Bring history to life in your classroom!
Rent an SCHS education trunk.
Give your students the opportunity to become blacksmiths, make their own butter, trade furs and make history relevant and fun! Our Education Trunks contain artifacts, photographs, a lesson plan, and supporting documents that meet Minnesota State educational standards for different ages.
available trunks
Kindergarten: Pieces of the Past
Students aged 4-7 will experience daily life for a European-American child in Scott County in the late 1800s. Participants will visit three stations and interact with artifacts relating to chores, games and school as they would have been experienced by European American children. They will also look at photographs from Scott County’s past and compare them to today. This program includes the option of making and tasting butter.
Grades 1 & 2: What’s for Dinner
What did it take to put a meal on the table 100 years ago? What did families eat? Where did their food come from, and how did they prepare it? In this program for grades 1 and 2, students will learn about the farms, general stores, and kitchens of the past. Students will have the opportunity to explore photos and artifacts and participate in hands-on sensory activities including churning and tasting butter, counting money in a general store, and investigating antique kitchen gadgets.
Grades 3-5: Scott County Then and Now
What did Scott County towns look like 125 years ago? What did people do for a living in the past and how did they travel from place to place? In this hands-on program for grades 3, 4 and 5, students explore these questions by examining maps, photos, and objects and participating in discussions, games, and skits. Students try to solve problems in early Scott County towns. Lesson plans vary by grade level.
Grades 6-8: The Minnesota River and the Fur Trade
Students ages 11-13 years old will explore Dakota communities and the impact of the European fur trading activity along the Minnesota River in Scott County. Students will analyze historical maps and artifacts, take part in mock fur trades, present information to the class, and participate in group and class discussions. Artifacts include furs, Dakota and European tools, and trade goods.
Reserve a trunk
To start the reservation process, complete the form below. We will reach out to the email you list below to confirm your reservation and answer any questions. Please review the SCHS Education Trunk Policy before submitting your request.