Memorial Hall Museum Online

This online museums explores American History with their collection of historic artifacts and documents from New England.

The classroom section shows an excellent model of how curricula about a specific community, Deerfield MA, can be examined through different snapshots of history. You might want to consider similar activities for your own community while engaging your students in authentic and rich in content and problem solving challenges.

Everyday Life in a New England Town

Fifteen lessons for upper elementary students that encourage them to explore the evolution of social history in Deerfield at the turn of three centuries. The unit is inquiry-based, focused on teaching students how to "read" an array of primary and secondary source materials.

The Lessons of 1704

Eight lessons for upper elementary students, "The Lessons of 1704" unit takes advantage of students' developmental readiness to explore the famous attack on Deerfield in 1704. By examining the culture of the English, French, and Native Americans involved in the conflict and studying the events that led up to the attack, students come to understand both why the attack happened and what the outcomes of the attack were.

R.I.P. - A Grave Undertaking

For middle school classes, "Research and Investigation Project (RIP): A Grave Undertaking" unit is an exploration of the lives of individuals who lived in Deerfield from 1780-1880. Throughout their investigations of the past, students analyze a variety of primary and secondary sources and material culture to draw inferences about their research subjects, Deerfield's history, and the history of the country during this 100-year period.

The Nile of New England: A Study of the History of a Connecticut River Valley Town Over Three Centuries

An Inquiry-based Social Studies Unit for High School Students