Open Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Education Programs
Learning Experiences
Our education programs introduce preschool to Grade 6 students to the history and culture of High Prairie and the surrounding Big Lakes region through inquiry-based exploration using real and replica artifacts, photographs, stories, and primary sources.
Some of our learning experiences are still being refined to align with the 2026/2027 Alberta curriculum. Full program details, learning outcomes, and booking information will be available prior to the start of the 2026/2027 school year.
Meet the Museum | Kindergarten and Grade 1
Stories, hands-on activities, and guided exploration introduce students to the museum experience. As they engage with artifacts and exhibits, learners discover how museums help us understand the past and tell the stories of people and communities. The focus of this program shifts with changing exhibits, encouraging curiosity while showing students how fun and interactive learning in a museum can be.
Themes
- Introduction to museums and their purpose
- Storytelling through artifacts and exhibits
- Curiosity, inquiry, and exploration
- Local history and community connections
- Learning through play and discovery
Alberta Curriculum Connections
- Explore how people and communities share stories about the past
- Develop skills in observation, questioning, and discussion
- Identify how objects and places help us learn about history
- Build awareness of community and belonging
- Recognize that people have different experiences and perspectives
Our Home, Our Stories | Grades 2 and 3
Program under development
Our Land, Our Culture | Grade 2 and 3
Program under development.
Our Land, Our Resources | Grades 3, 4 and 6
Program under development.
Technology Then and Now | Grade 3
Students explore how technology has changed over time and how it continues to shape daily life in the High Prairie and Big Lakes region. Through hands-on investigation of real and replica artifacts, learners compare past and present tools, discover how innovations meet human needs, and reflect on how technology influences their lives today. Students will take part in a series of interactive activities, offering a firsthand look at the work and technology of the past.
Themes
- Change over time
- Innovation and problem-solving
- Daily life in the past vs. present
- Local history and technological development
- Human needs and technological solutions
- Experiential learning through traditional tasks
Alberta Curriculum Connections
- Recognize that objects and devices have specific purposes
- Compare traditional and modern technologies
- Understand how technologies evolve to meet changing needs
- Explore how technology impacts people and communities
- Investigate materials and design in simple technologies
Exhibition Tour | K to Grade 6
This flexible, guided exhibition tour is designed to meet the unique needs and interests of each class and teacher. Students explore the museum’s current exhibitions through interactive discussion, close observation of artifacts, and hands-on activities that bring the themes to life. By encouraging curiosity, questions, and active participation, this experience helps learners connect with the stories, people, and ideas featured in the museum while discovering how culture and history is interpreted and shared.
Learning Kits
Our Learning Kits support object-based inquiry learning by encouraging students to explore artifacts, ask questions, examine evidence, and discover connections to local history and culture. Designed for classroom use, kits may be borrowed by teachers for up to two weeks.
Indigenous Learning Kit | Grade 2 and 3
This hands-on learning kit introduces students to the diverse cultures, histories, and lived experiences of First Nations and Métis peoples through objects and stories from our local region. Using authentic materials, stories, and sensory exploration, students examine how land, culture, language, and heritage shape identity and community. The kit supports Grade 3 learning about distinct First Nations and Métis identities while also helping Grade 2 students understand how diverse communities contribute to life in Canada and how people live, work, and share traditions within and beyond our region.
Kit Contents and Classroom Connections
The kit includes tactile objects such as quills, moccasins, beadwork, hides, tools, and a Métis sash that demonstrate cultural expression and daily life in our region. Natural materials like wild rice, sinew, birch bark, and sacred plants show connections to the local land and resources, while tools and objects highlight how people meet their needs within their environment. Stories and oral histories drawn from local voices, along with the Sky Woman creation story, support learning about community, identity, and life in the past and present, helping students connect their own region to broader First Nations and Métis experiences.
Exploration Themes
- Diverse First Nations and Métis communities
- Connection to land and natural resources
- Identity, culture, and traditions
- Daily life in the past and present
- Storytelling and oral histories
- Community, respect, and belonging
Alberta Curriculum Connections (Grade 2)
- Since time immemorial, First Nations and Inuit inhabited the land and had unique ways of living on the land.
- Explore ways the land contributes to First Nations and Inuit tradition and identity.
- Relate distinct traditions and languages to Métis heritage.
Alberta Curriculum Connections (Grade 3)
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Distinct First Nations communities have distinct languages, cultures, and histories.
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First Nations are diverse and contribute to the identity of Alberta.
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Métis have a distinct culture and history that contributes to the diversity and identity of Alberta.
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Métis people in the Prairies, including Alberta, speak diverse languages, including Michif.
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Métis symbols, such as the Métis sash and the Red River cart, represent distinct culture that blends First Nations and European traditions.
