Schools Outreach Program
You can find additional educational resources and activities on our Learn at Home webpage.
For 3rd and 4th Grade Classrooms
"Thank you for teaching us about Job Carr. I learned way more about history than I ever have before."
-Fourth Grade Student
Virtual and In-Person Options Available for 2023-2024
"I can't thank you enough for a wonderful virtual field trip. The students loved it. You did a good mix of presenting, questions, and activities.. Thank you also to the museum for being able to provide all the craft kits. I was blown away."
-Fourth Grade Teacher
Early Learning Program
"We loved having you and would LOVE to have you come back again next year!... It's hard to bring a preschool class, let alone a special needs preschool class out into the community so it's really nice to have programs where the community can come to us!"
-Peer Inclusion Preschool Teacher
Choose from 2 formats to best fit your family
"Thank you so much for the outstanding visit today for our homeschoolers! You exceeded our expectations in a grand way. The kids and parents are all bragging about the great day. Bravo!"
-Homeschool Parent
Virtual and In-Person Options Available for 2023-2024
"The program was interactive and fun and had the right amount of self exploration, movement and programing to keep the kids interested the entire trip. I will definitely recommend this field trip to other groups."
-Field Trip Chaperone
For Online Classrooms and Individual Learners
"The curriculum was excellent! By the time we finished the materials, my kids thought Job Carr was a rock star!!"
-Elementary School Teacher
"I had a blast. It was really fun. You guys taught me some new things I didn't know. I like when we made butter and had gunny sack races. I can't wait to come again. It was a really awesome field trip."
-Third Grade Student
Traveling Trunks
Reservations for the 2024-2025 school year are open!
FREE resource for 3rd and 4th grade classrooms
We are pleased to offer this FREE social studies curriculum with everything teachers need for a fun and creative history experience.
Follow Tacoma’s first pioneer, Job Carr, as he makes his trip west with lessons that include stories, group activities, art projects and more!
Our school trunks are in high-demand by educators throughout Puget Sound. The lesson plans are meticulously thought out and easy to follow. Teachers and home school groups consistently rate our trunks as outstanding and engaging.
3rd- & 4th-grade curriculum materials
Interdisciplinary, Creative, and Engaging
The third grade curriculum was designed by a Tacoma public school teacher in 2004 and endorsed by the Tacoma School District.
Our revised fourth grade curriculum was unveiled in Fall 2014 and educators have given it rave reviews. Created in collaboration with a team of Tacoma Public School teachers, these lesson plans meet fourth grade Common Core Standards in English Language Arts and Washington State Social Studies Learning Standards.
Museum materials were updated in 2021 with new texts, historical photographs, and maps focusing on Native American and Chinese immigrant experiences.
Reserve a trunk for your classroom today!
When making a reservation, please let us know your preferred month to use the kit.
Enhance your classroom learning experience with a virtual or in-person field trip to the Cabin.
Additional educational resources are available on our Learn At Home webpage.
Teachers speak about our Schools Outreach Program in this 2016 video.
Elementary School Field Trips
Virtual and In-Person Options Available for 2024-2025
In-person Field Trips
Social studies for elementary school groups
Students learn about the Oregon Trail, the Transcontinental Railroad, and the development of Tacoma during our in-person field trip experiences.
- Discover what life was like for kids traveling the Oregon Trail during a living history presentation.
- Explore historic landmarks in Old Town Tacoma to find out about important people and places in local history.
- Participate in crafts and games that showcase daily life for children in the 1800s.
Contact us for more information and to schedule your museum visit!
Tacoma Public Schools are eligible for bus funding through Tacoma Creates. Find out more!
In-person field trips take place when the Museum is closed to other visitors. This program is designed for 3rd-5th grade students. We can accommodate up to 80 students per visit. Activities are rain or shine.
School groups often bring sack lunches to enjoy in Old Town Park. In case of rain, a covered area with picnic tables is available.
Virtual Field Trips
Available for elementary school classrooms
Students learn about life in the past during our virtual field trip experiences.
- In a 1-hour LIVE video feed from the Museum, our team shares artifacts from the 1800s to help students compare and contrast daily life for kids past and present. Get behind-the scenes access to the Museum as we discuss travel, clothing, meals, school, chores, and play.
- Add an optional second hour to your field trip with an interactive arts and crafts session that bring the past to life. We provide FREE craft supplies for your classroom.
Contact us for more information and to schedule your virtual visit!
We recommend that elementary students complete at least one of the museum's downloadable lessons or the traveling trunk curriculum before participating in a Museum field trip.
Enhance the learning experience with videos from our Cabin for Kids YouTube playlist.
Our Field Trips Are Fee-Free!
Thank you to our generous donors and sponsors!
We want every child in Tacoma to have the opportunity to experience the Cabin and learn about local history.
If your school or PTA would like to donate to support the Cabin’s education programs, please contact our staff.
Traveling Storytime
We'll bring the Museum to your Classroom
Early Learning Program
We offer a traveling storytime for young learners in Tacoma.
This interactive early learning program includes a picture book read-aloud and craft activity. We bring a collection of museum objects to help kids to learn about their community and life in the past.
- Listen to and engage with stories and toys comparing the past with the present.
- Explore colors, patterns, and community-building through quilt design.
- Use cooperative problem-solving to play a group game.
Contact us for more information and to schedule a program for your classroom!
This program is designed for preschool, kindergarten, and 1st grade classrooms (ages 3-6). The content is 45-60 minutes.
Our educational programs are fee-free! We want every child in Tacoma to have the opportunity to learn about local history and their community.
Homeschool Field Trip Days
Registration is now open for 2024-2025!
