Bring MDAH’s museum sites to your classroom.
The Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum are now offering a unique and dynamic virtual field trip experience! Teachers and students are invited to connect with the Two Mississippi Museums through live, interactive video conference programs.
Thanks to a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, MDAH has developed the video series Scenes from Mississippi History that covers specific topics found in our museums for teachers and students. There are also videos featuring our temporary exhibit, Mississippi Distilled, that cover Temperance and Prohibition. Use them as bellringers or part of a larger lesson. Visit our YouTube page here to view.
Two Mississippi Museums Virtual Field Trips
Aligned to Mississippi College and Career Readiness Standards for Social Studies, Two Mississippi Museums’ virtual field trips will feature skills and concepts covered in grades 4–12. Staff will lead students through museum galleries focusing on one of the topics listed below. The thirty minute participatory lessons will highlight and discuss stories, primary documents, and artifacts from the galleries, followed by a question and answer period.
Topics
- First Peoples
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Native Americans were the first people to call Mississippi home. In this session, museum staff will present archaeological artifacts and exhibits in the Museum of Mississippi History to explore cultures of the Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Natchez and how they used the landscape to hunt, farm, and trade. Students will learn how the lives of Native Americans changed when Europeans and later American settlers moved into their land and how their rich heritage remains strong and vibrant today.
- In celebration of November as Native American History Month, representatives from the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians may be available to speak with your class on topics such as symbolism, language, family life, foodways, creative expressions such as beadwork and basketry, or historic overviews of Choctaw in Mississippi and the Treaty of Dancing Rabbit Creek.
Curricular Connections
Fourth Grade: Mississippi Studies and Regions
- H.4.6: Compare and contrast between the different Mississippi Native American cultures: Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Natchez.
- H.4.2.3: Describe reasons for conflicts between Europeans and Native Americans in Mississippi, including differing beliefs regarding land ownership, religion, and culture.
Mississippi Studies
- MS.2: Compare and contrast the indigenous cultures in Mississippi and assess their lasting impact on its history and traditions.
US History: 1877 to Present
- US.1.3: Evaluate the Dawes Act for its effect on tribal identity, land ownership, and assimilation of American Indians.
- Journey to Statehood
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Before Mississippi was a state, it was the nation’s young frontier. In this session, museum staff will present artifacts and exhibits from within the Museum of Mississippi History that explore the development of the Mississippi Territory. They will examine how its borders changed through wars and treaties, learn about the lives of settlers, soldiers, Native Americans, and enslaved people, and the path to statehood.
Curricular Connections
Fourth Grade: Mississippi Studies and Regions
- CI.4.1: Describe Mississippi’s entry into statehood.
- H.4.2.3: Describe reasons for conflicts between Europeans and Native Americans in Mississippi, including differing beliefs regarding land ownership, religion, and culture.
- H.4.6: Compare and contrast between the different Mississippi Native American cultures: Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Natchez.
Mississippi Studies
- MS.2: Compare and contrast the indigenous cultures in Mississippi and assess their lasting impact on its history and traditions.
- MS.4: Explain the development of the Mississippi Territory and its evolution to statehood.
- Cotton Kingdom and Slavery
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Mississippi’s social and economic histories have been driven by the growth and decline of cotton. As settlers moved into the territory, plantations spread and cotton exports created great wealth for cotton planters who depended on enslaved African Americans to cultivate the cash crop. In this session museum staff will present artifacts and exhibits from the Museum of Mississippi History and Mississippi Civil Rights Museum that explore the impact of the cotton gin, the rise in enslaved populations on plantations, and how cotton was produced in Mississippi.
Curricular Connections
Seventh Grade Compacted: US History Exploration to Reconstruction/Civics and the World
- 7C.13: Examine the social and economic conflicts between the North and South that would eventually led to the American Civil War.
Mississippi Studies
- MS.5: Analyze the characteristics of antebellum Mississippi, with an emphasis on the plantation system and the evolution of slavery.
- Civil War
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Determined to protect the institution of slavery, Mississippi was the second state to secede on January 9, 1861. For the next four years, Mississippi would become a Civil War battleground. In this session, museum staff will present artifacts and exhibits from the Museum of Mississippi History that explore voices of white and black soldiers on the battlefields, experiences on the home front, and the legacy of the Civil War in Mississippi today.
