New Haven Museum

Seedlings’ Workshop Director Judy Cuthbertson has often said that while the Seedlings workshop is thoroughly steeped in the city of New Haven, the idea behind the workshop could be taken anywhere in the country or the world, and the outcome would be the same: To learn to see where you live as a jumping off point for engaging students in meaningful learning. One of the gifts of Seedlings is that it does help teachers to see New Haven with fresh eyes – as an environment full of hidden secrets and stories waiting to be uncovered. Each neighborhood is comprised of buildings, landscapes, or businesses and institutions that tell the tales of complex interactions among humans and their social and physical environment. When the workshop ends, though, and Colin Caplan is no longer at our fingertips, spinning stories of New Haven old and new, where does one turn? Enter the New Haven Museum, a small, but mighty local resource brimming with treasures to touch, see, and read about.

I recently took a trip to the museum to explore how it could support the work of Seedlings alumni. I was drawn to one of the current exhibits, “From Clocks to Lollipops: Made in New Haven,” which uses objects, advertisements, photographs, and other items to document manufacturing in New Haven over the last three hundred years. Many of the objects – a corset (which visitors are invited to try on), a Winchester gun, an Erector set – contain stories about the rise, fall, and evolution of major industries in the city. Tracing these stories from object to factory to neighborhood could easily be the jumping off point for months’ long investigations integrating science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics, social studies, literature, and writing. There’s a strong and clear connection for those who are making use of the curriculum they developed in the “Mechanical World” Seedlings focus group, but the materials in this exhibit, throughout the museum, and in its extensive library, are opportunities for children of all age groups to use objects and primary source documents to engage in inquiry-based learning and practice visual thinking strategies.

Museum educator Khalil Quotap is eager to make New Haven history come to life for both teachers and students. The museum has numerous school programs already established that connect with a variety of Seedlings focus groups – check them out here – but they are also committed to tailoring programs to fit your students’ needs and interests. Alternatively, Khalil can come to you to visit your classroom. He brings a suitcase full of artifacts and primary source documents, engages students in storytelling, and includes a hands-on craft. Other ways in which the museum supports teaching and learning are through teacher workshops, designed to help teachers of upper elementary grades practice inquiry-based learning, and the scanning and sharing of primary documents. Contact Khalil at kquotap@newhavenmuseum.org, or 203-562-4183 ext. 111 to learn more about any of these offerings.

Make sure to send us photos and let us know how the museum enriches your curriculum if you make a connection!