Onsite Workshops
Explore ancient worlds through hands-on workshops led by experienced museum educators. Students learn how to use artifacts as primary sources to understand the past. Life-like props and replica artifacts give students of all abilities and ages fun, interactive learning experiences.
Elementary School Learners
Roman Marketplace
Do as the Romans do and take part in an interactive ancient Roman marketplace. This workshop highlights social interaction, emotional response, and functional mathematics in a simulated marketplace. Students wear togas, handle reproductions of ancient artifacts, and use all their senses to shop the Roman market using differentiated budgets.
Make a Lasting Impression
Cylinder Seals
Discover what life was like in ancient Mesopotamia through the study of cylinder seals. These tiny stone artifacts function as the earliest known signatures, and the names and images on these objects tell us about the identities of ancient people. Students create their own cylinder seals and impress them into “clay.”
Legendary Creatures of China
Real and Imaginary
Discover the animals of China and learn if they are real or imaginary! Educators share the historic and cultural stories of these creatures in an interactive presentation. Students will then use their fine motor skills to sculpt their own legendary creature. This workshop uses simple one step directions and a variety of choice, so students create personalized creatures as unique as the students themselves.
Preparing for Eternity
False Doors
What did the inside of an ancient Egyptian tomb look like? What did people take with them into the afterlife? Students learn about hieroglyphs, tomb offerings, and false doors—ancient Egyptian passageways between the worlds of the living and the dead. Students then create their own false doors by drawing hieroglyphs, ancient Egyptian art motifs, and the things they’d take to the afterlife.
Middle School Learners
Culture is Normal
Global Classroom Experiences
Unpack the meaning of culture and explore learning experiences across the globe! Students will reflect on and discuss a selection of school cultures from around the world, then participate in a critical thinking and empathy exercise about engaging with people who hold different norms than their own.
Dating with Style
China’s Material Culture Through Time
Students learn how archaeologists use style analysis to place artifacts in the correct time period. Students take a close look at three distinct dynasties from ancient China and learn about the artistic styles that represent each period. Students are challenged to closely observe replica artifacts and determine when they were made.
Digging Up Rome
How do archaeologists interpret artifacts? Photos and video footage tell the story of Penn Museum excavations of the ancient Roman world. Students practice archaeological site interpretation, handle replica artifacts, and make observations and inferences to draw conclusions about the people that lived there.
Daily Life in Ancient Egypt
The ancient Egyptians continue to inspire and amaze us today. But who were they? Students will discover the lives of real Egyptians by exploring some of the things they left behind.
High School Learners
The Carbon Clock
Radioactivity and Archaeological Dating
Museums, textbooks, and documentaries are filled with important dates, but where do these come from? Dating artifacts by measuring radioactive carbon-14 plays an important part in our understanding of the past. Students discover the links between science and history while using their critical thinking and Algebra/Trigonometry skills to interpret an ancient site.
Access Programs
The Penn Museum welcomes all types of learners to participate in Interactive Workshops. New Access programs include the Roman Marketplace, In Touch with Ancient Egypt, Touch Tours and Workshops, and a Faces Tour. Visit our Access Programs page for more information.
Teacher Programs
Do these programs sound like fun for educators or adults? They are! Book a workshop as part of your professional development experience or an adult group workshop.
Booking Information
| Ages | See Workshop Descriptions |
|---|---|
| Length | 1 hour |
| Price | $125 per workshop plus group admission |
| Group Size | 30 student maximum |
| Timing | Tuesday-Friday, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm |
| When to Book | At least 6-8 weeks in advance |