Curricular Connections
Fourth Grade: Mississippi Studies and Regions
- E.4.1: Describe Mississippi’s economic and military role during the Civil War.
- H.4.3: Describe Mississippi Antebellum Society.
Mississippi Studies
- MS.5: Analyze the characteristics of antebellum Mississippi, with an emphasis on the plantation system and the evolution of slavery.
- MS.6: Recognize the role of Mississippi during the Civil War and evaluate the effects of Reconstruction within the state.
Seventh Grade Compacted: US History from Exploration to Reconstruction/Civic and the World
- 7C.13: Examine the social and economic conflicts between the North and South that would eventually led to the American Civil War.
- 7C.14: Identify and evaluate the key events and people involved in the American Civil War.
US History: Exploration to 1877
- 8.8: Interpret the social and economic conflicts between the North and South that would eventually led to the American Civil War.
- 8.9: Identify and evaluate the key events and people involved in the American Civil War.
- Reconstruction
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Between the years 1865 and 1877, the nation tried to rebuild after its bloodiest conflict, the Civil War. During this time, economic systems were restructured, equality was extended to the formerly enslaved, and educational opportunities were broadened. However, due to these progressive reforms, legal and social resistance ensued. In this session museum staff will uncover and evaluate the lasting cultural impact of Reconstruction in Mississippi through the exploration of artifacts and exhibits in the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
Curricular Connections
Fourth Grade: Mississippi Studies and Regions
- E.4.3: Identify economic conditions as a result of the Civil War, including the collapse of the economic structure, destruction of the transportation infrastructure, and high casualty rates.
- CI.4.3: Identify rights and responsibilities as a citizen of your community and state.
Seventh Grade Compacted: US History Exploration to Reconstruction/Civics and the World
- 7C.15: Analyze the Reconstruction efforts in post-Civil War America.
Mississippi Studies
- MS.6: Recognize the role of Mississippi during the Civil War and evaluate the effects of Reconstruction within the state.
- MS.7: Examine the economic, political and social changes in post Reconstruction Mississippi.
US History: 1877 to Present
- US.3.2: Trace the development of political, social, and cultural movements and subsequent reforms, including: Jim Crow laws, Plessy vs. Ferguson, women’s suffrage, temperance movement, Niagara movement, public education, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and Marcus Garvey.
- Mississippians in WWII
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In commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII, students will explore the war's impact on Mississippian's daily life on the home front, as well as Mississippi soldiers' experiences overseas and returning home. In this session museum staff will present artifacts and exhibits from within the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
Curricular Connections
Fourth Grade: Mississippi Studies and Regions
- H.4.1: Recognize symbols, customs, and celebrations representative of our community, Mississippi and the United States.
- CR.4.1: Analyze the Civil Rights Movement to determine the social, political, and economic impact on Mississippi.
US History: 1877 to Present
- US.7: Examine the nation’s role in World War II and the impacts on domestic affairs.
African American Studies
- AAS.7: Analyze the conditions and contributions of African Americans during the Great Depression and World War II.
- Jim Crow in Mississippi
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In 1877 a compromise was made between southern Democrats and supporters of Rutherford B. Hayes that ushered in an era of politics, violence, and social norms that revoked the progress made for African Americans during Reconstruction. This era known as Jim Crow created a caste system made up of state and local laws that enforced racial segregation lasting until 1968. During this time, the state of Mississippi set a major precedent for Jim Crow laws and brutality against African Americans that ultimately gave reason for the modern Civil Rights Movement. In this session, museum staff will discuss the violent network of Jim Crow and its lasting affects within Mississippi, by using artifacts, photographs, and exhibits within the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
Note: This session is recommended for, but not limited to, seventh grade and above due to graphic language and images of the Jim Crow period. If you have questions about the content or would like to modify the lesson for your class please contact our Group Tours Coordinator at education@twomississippimuseums.com.
Curricular Connections
Seventh Grade Compacted: US History Exploration to Reconstruction/Civics and the World
- 7C.15.4 Examine the Southern resistance to Reconstruction reforms, including: Black Codes, Jim Crow Laws, Ku Klux Klan, etc.
US History: 1877 to Present
- US.3.2 Trace the development of political, social, and cultural movements and subsequent reforms, including: Jim Crow laws, Plessy vs. Ferguson, women’s suffrage, temperance movement, Niagara movement, public education, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP),and Marcus Garvey.
