For more information, complete the inquiry form using the link above or contact the AHMHS education team at 303.739.6663 or email us.

Aurora History Museum & Historic Sites (AHMHS) and Pop Culture Classroom (PCC) present “Aurora History That Pops!”. A new partnership that offers middle and high school students interactive learning experiences that integrate education, self-expression, and play to teach students about important local history and civics, spark critical thinking, and develop skills for self-expression. Each "Aurora History That Pops!" offering includes historical instruction sessions from Aurora History Museum & Historic Sites and creative applications for student self-expression and engagement from Pop Culture Classroom.

Fees:

$5/classroom confirmation fee.

Details:

• For Aurora schools

• Available Tuesday-Friday; 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

• Schedule at least 2 weeks in advance.

• Available March 22 to October 31.

• Attendance per program is limited to encourage student interaction with instructors.

• Funding is limited and will be awarded on a first confirmed basis. A $5 per classroom fee is required to confirm the program.

• Be prepared with multiple dates and times for scheduling.

• Recommended for middle and high school students.

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Program Menu

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CIVICS WITH THE CITY

AHMHS:
Learn the structure and function of our local government. Your students practice listening to and respecting the views of others, and sharing their own ideas about city policies. The program includes a mock city council meeting and activities designed to highlight how our local government introduces and votes on policies.

PCC:
After completing programming with AHMHS, PCC instructors teach students how to apply their learning to create informative comics that teach others about local government. PCC Instructors walk your students through the basics of comic creation such as storytelling through sequential images and the basics of drawing comic panels. Students can create quick comics during this session, or work after-ward to create more in-depth and polished comics using PCC-provided resources.

AURORA MUSEUM & HISTORIC SITES TOUR

AHMHS:
Option A: Aurora History Museum Tour
Learn about your school's neighborhood and how it relates to Aurora's history during a virtual tour of the Aurora History Museum. Our educators work with you to share the story of your school's community and how it fits into the greater Aurora story.

Option B: Coal Creek Schoolhouse
Schedule a virtual visit to Coal Creek Schoolhouse. Experience what it might have been like to attend school in the 1930. This is a rare opportunity to visit the schoolhouse and have a lesson in the space that is not usually open to the public.

Option C: Gully Homestead House
Bring your students on a virtual tour of the oldest house in Aurora. A museum educator facilitates an interactive tour inside the house that compares and contrasts what life was like in the early 20th century with our lives now. Your visit includes historic objects, photos, and stories about life in the area over 100 years ago.

PCC:
After completing your tour, PCC instructors guide a reflection activity where students are asked to apply their learning to create historical fiction comics. PCC Instructors walk your students through the basics of comic creation such as storytelling through sequential images and the basics of drawing comic panels. Students can create quick comics during this session, or work after-ward to create more in-depth and polished comics using PCC-provided resources.

SCIENCE FICTION LAND

AHMHS:
This program starts with the role of the CIA in the 1953 coup in Iran, and traces the history from Aurora's failed theme park called Science Fiction Land to the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979. Students will work with primary source materials to unlock the different puzzles and work through a timeline leading to the release of the hostages by the end of the lesson. Because of the material, it would most likely be suited to geography (map skills and conflict themes) or American history (covers domestic and international history from 1953-1980 and includes primary sources from the Aurora museum collection).

PCC:
Option A: After completing programming with the Museum, Pop Culture Classroom will facilitate a book study of Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi. Instructors will discuss the differences in story telling from different perspectives, and how a memoir-style graphic novel can expand our understanding of a time, place, or event. Instructors can compare American news coverage of the Iranian Revolution to the memoir, and analyze the unique American perspective when learning about worldwide events.

Option B: Alternatively, after reading Persepolis, PCC instructors can teach about the graphic memoir format, and instruct students to write a fictional memoir depicting another time, place, or event in history.

VIRTUAL DISCUSSIONS: AURORA IN THE WORLD

AHMHS:
Looking for a short break in your virtual schedule? Assign your students a quick review of one of the museum’s online exhibits and then a museum educator facilitates a virtual discussion with your students based on the content of select exhibit panels. A museum educator chooses the exhibit panels for students to review and questions are provided to get your students thinking about the content. Recommended for Middle and High School students. Topics include: Religion in Aurora, Civic growth through the 20th century, Immigrant and refugee stories, first time voters.

PCC:
After completing programming with the museum, PCC instructors will implement customized programming incorporating design and creation concepts related to comics, board games, creative writing, or cosplay to expand on or reinforce the learning from the Aurora History Museum exploration.