Immigrating from Poland Learning Kit | Grade 3
This hands-on learning kit explores the experiences of Polish immigrants who settled in our region and across Alberta in the early 20th century. Through objects and stories connected to local history, students learn why people immigrated, the challenges they faced, and how they built new lives and communities. The kit supports students in understanding the role of immigration in shaping Alberta’s identity while encouraging reflection on language, culture, and belonging.
Kit Contents and Classroom Connections
The kit includes a collection of everyday items that reflect what a Polish farming family might have brought when immigrating to Canada between the 1920s and 1940s, offering students a tangible way to explore settler life and decision-making. These objects help illustrate the challenges of adapting to a new environment, including isolation, unfamiliar land, and cultural and language differences. Through hands-on exploration and stories, students examine how immigrants contributed to the growth of communities in Alberta and how cultural traditions were maintained and shared over time, connecting local experiences to broader patterns of immigration and diversity.
Exploration Themes
- Immigration and settlement in Alberta
- Challenges and adaptation in a new land
- Identity, language, and cultural traditions
- Daily life of early settlers
- Community building and belonging
- Diversity, empathy, and inclusion
Curriculum Connections (Grade 3)
- Early settlers from many countries came to Alberta, bringing distinct languages, cultures, and traditions to establish new communities.
- Immigration to Alberta has occurred for many reasons, including access to land, job opportunities, family connections, and religious freedom.
- Early settlers faced significant challenges, such as isolation, unfamiliar environments, and language and cultural barriers, and adapted in order to build new lives.
- Immigration has played an important role in shaping Alberta, with settlers and newcomers contributing to the province’s diversity and identity over time.
- Alberta continues to grow and change as people from around the world bring a wide range of beliefs, cultures, and perspectives.
- Students explore stories of early settlers to understand their experiences and contributions to communities in Alberta.
- Students reflect on their own connections to language, culture, and identity within Alberta’s diverse communities.
- Students develop an understanding of the role of immigration in Alberta’s past and present.
Immigrating from England Learning Kit | Grade 3
This hands-on learning kit explores the experiences of English immigrants who settled in our region and across Alberta in the early 20th century. Using objects and stories connected to local history, students learn why people chose to immigrate, the challenges they faced, and how they adapted to life in a new environment. The kit supports an understanding of how immigration shaped communities in Alberta while encouraging reflection on culture, identity, and belonging.
Kit Contents and Classroom Connections
The kit includes everyday items that reflect what an English farming family might have brought with them when immigrating between the 1920s and 1940s, offering insight into daily life and personal priorities. Artefacts such as household goods, clothing items, and farming tools help students explore how settlers met their basic needs and maintained cultural traditions while adapting to a new environment. A local story, such as the experiences of Amy Heath and her family, highlights the realities of settlement, including isolation, limited resources, and resilience in building a new life. Together, the objects and stories help students understand the role of immigration in Alberta’s development and the challenges and contributions of early settlers.
Themes
- Immigration and settlement in Alberta
- Challenges and adaptation in a new land
- Identity, language, and cultural traditions
- Daily life of early settlers
- Community building and belonging
- Diversity, empathy, and inclusion
Curriculum Connections (Grade 3 Science – Alberta)
- Early settlers from many countries came to Alberta, bringing distinct languages, cultures, and traditions to establish new communities.
- Immigration to Alberta has occurred for many reasons, including access to land, job opportunities, family connections, and religious freedom.
- Early settlers faced significant challenges, such as isolation, unfamiliar environments, and language and cultural barriers, and adapted in order to build new lives.
- Immigration has played an important role in shaping Alberta, with settlers and newcomers contributing to the province’s diversity and identity over time.
- Alberta continues to grow and change as people from around the world bring a wide range of beliefs, cultures, and perspectives.
- Students explore stories of early settlers to understand their experiences and contributions to communities in Alberta.
- Students reflect on their own connections to language, culture, and identity within Alberta’s diverse communities.
- Students develop an understanding of the role of immigration in Alberta’s past and present.
How To Reserve a Kit
To book a Learning Kit, teachers complete the online booking request form. A separate request form must be submitted for each individual kit. Once your request is received, museum staff will confirm availability and provide a booking confirmation with pick-up and drop-off dates.
Learning Kits are available for a borrowing fee of $20.00 per kit, with funds supporting ongoing kit maintenance and the care of the objects used in educational programming.
Have Questions?
Have questions about our programs, or have a need that our current program slate does not address? Please reach out and we would be happy to explore how we can support your class's learning needs.
Hours
Tuesday to Saturday
10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Contact Us
The Town of High Prairie acknowledges Treaty 8 territory, the ancestral and traditional territory of the Cree, Dene and Métis. We acknowledge the many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples whose footsteps have marked these lands for generations, including the many places you are joining us from. We are grateful for the many Traditional Knowledge Keepers and Elders who are still with us today and those who have gone before us. Our recognition of this land is an act of reconciliation and an expression of our gratitude to those whose territory we reside on, or are visiting.
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