Teaching Trunks
The Teaching Trunk Program* is an outreach endeavor of the Transylvania Heritage Museum, located in Brevard, North Carolina. The goal of this program is to enable students to personally connect with western North Carolina’s history in a way that is authentic and meaningful. Each trunk incorporates historic artifacts, such as photographs, maps, documents, and objects, as well as instructional materials to assist teachers in facilitating learning opportunities that utilize the artifacts. Trunks are created around themes that are aligned to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study but are easily adapted to national standards. These trunks can be checked out by contacting the Transylvania Heritage Museum.
*This program is made possible by the Transylvania Endowment of the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina the Transylvania County Board of Education and the Pisgah Forest Rotary Club.
Available Trunks:
- Touring Transylvania’s Economy-A Box Investigation
- The History of Education-An Immersive* Learning Experience
*Immersive learning is the process of learning with the usage of a simulated or artificial environment. The environment enables the learners to completely get immersed in the learning and in a way that feels like experiencing an actual learning environment. - Civil Rights: A National and Local Movement-A Box Investigation
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Where did the idea for the Teaching Trunks come from?
A: Recognizing that our local museum’s collections are a wonderful teaching resource, and recognizing that taking a field trip to the museum itself is not always possible, the Teaching Trunks project was initiated to bring the museum to the classroom. An added benefit of the Teaching Trunks project is that materials from the museum can be provided to teachers and students around a particular theme that correlates to the students’ grade level.
Q: Is the stuff in the Teaching Trunks really old?
A: While all of the items in the trunk come from “the past,” some of the items are reproductions. This is especially true of some of the photographs and documents. By providing a reproduction, the museum is able to preserve the original and still allow students to view and handle a facsimile of the original. However, when possible we do try to include an original artifact.
Q: Can my students touch the things in the Teaching Trunks?
A: Yes. That’s one of the purposes for bringing it into the classroom.
Q: How can I check out one of the trunks?
A: Contact the Transylvania Heritage Museum.
