Homeschool Days: History Through Art

Our September Homeschool Lesson: History Through Art Register for the Homeschool History Program! Lesson Themes: September: History through ArtExplore how art helps us preserve, examine, and question the past and our relationship with it. We'll take a look at historic and contemporary paintings, and experiment with artistic techniques ourselves. October: History through Indigenous StorytellingHow do different cultures pass down their stories and their history? Learn local Abenaki stories and try your hand at Three Sisters planting techniques. November: History through FoodThe types of food we eat and how we prepare them are constantly changing, and artifacts like old recipes and cookware help provide insight into our past. Join us for hands-on artifact investigation and try a historic recipe yourself! No December class January: History through MusicWith historic venues like the Music Hall, Portsmouth has always been a center of music on the Seacoast. Learn more about our city's musical heritage and then make your own music! February: History through LiteratureWhat does literature teach us about the past? We know we can learn from non-fiction, but what about fiction? Or poetry? Take a look at the work of local writers and look for clues about other time periods in their work. March: History through TextilesThough our maritime economy meant Portsmouth relied less on the textile industry than cities like Dover or Manchester, in the 1800's, we became a center for the creation of stockings and hosiery. Learn more about our textile history and try fiber techniques yourself! April: History through ProtestVisit our new exhibition, Power to the People, and learn more about times in Portsmouth's history when our citizens raised their voices to demand change. May: History through MuseumsFor our final lesson, we'll have a special behind-the-scenes tour of the John Paul Jones House and talk about how museums preserve the past and what goes into maintaining a museum collection! About the Program Explore Portsmouth's past through hands-on learning! Our Homeschool History program offers eight engaging lessons each year that focus on a unique aspect of Portsmouth history. Open to homeschool students ages 6 through 12, every lesson combines engaging learning discussions with interactive history activities designed to bring the past to life. Past lessons have included touring our latest exhibition, visiting the local fire station, creating cipher wheels to write coded messages, investigating real 18th- and 19th- century objects from our collection, writing poetry inspired by Celia Thaxter, and more. The program runs on a three-year cycle, offering twenty-four lessons for students and their families to enjoy.