History for Schools: Serving Students & Teachers
We are pleased you have come and are grateful for this opportunity to share with you our mission to support your instructive efforts by means of creative, interactive education which makes history real, alive and three-dimensional to a very visually oriented generation.
There are a number of means by which we support your educational efforts in schools at all grade levels - whether public school, charter school, private school, Christian school or homeschool organization - and we are always open to new and creative ideas as well. Listed below are a number of opportunities for both "we come to you" presentations at your school and much larger scale "you come to us" educational field trips held at various locations.
"We come to you" on site at your school!
Historic Portrayals
We enjoy doing these in "first person" but can do them in "third person" as well. They can be tailored for various age groups and group sizes from a handful to thousands. They can be interactive and conversational with Q & A or can be staged presentations with a dramatic monologue. Many characters from history are available. George Washington is our most popular but a few of our many others are Martha Washington, Betsy Ross, medical presentations of both the American Revolution and the Civil War, William Bradford, Revolutionary and Civil War soldiers and civilians, pioneers and more.
We offer a very nice "in school" program called "George Washington & The Colonial Ladies" which has been very well received and has high reviews. In this program the students listen to a speech from General Washington about his experiences and what he has learned, talks from The Ladies about many items and aspects of home and domestic life in the 1700's, show-and-tell and more!
Small Scale Historic Events
We have the ability to provide a variety of very unique interactive experiences at your school which involve one or several actors / living historians. One is to have several different "characters" from a certain event or time period go "round robin" between several classrooms, each character giving a talk about who they are and their experiences in "first person" mode! Our "George Washington & The Colonial Ladies" presentation features several actors / living historians and introduces students to diverse experiences of life and events circa 1776 utilizing speech, drama, show & tell and dozens of props!
Another possibility is to have a somewhat larger scale outdoor event that could even include a small battle reenactment and which could be done in either "first person" or "third person" mode.
Both of the above do require lead time and considerable preparation.
Historic Dance & Etiquette
We are able to provide a unique historic dance opportunity for your students by holding a themed Ball at your school! Many historically inspired themes are possible. Respect is the underpinning discipline to historic dance forms and ballroom etiquette of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries. Therefore we teach historic dance as well as the respect, manners and cultural mores that are so intrinsically intertwined with it. Interactive, instructive demonstrations include students in this step back into our cultural and artistic history. We would bring in a team to teach and would have your students and faculty enjoying historic dances of another era, bowing, curtsying and dancing in no time!
Historic Fashion
We have been consulted by individuals and institutions from all over the world regarding the topic of historic attire and are well known for our historic reproduction garments as well as articles written on the subject. Historic fashion makes for a fascinating workshop topic, easily demonstrated with reproductions, and gives so many clues to the culture of a given time and place.
"You come to us" historic field trips!
Historic Balls & Themed Dances
We hold several of these per year at various locations, each with its own theme and setting. They are a wonderful extra credit opportunity for junior high, high school and college students who may be surprised to discover that a large portion of our historic dance enthusiasts who are regularly involved are just their age! We are very beginner friendly and teach as we go so all can participate and enjoy. :o)
Living History Field Trips
We Make History offers several annual educational living history field trip events which are exciting, inspirational and highly interactive for students! Our American Heritage Festival is the largest educational living history event to take place in Arizona (and indeed the entire Southwest), has an important focus on serving public schools, private schools and homeschool families and has gained national attention drawing participants from across North America and from as far away as Asia, as we portray several centuries of our inspirational American Heritage ranging from the days of the Pilgrims through World War Two. Our American Liberty Festivals held annually in Phoenix and Tucson are wonderful inspirational "Immersion" events focused entirely on the era of the Founding Fathers and the American Revolution - the fight for Liberty!
