Museum School London (MSL)
Museum School London provides elementary students with an unforgettable week of learning and discovery.
This innovative approach to education allows teachers to move their classrooms into a museum setting for a full week of curriculum-based experiential learning, making the arts, science, and Canadian history come to life. Now entering its 18th year, Museum School London is available at eight local museums across London.
Museum School London is made possible by the generous support of organizations like Canada Life (Presenting Corporate Sponsor), the Thames Valley District School Board, the London District Catholic School Board, the City of London, the Kiwanis Club of Forest City (London), and the Kiwanis Club of Middlesex (London).
Thank you to the Ontario Trillium Foundation for the generous grant to fund the hiring of a Program Coordinator at the organization. The addition of this position at London Heritage Council has been an invaluable one and has positively impacted the Musuem School program.
Museum School London Applications
Applications for Museum School London 2024/25 academic year are now OPEN!
Please Note: Bus Subsidy Applications will be forwarded to successful applicants only.
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There will be an information session, over Zoom on Wednesday May 8th, 7pm-8pm. Zoom Link
For more information, please contact us at museumschool@londonheritage.ca.
Museum School London Sites
The Canadian Medical Hall of Fame
Spend a full week discovering Canada’s medical heroes. With curriculum connections for students in grades 7 and 8, the Canadian Medical Hall of Fame offers and exciting mix of science and technology, history, art, and drama activities. Through the lens of health scientist, students will meet with local community health agencies, conduct science experiments including DNA extraction from a strawberry and explore both Banting House National Historic Site and Robarts Research Institute. While imaging their own contribution to Canadian health, the students are inducted into the CMHF 50 years from now and will learn to draw their own portrait and draft their biography. A new initiative to introduce students to Indigenous perspectives on medicine and some of its uses is now included. They will develop an understanding of the present challenges faced by Indigenous people in the medical field and learn about Thomas Dignan the first Indigenous CMHF Laureate and his impact in improving the health and wellness of Indigenous people.
Eldon House
Virtually unchanged since the nineteenth century, Eldon House is London’s oldest remaining residence which contains family heirlooms, furnishings and priceless treasures of the Harris family and is surrounded by a beautiful 19th-century style garden. Eldon House offers curriculum-based programming for grades 3-8 and in which students experientially explore the history of the region, early London, and Canadian life in a domestic setting. Through walking tours and workshops, participants will learn about the significance of the land from local firsthand Indigenous perspectives, while exploring the areas of the Thames River and surrounding historical neighbourhood. Eldon House provides educational programming in the form of workshops, museum tours, historic walking tours, and much more.
Fanshawe Pioneer Village
Make Fanshawe Pioneer Village your classroom and experience the past in the present! Teachers will choose five programs for their week at our living history museum. Classes will participate in unique activities that create connections to the Ontario Curriculum and introduce students to life in the 1800s. Discover the hard work and experiences of the many diverse peoples who called this land home between 1820 and 1920, including Indigenous peoples, Settlers, Immigrants, and Freedom Seekers. The museum’s programs are delivered in the setting of the Heritage Village to create an immersive experience. Students will leave with an understanding of how diverse communities in this region have changed over time.
Housed at the London International Airport since 2008, the Jet Aircraft Museum is the only working aircraft museum in Canada dedicated to the study and restoration of Cold War jets. MSL students will be immersed in the historical period taking on the role of NATO pilots coming to Canada to learn to fly jets. Core instruction is from the Ontario Science Curriculum Unit: Flight. In a functioning maintenance and restoration hangar, students will be involved in interactive, hands-on learning activities (flight simulators, sit in a jet cockpit) in an authentic environment that can't be duplicated in the classroom.
Jet Aircraft Museum
London Children's Museum
Imagine a classroom with dinosaurs, polar bears, space shuttles, a vibrant community street – and watch science, heritage and arts come alive! Explore hands-on galleries and venture behind the scenes with the London Children’s Museum as your Museum School London classroom.
The Children’s Museum offers a wide range of interactive curriculum connected programs for students in kindergarten through Grade 4. Classroom teachers select a topic and museum educators plan a tailor-made, curriculum connected, unforgettable week of hands-on learning and discovery catering to each classroom’s specific needs. The remaining time is planned and facilitated by the classroom teacher using the various exhibits and resources of the site.
Museum London’s Curator of Education works with teachers to custom design a Museum School London Program that is fun and educational. Students participate in curriculum-based tours of our art and history exhibitions. The Museum’s tour guides lead students in hands-on studio programs and the opportunity to work with artists is also possible. In addition to connecting students with local Indigenous artists, the museum’s location at the forks of the Thames River offers students a place to learn and reflect upon the central importance of the river in our community – the ways it has been used and the ways it has changed. Museum London is downtown allowing for a Museum School London program that can include visits to other sites, such as the Covent Garden Market, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Harris Park, and the Central Library.
Museum London
During the Museum School London week at the Museum of Ontario Archaeology, students will enjoy a week filled with hands-on and interactive activities all designed with the Ontario Curriculum in mind. With a focus on archaeology and methodologies, students will gain insight towards how the study of archaeology helps us learn about the past, its peoples, and the lasting impact into today. Many of the programs are cross-curricular between Social Studies, Science, and Mathematics. Through discussion and activities of archaeological and historical thinking, students will explore Ontario’s Indigenous history by learning about the people who inhabited the Lawson site c. 1500-1525 C.E. A week at the museum will include a blend of simulated excavations, artifact handling, traditional Indigenous games, and a guided hike in the adjacent creek area.
Museum of Ontario Archaeology
Located in the designated National Historic Site Wolseley Barracks, The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum tells the story of the first infantry regiment with the regular army in Canada. Ontario Curriculum based, our education program supports learning by engaging students with Veterans and army life in general. Many other subjects are covered, from Grade 4 to Grade 8. In addition to interactive tours of the galleries, activities include semaphore flags, Morse mode, map and compass reading, hands on exploration of artifacts, reading primary sources. An indigenous language activity was recently added to highlight the contribution of First Nations to Canadian military during the Second World War.
The Royal Canadian Regiment Museum
FOR GENERAL INFORMATION, SUBSIDY ELIGIBILITY, OR APPLICATION INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
London Heritage Council
201 King Street, London ON, N6A 1C9
Email: museumschool@londonheritage.ca