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Any Good Field Trips During Ancient History Studies?


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I am looking for ideas for field trips this year for the boys...We will be studying ancient history and biology, so I figured we could go to the museum and the zoo...Is there any other choices that I am overlooking?

 

Look for military reenactments. We went to a great one once that had everything from Romans to East German.

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I did a little searching, and found these classes for your oldest. They could be useful, if you live close enough! Unfortunately, it looks like this calendar may be for last year. Who knows what may be available this year, particularly since the New Jersey State Museum Archaeology & Ethnology Collection is apparently closed for renovation.

 

I hope someone with more local knowledge and less Google-fu can help you!

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You ABSOLUTELY MUST visit the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Anthropology and Archeology (or maybe it's vice versa). They have EXCELLENT field trips and many artifacts. When my kiddos did Ancients we scheduled 3 trips during the year, each one covering two different docent-led topics (before and after lunch). They are easy to work with, field trip wise.

 

http://www.penn.museum/tours/412-tours.html

 

Isn't there a big museum in NYC that has ancient stuff?

 

The Barnes in Philly has a small collection of Greek/Roman pottery (and is worth visiting anyway, most especially if you can go before they move).

 

There is a bizarre (in a good way) little museum in North Philly that has an incredible collection of biological specimens collected by a guy at the turn of the century, and it has been preserved as a museum of the specimens, but also as a museum of what a museum would have been like at that time. It's the Wagner Free Institute of Science - well worth a visit.

 

The aquarium, obviously, in Camden (or Baltimore).

Tyler Arboretum in PA and Ashland Nature Center in DE do nice nature field trips.

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Any chance you'll be headed to Georgia or want to plan a special trip south? There is a museum called Explorations in Antiquity Center in Lagrange. It has an entire area built to represent life during Ancient times. Here is an interactive map of that area. We went 3 years ago, and I plan to take the kids back this year because we will be doing Ancients.

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We did a really great ancient Greek architecture scavenger hunt around town. We're in DC, so obviously there were plenty of columns and friezes to choose from, but I think most big, older cities will have enough in the way of Greek revival to do this. The kids had cameras and we put their photos together on a page labeling everything.

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Well, we went to see the Liberty Bell and DS admired the Roman numerals on it.. a teaching moment...

We went to see the Philadelphia Mint-- I think they had an exhibit of old coins when we went, but otherwise there was Latin & classical architecture on a lot of the coins & medals on exhibit.

I know this is not exactly ancient history! :D but it relates & DS was able to see how the classical world influences our American history.

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I am looking for ideas for field trips this year for the boys...We will be studying ancient history and biology, so I figured we could go to the museum and the zoo...Is there any other choices that I am overlooking?

 

http://www.si.edu/Exhibitions/Details/Dinosaurs-Reptiles-Masters-of-Land-135

 

http://www.si.edu/Exhibitions/Details/The-David-H-Koch-Hall-of-Human-Origins-What-Does-It-Mean-To-Be-Human-249

 

http://www.si.edu/Exhibitions/Details/Early-Life-Earliest-Traces-of-Life-145

 

http://www.si.edu/Exhibitions/Details/Fossil-Mammals-Mammals-in-the-Limelight-140

 

http://www.si.edu/Exhibitions/Details/Eternal-Life-in-Ancient-Egypt-4678

 

http://www.si.edu/Exhibitions/Details/African-Voices-54

 

http://www.si.edu/Museums/african-art-museum

 

http://www.si.edu/Museums/sackler-gallery

 

http://www.si.edu/Museums/freer-gallery

 

This could keep you busy in D.C. for a few days... :)

 

 

 

AND....... here's something to keep in mind for next year when (if) you do the Middle Ages.

 

Tada.

 

http://www.metmuseum.org/cloisters/

Edited by Sahamamama
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  • 2 years later...

So, I dug up this old thread and thought I would revive it as I plan for our Ancient History studies this year.

 

I've noted the Penn Museum which we could do as a weekend trip and the Smithsonian since DC isn't too far.  We are in VA.  Any other ideas for good field trips? (I never would have known about the Penn Museum, so I am excited!)

 

Thanks!

Maryann

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