Germantown Historical Society

Educational Programs

K-12 Programs

Curious about the people of the past and their lives? Interested in the history and stories behind places that are part of your community today? Begin an adventure into history with our educational programs tailored to specific grade levels.

From cannons to quilts, bicycles to spectacles, the Germantown Historical Society's collection of over 20,000 artifacts represents more than 300 years of life in Germantown.
Discover the people, how and where they lived, and why the history of your community is important to you today.
Instill in students an interest in local history and historic preservation and develop pride in their community.

K-12 Programs

Introduction to Historic Germantown
Grades 4-12
View a narrated slide show that is the perfect beginning to the history of Germantown. Learn from three centuries of images along with a discussion on historic preservation.

Germans, Generals and Gentlemen
Grades 4-12 (requires additional fee)
Walk through history on this multi-site tour to explore the early years, daily life and historical events that shaped present-day Germantown. Nearby historic house museums Grumblethorpe and the Deshler-Morris House are also part of this tour.
See our Tours page for more on this exciting tour.

Early Settlers, Early Quilts
Grades K-4
Explore what life was like for early American settlers living in colonial Germantown. Students will learn about quilt-making design and construction by looking at several early quilts and designing their own blocks for a class "Friendship Quilt."

Gadgets and Gizmos: Industry in Germantown
Grades K-6
Step back in time to the Industrial Revolution, when the arrival of mass production spurred the creativity of hundreds of inventors and changed the way people lived. Discover many new and exciting inventions that came from the Germantown area and see the unique tools produced at that time.

The Germantown Seal: Past and Present
Grades 3-7
Experience early Germantown history by studying the seal designed to capture the qualities of the new settlement. Students are then encouraged to express their knowledge of present-day Germantown by designing their own seals.

Family Trees and Family Mysteries
Grades 6-8
Encourage students to unravel their family roots by learning about the tools available for "digging up" their ancestors' history. Students will also explore the history of a Germantown family through clues in church records and census reports.

Upstairs, Downstairs: Wealth and Poverty in Germantown at the Turn of the Century
Grades 7-9
Follow the plight of two destitute young Germantown women and the social attitudes that affected them. Then contrast the experiences of a wealthy Germantown woman with those of the third class (steerage) passengers in the last moments of the Titanic.

Introduction to Archival Research
Grades 9-12
Learn how scholars use genealogical and land records, maps, newspapers, oral history interviews and other archival materials for a more in-depth look at how history is written.

Educational Program Information

Following each program, students will tour through current exhibits and be given information about these historical artifacts.
Students and chaperones will also have the opportunity to visit the Museum Gift Shop during their time here. The Gift Shop has a wide variety of unique and inexpensive items dealing with the history of Germantown and the surrounding area.

Program Fees
Children under 12 years: $2
2 teachers/chaperones: Free
All others: $4

The Germantown Historical Society requests that there be at least one teacher or chaperone for every 10 students.

Educational programs are available daily during the week by appointment. For additional information, call 215-844-1683.
Escape the classroom—make history come alive!

Saving Our Stories - Preserving Our Community