Free Programs for Boston Public Schools

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Since 1984, the Old South Meeting House has provided educational programs to the Boston Public Schools through People and Places, a collaborative educational program of historic sites of Boston’s Freedom Trail and Black Heritage Trail.

The Old South Meeting House offers three unique programs through People and Places, described below. Thanks to the generosity of several funders, these programs and bus transportation are available free to Boston elementary and middle school students.

All People and Places programs are designed to complement Boston’s curriculum frameworks in social studies and language arts.

Availability is limited. For more information or to reserve, please call 617-482-6439 or email the education department

Title	Slave to Poet: Phillis Wheatley- Note: Changes have been made to program for 2008
Description	Please note: Changes have been made to this program for 2008. Phillis Wheatley came to Boston as a slave when she was about seven years old, and went on to become one of the first African-Americans to publish a book. The Old South Meeting House is the only surviving historic site associated with Wheatley’s life. In this interactive program students imagine the experience of coming to Boston, examine her published works, and write poetry with a quill pen based on Wheatley’s own works.
grade	5th through 8th
Time	1 hour
fees
Additions
reserve	Please call 617-482-6439 or Contact the Education Department.

Title	Resisting for Justice
Description	Participate in the meeting that led to the Boston Tea Party and demonstrate against the Fugitive Slave Law! Using role-play, students explore two historical examples of protest. Students learn how people have made a difference in the past, and discover how to stand up for their own ideas and beliefs today. The program begins in the main hall of Old South Meeting House where students take on the roles of Patriots and Loyalists and recreate the tea tax debate that led to the famous Boston Tea Party. The second half of the program is led by National Park Rangers from the African Meeting House where students reenact a dramatic incident of resistance to the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.
grade	3rd and 5th
Time	2 hours
fees	Free
Additions
reserve	Please call 617-482-6439 or Contact the Education Department.

Title	From Meeting Place to Resting Place
Description	If Bostonians from the 18th century were to visit the city today they would see many changes. However, both the Old South Meeting House and the Granary Burying Ground still play an important part in our modern community. At the Old South Meeting House students hunt for clues about the role of a meeting house in Boston and the many interesting people and events associated with the building. On their visit to the Granary Burying Ground, students examine and interpret gravestone symbols and see the final resting place of many famous Bostonians.
grade	3rd and 5th
Time	1.5 hours
fees	Free
Additions
reserve	Please call 617-482-6439 or Contact the Education Department.

Old South Meeting House | 310 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108 | phone: (617) 482-6439

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