School Programs

What We Do: Living and Working in Dawson City
Grade 1-2 – 45 minutes
This is a fun, interactive program that will introduce students to the many different types of work that people do and have done in Dawson City.  Through the use of group activities, hands-on time with Museum artifacts, and a specially-focused gallery tour, students have the opportunity to learn about the world of jobs and work. 

Amazing Ancient Creatures
Grade 1-3 – 45 minutes
Learn about the fantastic animals that once lived in the Yukon, from the Woolly Mammoth and other Ice Age Mammals to the Dinosaurs of the Ross River Trackway.  Students go on a fossil-finding expedition through the Museum in a fun program that takes a good look at the range of creatures that once called our Territory home.

Dawson’s Hidden Treasures
Grade 3-4 – 45 minutes
Students explore the world of artifacts and learn that there’s a whole lot more to Dawson’s history than just the Gold Rush.  This hands-on, fast-paced program gives students the opportunity to see firsthand the treasures of the past and teaches us how these objects can help us learn about what people’s lives were like.  This program opens up the idea that the everyday things we use today will be the artifacts of the future.

Simple Machines - Sponsored by Yukon Energy
Grade 5-6 – Portable Education Kit
This education kit provides a golden opportunity to bring the Museum right into the classroom.  Using artifacts, students are introduced to the six types of simple machines, and are provided with basic experiments to help bring home the concepts involved.  The kit is designed to be used by the teacher in a classroom setting, and comes with a teacher’s guide that offers step-by-step instructions on the delivery of the lessons involved, along with all the tools you’ll need to offer a memorable experience teaching some science basics.

Amazing Stories Research Challenge
Grade 6-8 – 90 minutes
In this challenging and rewarding program, students have a chance to gain some new skills and learn about the awesome events of Dawson history at the same time.  Students are introduced to the idea of primary research, and then use the Museum library to research a range of topics and present what they’ve learned to the group.  It’s an awesome opportunity to do research and have fun at the same time!

The Klondike: Romance vs. Reality
Grade 9-12 – Half Day – 3 hours
Spend a morning at the Museum and get a golden introduction to Dawson history!  Students are presented with the romantic vision of the Klondike through a viewing of the Pierre Berton-narrated film City of Gold, and then led on a journey through history and through the museum that will lead them to question that vision.  The tour includes a guided walk through the galleries, as well as a trip into the behind the scenes areas, including our archives and storage facilities.  After the tour, students view the video Klondike: Quest for Gold and discuss the differences between the romance and the reality of the Gold Rush.

The Klondike: Romance vs. Reality
Grade 9-12 – Full Day – 6 hours
Students are invited to spend a full day at the Museum.  After spending a morning touring the museum in the activities described in the half-day version of this program, students can have lunch at the Museum before a pair of hour-long activities designed to be fun and interactive while reinforcing the ideas presented in first half of the program.  These include a photo identification challenge and a whirlwind tour through the lives of some of Dawson’s most famous residents.