Visit the Museum, Explore Tacoma History, Play and Create in Old Town Park!
Select the format that works best for you:
- Homeschool Explorers - ideal for ages 4-7 (90 min), Stories, crafts, and games for young museum visitors.
- Homeschool Adventurers - ideal for ages 8-12 (2 hrs), Travel back in time to learn about the Oregon Trail and Tacoma history.
Space is limited for these FREE homeschool events.
Students must be registered in advance. Click here to register.
Choose Wednesday, November 20, 2024 (Waitlist Only)
or Thursday, February 6, 2025
10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Designed for ages 4-7*
Stories, crafts, and games for young museum visitors.
- Compare daily life in a log cabin with a modern home.
- Listen to a picture book read-aloud and create a take-home craft.
- Explore colors, patterns, and community through quilt design.
- Play pioneer toys and games.
Limited to 25 students per event.
Optional: After the field trip, bring sack lunches and enjoy the playground in Old Town Park.
Choose Tuesday, October 8, 2024 (Waitlist Only)
or Monday, January 27, 2025 (Waitlist Only)
10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Designed for ages 8-12
Travel back in time to learn about the Oregon Trail and Tacoma history.
- Watch a living history performance.
- Take a local history scavenger hunt.
- Explore the log cabin museum.
- Try out pioneer toys and games.
Limited to 30 students per event.
Optional: After the field trip, bring sack lunches and enjoy the playground in Old Town Park.
Space is limited. Registration is required.
All students must be accompanied by an adult chaperone who must remain with the student throughout the field trip.
Younger/older siblings are welcome but the activities may not be ideal for their attention spans or abilities. If you are seeking an multi-age event, the Homeschool Picnic is likely the best option.
Due to a high volume of interest and as a courtesy to other homeschool families, we request that you please select one program per school year.
Homeschool cooperatives with 5+ students (ages 6-10) are also welcome to reserve our social studies traveling trunk.
Middle School and High School Field Trips
Virtual and In-Person Options Available for 2024-2025
In-person Field Trips
Diverse Perspectives in Local History
Students explore Tacoma's Old Town Tacoma neighborhood with a walk through the Old Town Tacoma neighborhood. Learn about the diverse groups of people who were important to Tacoma's urban growth. Find historic landmarks that highlight Indigenous people and immigrant communities who have called Tacoma their home.
Contact us for more information and to schedule your visit!
Tacoma Public Schools are eligible for bus funding through Tacoma Creates. Find out more!
Combine your tour with a visit to nearby Chinese Reconciliation Park to learn more about the immigrants who built the transcontinental railroad, the expulsion of 1885, and Tacoma's efforts to heal from this history.
Virtual Field Trips
Social Studies and Career Exploration
Join our team for a 1-hour LIVE video feed from the Museum.
- Learn about jobs in the 1800s through the working class experiences of the Carr family.
- Explore modern-day museum career paths.
Contact us for more information and to schedule your virtual experience!Find out more about Job Carr's jobs with this video from our YouTube channel.
Our Field Trips Are Fee-Free!
Thank you to our generous donors and sponsors!
We want every student in Tacoma to have the opportunity to experience the Cabin and learn about local history.
If your school or PTA would like to donate to support the Cabin’s education programs, please contact our staff.
Downloadable Lesson Plans
Bring the Museum to Your Virtual or Homeschool Classroom!
Interdisciplinary Lesson Plans
Resources for Online Learning and Individual Learners
We've adapted a growing set of interdisciplinary lesson plans from the Museum's award-winning traveling trunk curriculum for students who are participating in online classrooms or homeschooling. Teachers and parents can use these comprehensive resources to engage students in learning about the Oregon Trail, daily life before Washington statehood, and the development of the city of Tacoma.
Enhance the learning experience with videos from our Cabin for Kids YouTube playlist.
Additional educational resources are available on our Learn At Home webpage.
What Was Job Carr's Life Like Before He Moved West?
Designed for 3rd and 4th grade students, this lesson plan includes reading, social studies, writing and art. It provides students with an opportunity to learn about Job Carr's life before he traveled west along the Oregon Trail. Students conduct a close reading of a first-person historical narrative, complete a timeline of sequential events, and create an illustrated storyboard of these events.
Where Was The Oregon Trail?
Designed for 4th grade students, this lesson plan includes math, reading, writing, and social studies. It provides students with an opportunity to learn about important landmarks along the Oregon Trail. Students use a grid map to plot a route across the western United States, complete a close reading activity about Oregon Trail landmarks, and write an opinion paragraph about which landmark was most important to the pioneers.
What Did Job Carr See And Do When He Arrived In Puget Sound?
Designed for 4th grade students, this lesson plan includes reading, social studies, writing and art. It encourages students to think critically about what the Puget Sound area looked like when settlers first began to arrive. Students compare and contrast primary and secondary historical sources.
What Would It Be Like For Job Carr To Travel Through Puget Sound?
Designed for 4th grade students, this lesson plan includes social studies, P.E., math, and writing. Students learn about daily life and transportation in Washington territory for the era prior to statehood.
- In Part A, students increase their knowledge of local geography, maps, and trip planning to understand how tribal members and early settlers traveled around Puget Sound.
- In Part B, students write a narrative story about an imagined journey during the 1860s, before the arrival of the transcontinental railroad.
How Has Tacoma Grown?
Designed for 4th grade students, this lesson plan includes social studies, reading and math. Students examine historical photographs to learn more about the development of the city of Tacoma, including the importance of the transcontinental railroad. They compare and contrast the past with the present by analyzing a historical advertisement. Students also use census data from 1870 to 2010 to graph the population growth of Tacoma.
