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Muse2You: K-12 Education Programs

Hands on activities Museum educators introduce students to the peoples and cultural histories of the Southwest and Mexico through objects, stories, activities, and traditional games. Book a classroom visit and receive a complimentary* fieldtrip to the museum!

* Note: Free guided fieldtrips are limited by our funding and availablity.

Fees for classroom visits:

$65 for 1 one-hour program
$120 for 2 one-hour programs on same day
$175 for 3 one-hour programs on same day--depends on availability of presenters
$230 for 4 one-hour programs on same day--depends on availability of presenters

Group Size per presentation: Minimum: 12, Maximum: 34. Note: Teacher must stay in classroom.
Dates/Times Available: weekdays between 9:00 a.m.–12:30 p.m.

Programs meet Arizona State Standards in Social Studies, Language Arts, Art, Health.

You can register online or print the form and fax it to 520-621-2976. Please note that you are not registered until we send you a confirmation.

PLEASE NOTE: A minimum 36 hour advance notice of cancellation is required to avoid a $25 late cancel fee. Call 520-621-9434 or 520-626-2973 to cancel.

For questions or to be added to our mailing list email the Education Department or call 520-621-9434.

Muse2You Program Descriptions

Through the Eyes of the Eagle: Illustrating Healthy Living

Students explore the complex story of culture, history, and diabetes and learn about healthy living from a Native American perspective. Includes hands-on activities, stories, and games. More info soon.

Southwest Pottery Traditions: 2,000 years of Native American art and science
(Grades K–5)

Explore 2,000 years of American Indian pottery-making traditions and discover the complex science and fine aesthetics of this craft. Students put on the hat of an archaeologist as they handle real pots and centuries-old pottery sherds. They learn the basic steps of traditional pottery making and the connection between form and function. Activities include sequencing steps of pottery making, sorting and identifying prehistoric pottery sherds, mapping pottery’s history and uses, and creating pottery puzzles or paper pots and viewing a short film about a Hopi potter. Note: DVD playing and projection ability required for film.

The Diné: Navajo history and culture reflected through artistry
(Grades K–12)

Sheep is Life (Grades K–3)
Learn about Navajo history and culture, including their relationship with their land, livestock, and family. Students listen to the story The Goat in the Rug and handle real weaving tools and materials. They explore the process of transforming raw wool into an economic product of great beauty. They look at real rugs and play a memory game to become familiar with traditional Navajo designs. Then they try their hand at weaving!

Hózhó: The Creating of Balance (Grades 4–12)
Learn about Navajo history and culture and how the Navajo create order and balance in their lives. Students explore the processes and societal roles of sandpainting and weaving, two tangible expressions of the Navajo worldview. They learn about events in history, challenges the Navajo faced and their cultural resiliency. Activities include handling real objects, playing games, and creating weavings.

The Desert People: Tohono O’odham land, objects, and stories
(Grades K–5)

Tucson is the ancestral home of the Tohono O’odham people. Students learn about Tohono O’odham history and traditions, and their unique relationship to the Sonoran Desert. They hear an O’odham story about the importance of wind and rain and learn about the related Nawait ceremony. They explore how the O’odham people have utilized desert plants for food and craft resources. Activities include storytelling, handling real objects, playing Geenz—a stick game of chance, and creating a calendar stick or a basket.

Telling Stories: Inspire writing using Native American paintings
(Grades 4–12)

Looking, really looking, is a skill that can take you to other worlds, but a skill not often practiced by today’s youth who are barraged with multiple images every second. In this program, students go beyond identifying colors and shapes—they take an imaginary journey through various paintings, feeling the texture of the ground, smelling and tasting the environment, hearing the soundscape, and imagining a story the painting tells. Activities include looking at paintings by American Indian artists and looking, visualization and creative writing exercises including “painting with poetry palettes.” This program broadens and connects students’ visual, written, and cultural literacy skills. Note: DVD player and LCD projector or overhead projector required for this program.

Masks of Mexico: Storytelling throughout time
(Grades K–5)

What do Spaniards, Mexicans and Yaquis have in common? All have dramatic storytelling traditions using masks. Students explore the powerful role that masked drama in Mexico has had for indoctrination, passing on of traditions, and entertainment. Students hear stories related to masked rituals practiced in Mexican villages and in the lucha libre rings in modern cities. They learn how the Mexican indigenous people, the Yaqui, use masks during their fiestas and ceremonies. Students become familiar with materials used for making masks. Activities may include handling real objects, playing traditional Yaqui instruments, making a mask, creative writing or drawing, playing loteria (Mexican bingo), and making tissue paper flowers. (Activities dependent on grade level, length of program and content emphasis.) [Expansion Activity: All activities and expanded content; additional charges apply.]