- US.5.7 Debate the causes and effects of the social change and conflict between traditional and modern culture that took place during the 1920s, including: the role of women, the Red Scare, immigration quotas, Prohibition, and the Scopes trial.
Mississippi Studies
- MS.7.3 Analyze Reconstruction reforms that contributed to the social and economic realities for African Americans during the Jim Crow Era in Mississippi.
- Separate Is Not Equal: School Segregation
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On May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court rendered its unanimous decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education. This decision mandated the integration of public institutions across the country and formally outlawed racial segregation in schools. In this session museum staff will present artifacts and exhibits in the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum exploring Mississippi's long freedom struggle to desegregation by examining the impact of court cases such as Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, and Alexander v. Holmes, and the courageous efforts of leaders like Medgar Evers, Clyde Kennard, and James Meredith.
Curricular Connections
Fourth Grade: Mississippi Studies and Regions
- CR.4.1: Analyze the Civil Rights Movement to determine the social, political, and economic impact on Mississippi.
Mississippi Studies
- MS.8: Evaluate the role of Mississippi in the Civil Rights Movement.
- MS.10.4: Compare types of services offered by local and state government to meet the needs of Mississippians.
US History: 1877 to Present
- US.11.2: Trace the federal government’s involvement in the modern Civil Rights Movement, including: the abolition of the poll tax, the nationalization of state militias, Brown versus Board of Education in 1954, the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
- Freedom Rides with Mississippi Civil Rights Veteran Hezekiah Watkins
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Will the law be enforced in the South or not? On May 4, 1961, the Freedom Riders set out from Washington, DC, on a Greyhound bus to answer that question. The Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) recruited young people to participate in an integrated bus ride from Washington to New Orleans. In this session, museum staff will present artifacts and exhibits related to the volunteer's journey and who they encountered when they arrived in Mississippi. Students will have the opportunity to speak with civil rights veteran and Two Mississippi Museums employee Hezekiah Watkins about his experience as a Freedom Rider.
Curricular Connections
Fourth Grade: Mississippi History and Regions
- CR.4.1: Analyze the Civil Rights Movement to determine the social, political, and economic impact on Mississippi.
Mississippi Studies
- MS.8: Evaluate the role of Mississippi in the Civil Rights Movement..
US History: 1877 to Present
- US.11.3: Explain contributions of individuals and groups to the modern Civil Rights Movement, including: Martin Luther King, Jr., James Meredith, Medgar Evers, Thurgood Marshall, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the civil rights foot soldiers.
- Freedom Summer 1964
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In the summer of 1964, local movements grew into a coordinated statewide campaign for freedom that captured the nation’s attention and culminated in a dramatic challenge at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. In this session museum staff will present artifacts, films, and exhibits about the impact of Freedom Summer on voting rights, through the efforts of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), Fannie Lou Hamer, and Council of Federated Organizations (COFO).
Curricular Connections
Fourth Grade: Mississippi Studies and Regions
- CR.4.1: Analyze the Civil Rights Movement to determine the social, political, and economic impact on Mississippi.
Mississippi Studies
- MS.8: Evaluate the role of Mississippi in the Civil Rights Movement.
US History: 1877 to Present
- US.11.3: Explain contributions of individuals and groups to the modern Civil Rights Movement, including: Martin Luther King, Jr., James Meredith, Medgar Evers, Thurgood Marshall, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the civil rights foot soldiers.
- Veterans of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement: Who are you?
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Who was the first NAACP field secretary in Mississippi? What does COFO stand for? Who was the first black woman elected mayor of a Mississippi town? In this session museum staff will lead students through a series of clues using artifacts and exhibits from the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum to identify and learn more about the foot soldiers and unsung heroes of the movement.
Curricular Connections
Fourth Grade: Mississippi Studies and Regions
- CR.4.1: Analyze the Civil Rights Movement to determine the social, political, and economic impact on Mississippi.
Mississippi Studies
- MS.8: Evaluate the role of Mississippi in the Civil Rights Movement.
US History: Reconstruction to Present
- US.11.3: Explain contributions of individuals and groups to the modern Civil Rights Movement, including: Martin Luther King, Jr., James Meredith, Medgar Evers, Thurgood Marshall, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the civil rights foot soldiers.