Resources for Schools

Videos

Working with MPTV and an Illinois Public Museums Grant, the Mount Prospect Historical Society developed a series of short educational videos on the history of the community. Two of these videos are specifically designed for use in classrooms. History is Everywhere: Mount Prospect Roots is a simple basic history of the community that looks at the lives of three families that have lived in the community over time. The video is meant for third grade students, although older students would probably also enjoy it. History is Everywhere: Beginnings in Mount Prospect is designed for fifth grade students, it looks at three important time periods in American history and reviews how changes in these times effected Mount Prospect. Each of these videos is slightly longer than a half an hour and the videos are available to borrow from the Mount Prospect Historical Society for free.

Tours of the Dietrich Friedrichs House Museum

As you may know, the Mount Prospect Historical Society operates a public museum in downtown Mount Prospect. This museum is housed in the Dietrich Friedrichs house and has a permanent exhibit of life in the community in 1917. The museum offers a chance for students to see how life was different in Mount Prospect a hundred years ago and make history come to life. Group tours of the museum have to be prescheduled, we do limit the number of people who can be on a tour, and there is a $1 per child charge for group tours. Tours last from half an hour to forty-five minutes, depending on time constraints.

Interactive Tours of the Museum

If a school or social group is looking for a more hands-on experience with local history, the Mount Prospect Historical Society offers interactive history tours. In this program, the class is split into two groups; one goes through the Museum on a tour while the other goes to our Education Center and is given a hands-on lesson on the different ways a house was run before electricity and modern conveniences. The two groups then switch, so that each is able to enjoy both parts. Interactive tours of the museum have to be prescheduled, we do limit the number of people who can be on a tour, and there is a $2 per child charge for group tours. Interactive tours last for about one hour.