History & Craft Programs for Schools & Youth Groups METC is a history museum that tells the story of how people lived and worked in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Museum is dedicated to educating young people about this aspect of New Jersey history. Through interactive programs, children take part in a lesson and make a craft to take home with them. If you are looking for an educational field trip for your class, please consider us. You can choose to come to the Museum or have our experienced educators bring programs to your school. At the Museum, the cost is $8 per student, minimum of 12 students, maximum of 50. Outreach programs are $220 for the first program, $180 for each additional presentation, plus travel expenses. Call our Education Desk at 973-377-2982, ext 12 for a detailed brochure. Our gift shop has many low-priced items for young people. The Museum does not have an indoor snack area.

Educational Programs
TALE OF THE DRAGON (Grades pre-K - 1, 1½ hours) NEW Hear the legend of St. George & the Dragon while viewing the detailed casting of the story in the Museum's main gallery fireplace. Students will also role play the part of the dragon through dramatic movement, hear other stories about dragons and make their own dragon to take home.
EARLY AMERICAN TOYS AND TALES (Grades pre-K - 1, 1½ hours) Learn about life in Colonial America by examining and handling replicas of traditional early-American toys. Each participant will also make and decorate a wooden top to take home.

	SIMPLE MACHINES (Grades 1 - 4, 2 hours) Early Americans used timeless innovations to perform daily tasks and chores. Students explore the functions of the inclined plane, screw, lever, wedge, wheel and axle, and pulley through hands-on examination of the Museum's artifacts. Each participant will make a simple machine to take home.
A CHILD'S LIFE IN EARLY AMERICA (Grades 2 - 4, 2 hours) Through role-playing activities, children will increase their understanding of what it was like to be a child in Colonial America. They will examine and handle clothing and artifacts as they act out parts of a typical child’s day. Craft options are marbles and marble bag, or felted wool balls.
THE TRADESMAN AND COMMUNITY (Grades 2 - 4, 2 hours) Put yourself in the shoes of the community tradesperson. Who did you depend on? What was your role in the community? Students learn about the blacksmith, the tinsmith, the cooper and many others while taking part in a Community Web activity. Children will become Tinsmith Apprentices and make a tin-punching craft to take home.
EARLY AMERICAN SCHOOLHOUSE (Grades 2 - 5, 2 hours) Discover what it was like to be a student attending a one-room schoolhouse in Colonial times. Students will role-play a day at “school,” arriving with such “school supplies” as buckets and logs, in addition to more traditional items like books and slates. They will learn about the lessons taught in school, and the very different rules for both students and teachers during that time. Students will make a traditional horn book, and write on it with quill pens.

DECODING THE PAST (Grades 5 - 8, 2 hours) Develop and apply the historian’s skills by examining objects and written sources in order to learn about the past. After reading and interpreting historical documents, participants will wear curator’s gloves to handle artifacts from the collection. They will discover what life was like for people who used these items hundreds of years ago. Students will make their own “code” books to take home. MEASURING TOOLS OF EARLY TRADES (Grades 5 - 8, 2 hours) Discover the necessity of measurement and accuracy. Students will examine early measuring tools to learn how uniform standards were established. In cooperative learning groups students will present their findings to their classmates and create solutions to actual measuring problems. Participants will make a measuring device to use in the activity and to take home.

ART IN ARTIFACTS & ARCHITECTURE (Grades 3 - 12, 2 hours) Early American artisans created their tools and implements primarily for function, but many also exercised their artistic talents in the form and decoration evident in these artifacts. Buildings themselves were often works of art with different styles of architecture and design. This program includes indoor and outdoor (weather permitting) tours of the METC building and neighboring buildings. Crafts offered are based on age level and relevance to topic of interest, and include tin-punching, quilt designing, stained “glass” windows and rubbings.

CREATIVE JOURNAL WRITING IN THE MUSEUM SETTING (Grades 6 - 12, 2 hours) NEW Middle school and high school students can prepare for their standardized tests in a stimulating and creative environment at METC. This program offers preparation skills for the GEPA, HSPA, and SAT through visual prompts to inspire writing. The program can be adjusted to different schools’ needs, and may focus on the permanent exhibits, the temporary exhibit, and/or our collection of beautiful and inspiring stained glass windows. Students will make a personal writing journal to take home.

NEW FOR EDUCATORS Professional Development Workshops Looking for a unique in-service program for teachers? Schedule a professional development workshop at METC. The workshops are designed to assist educators interested in finding ways to incorporate history and crafts into the school curriculum. Each program provides in-depth information about our programs and includes hands-on crafts. Two New Jersey State Accredited Continuing Education Units are available for each participant. This program can also be provided on-site at your facility. For information, call our Education Desk at 973-377-2982 ext 12