“Hands down, the best professional development opportunity I’ve ever had!”

Our professional development programs draw upon the expertise and wealth of resources that make Plimoth Plantation one of the most well-known and respected living history museums in the country. Workshops are taught by Native and non-Native presenters. In addition to covering historical content that meets state and national curriculum standards, workshops also address the processes of studying American History and effective methods for incorporating museum resources into the classroom. Designed to excite and inspire teachers, our programs blend classroom instruction with hands-on, experiential activities and visits to the Museum’s living history sites. Recent workshops include a Landmarks of American History Summer Institute and Teaching American History (TAH) partnerships with dozens of schools from across the country.

We offer:

Individual Registrant Workshops

Customized Group Programs (including TAH)

Week-long Packages with the
New England Historic Sites Collaborative (NEHSC)

For more information, or to reserve a program, call (508) 746-1622 ext. 8359 or email programservices@plimoth.org.    

To receive special offers, and regular updates on Plimoth Plantation’s educational programs, sign up for our Education Mailing List.

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Individual Registration Workshops

 Teaching Shakespeare        Teaching Thanksgiving

Friday, September 20, 9:00-5:00

Teaching Shakespeare

Scripts are blueprints for collaborative experiences happening in space and time. Most students, however, experience Shakespeare as forms of poetry and verse, and exercises in charting iambs. In this interactive workshop, we will show educators how to approach Shakespeare as theatrical experience and give them tools to get students thinking as playwrights and on-their-feet interpreters of dramatic literature.

PDPs will be provided.

Pre-registration is required.

Cost: $120; Member cost: $100.

 For more information, or to register, call (508) 746-1622 ext. 8359 or email programservices@plimoth.org.

Friday, October 4, 9:00-5:00

Teaching Thanksgiving

Discover the origins of this distinctly American holiday and learn new ways to explore Thanksgiving with students. Using primary source materials, participants learn what historians think may have taken place at Plymouth's first Thanksgiving and trace its evolution to the holiday we are familiar with today. Also included are discussions of available teaching materials and classroom activities.

PDPs will be provided.

Pre-registration is required.

Cost: $120; Member cost: $100.

 For more information, or to register, call (508) 746-1622 ext. 8359 or email programservices@plimoth.org.

Customized School, District or TAH Grant Programs

Whether a two hour in-service or a two- or three-day program at Plimoth Plantation, let us design an authentic, stimulating and innovative program for your group. A perfect fit for groups studying Plymouth Colony history, early Colonial history, Native American history, immigration, and cultural interactions.

Workshops can include:

• Presentations by Museum staff and historians
• Primary source document workshops (Mayflower Compact, 1621 Treaty, The First Thanksgiving)
• Hands-on, historic workshops (Wampanoag artifacts, Wampanoag pottery, Colonial cooking, Colonial games)
• Visits to the Museum’s living history sites (Mayflower II, 17^th Century English Village, Wampanoag Homesite, and Craft Center)
• Historic Dining (“A Taste of Two Cultures,” “A Wampanoag Social Feast” and “Eat Like a Pilgrim”)
• Teaching Materials (teachers receive 10% discount on educational materials in our shops)
• An overnight experience at the Museum (some of our groups have slept on Mayflower II and our Colonial and Wampanoag education sites)

Sample Workshop Schedule
We believe that in order to understand what happened in the past, we need to understand the people making the decisions. Most of our programs begin with an overview of the Wampanoag, their beliefs and way of life in the 17^th century; as well as an overview of the religion, cultural background and worldview of the English Colonists. Other activities, such as working with primary sources, lectures or hands-on activities, build on this information.

Most workshops last a full day and include the cultural overviews, time to see the Museum’s sites and one or two additional activities.

Sample itinerary:

MORNING         
View Plimoth Plantation orientation video, Two Peoples, One Story, on the bus
Visit Mayflower II and Plymouth Rock
Travel to Plimoth Plantation
Who Are the Wampanoag: An introduction to the Wampanoag
Who Are the Pilgrims: An overview of the culture and worldview of the Pilgrims

LUNCH: Historic Dining or lunch on your own at the Patuxet Cafe

AFTERNOON
Exploring the Museum’s sites
Customized activities (can include primary source workshop, hands-on activities, or other presentations by Museum staff)
Wrap-up and discussion of incorporating content into the classroom

Cost:
$300-$500 per hour of instruction depending on size of group. Most groups have 3 - 4 hours of instruction.
Discounted Museum admission .
Dining options are an additional fee.

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Weeklong Workshops Package with New England Museums and Libraries 

New England Historic Site Collaborative (NEHSC)
Plimoth Plantation is pleased to be a part of the NEHSC, a group of nine New England historic sites, museums, and libraries collaborating on a series of weeklong teacher training programs. The programs offer a variety of hands-on, intensive and engaging experiences and explore themes of:

• Colonial Encounters

• The American Revolution

• Slavery and Reform

• 19^th-century Industry 

For more information, visit the NEHSC at  or download the NEHSC workshop brochure.