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SECOND GRADE

What Was It Like?...Farming in 1900 (Outreach)
One hundred years ago, farming was the way of life for many Geneva residents. Students will take a virtual tour of Geneva in 1900 and experience life as a farmer, based on the actual diary of Genevan John B. Moore.

What Was It Like?...Making Maps (Outreach)
Over time, changes may alter the character of neighbor- hoods and towns, including how they look on a map. Students will explore Geneva’s past by looking at maps and hearing stories about one Geneva farming family. The program concludes with a mapping activity.

What Was It Like? ...Hiking Through Your Hometown
The theme of this 2-1/2 hour field trip is “community”. Participants will discover places in downtown Geneva that serve the community now, as well as in the past. Highlights of the walking tour include the first hospital, Lincoln Highway mural, library, City Hall, and holding cells in the old Kane County Courthouse. Students will also explore different sections of the permanent exhibit and participate in a classroom timeline activity.


THIRD GRADE

What Was it Like? ...Native Americans of the Fox Valley (Outreach)
Participants will travel back in time to discover the culture of the Potawatomi Native Americans. Students will learn about the life of these Fox Valley residents during the 1800s by examining their food, clothing, housing and transportation. A trunk will be left with the classroom teachers for students to further explore the life of the Potawatomi.

What Was It Like? ...An Afternoon with Charity Herrington (Outreach)
Meet Charity Herrington, the mother of Geneva’s founding family, experience the close quarters her seven children endured in their covered wagon while traveling west, suggest what they should bring on their journey, and discover what Geneva looked like when the first settlers arrived.

What Was It Like? ...Hiking Through Your Hometown
This 2-1/2 hour field trip to the Geneva History Center includes a walking tour, a tour of the permanent exhibit and a classroom visit, but it is different from the second grade field trip. In this program students will explore their hometown and learn more about Geneva’s historic buildings. Highlights of the walking tour include visiting the site of the first permanent settlement in Geneva, seeing how City Hall served as the home to numerous high school plays and graduation, going to the Augustus Herrington house site and more.


FOURTH GRADE

What Was It Like?...Swedish Immigration (Outreach)
Participants will hear the true story of three children ages 13, 9 and 6 who journeyed from Sweden to Geneva in 1903 by themselves; then the story of an 18 year old Swedish immigrant girl who lived and worked in Geneva in 1899. These two documented stories will introduce the theme of “immigration to the U.S.” using Geneva as an example.

NEW: Geneva Museum Day ...Spend a Day Exploring Your Local Museums
This all day field trip includes a visit to the Geneva History Center, expert guided tours at Preservation Partner’s Fabyan Villa and the Kane County Forest Preserve’s windmill, as well as a scavenger hunt at the West Side Cemetery. For more information contact the Museum Educator at GHC.


FIFTH GRADE

Viking Voyage of Discovery (Outreach and Field Trip)
One of the most well-preserved Viking ships is the Gokstad ship, found near Oslo, Norway in 1880. It was a strong, slender warship during its heyday. In 1893, a replica of the Gokstad was sailed across the Atlantic Ocean for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Today that ship, called the Viking, is on display at Good Templar Park in Geneva. For this two part program, participants will first go back in time to learn the story of this magnificent ship and the Vikings’ discovery of America. The second part of the program includes a tour of this most seaworthy vessel at Good Templar Park and the history of the Vikings.