Chester County’s Arctic Explorers

For Teachers

The Chester County Historical Society is offering an exciting new dimension to their programs with the Chilling Reality exhibition.  For the first time, we are offering an online blog that that supports the exhibition at the Historical Society’s museum.  Curatorial staff at the museum are blogging about interesting objects that tell the story of arctic exploration in Chester County.  You will find great photos and descriptions of pieces.  You have also been given a format to comment and ask questions directly of Chester County Historical Society staff. 

 

How to Use the Blog in Your Classroom

So, how does this help you in your classroom?  The ideas are endless.  Here are a few suggestions:

  • Play a fun guessing game with your students – project a photo of one of the objects onto your classroom screen each morning.  Ask your students to submit their guess for what the object is and what it was used for.  If it’s a photograph or painting, ask what it depicts and why the artist captured that image.  Collect the guesses and read them aloud.  Finally read the given description from the blog and award the student who has the closest guess.  These images and objects will be among those at the exhibit, so the students can look for them when they visit.
  • Use the object images as a story or journal prompt.  See what fun things your students can tell you about the objects and how they might use them in a creative story. 
  • This blog is interactive.  Encourage your students to comment on the pieces that most interest them.  They can even ask questions of the person who posted the objects – just realize that the CCHS staff is busy and might take some time to get back to your students.  Students from different schools can interact with each other on the blog and answer each other’s questions! 

 

To Plan a Trip to the Chester County Historical Society

 

Visiting the Chilling Reality Exhibition

See the Arctic through the eyes of explorers from Chester County in CCHS’ new exhibit “Chilling Reality”.  Students will learn about the Arctic then and now by studying its unique environment and inhabitants, the men who sought to “conquer” the north, and by interacting  with artifacts and documents reflecting both the explorers and the public’s relationship with the Arctic.

 

Other School Programs

There are many exciting programs offered for school audiences at Chester County Historical Society.  All are activity oriented and based on the Pennsylvania State Academic Standards.  Click here to learn about other programs for school audiences http://chestercohistorical.org/museumvisit.php

 

Click here to learn more about planning a class trip to CCHS.   http://chestercohistorical.org/planyourprogram.php

On the Map

  1. Elisha Kent Kane’s furthest north, June 26, 1854
  2. Isaac Israel Hayes’s claim to furthest north on land, May 15, 1861
  3. August 17, 1869, Isaac Israel Hayes reached 75th latitude with William Bradford on board the Panther
  4. Robert Peary Relief Expedition, Summer 1892.
  5. Approximate location of Samuel Entrikin’s northern point with Peary, spring 1893
  6. Anoritok, Greenland, where Harry Whitney stashed the records and instruments of Frederick Cook in September 1909
  7. Mt. Saint Elias, Alaska, Samuel Entrikin attempts to reach in 1897

See the Exhibit

October 8, 2010 — October 15, 2011

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