Field Trips
Plan your field trip in three easy steps.
1. Learn About the Types of School Visit Experiences
As the state’s largest classroom for exploring Mississippi’s rich and complex history, the Two Mississippi Museums are the premiere destination for school field trips.
What can I expect from a field trip to the Two Mississippi Museums?
The campus of the Two Mississippi Museums includes both the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
Students will experience the full scope of Mississippi history from prehistory to present day and explore themes that are emphasized in the Mississippi Studies courses.
Types of School Tours
Highlights Tours: A guided experience through both the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum. Approximately two hours of touring, with time spent with Civil Rights Veteran Hezekiah Watkins. (Recommended for first-time visitors.)
Overview: An introduction to the Two Mississippi Museums by a staff member followed by independent exploration time with chaperone guidance. (Recommended for return visits.)
Theme Tour: A guided experience focused on a specific subject with a worksheet and discussion. May be in both museums or just one depending on the subject matter. (Available subjects listed below.)
Virtual Tour: A guided experience focused on a specific subject conducted over Zoom with discussion. May be in both museums or just one depending on the subject matter. (Available subjects listed below.) Virtual tours are only available on Mondays at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM, recording of live tour made available upon request.
Subjects
- Journey to Statehood
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Before Mississippi was a state, it was the nation’s young frontier. In this session, museum staff will present artifacts and exhibits from within the Museum of Mississippi History that explore the development of the Mississippi Territory. They will examine how its borders changed through wars and treaties, learn about the lives of settlers, soldiers, Native Americans, and enslaved people, and the path to statehood.
Curricular Connections
Fourth Grade: Mississippi Studies and Regions
- CI.4.1: Describe Mississippi’s entry into statehood.
- H.4.2.3: Describe reasons for conflicts between Europeans and Native Americans in Mississippi, including differing beliefs regarding land ownership, religion, and culture.
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MS.4: Explain the development of the Mississippi Territory and its evolution to statehood.
Mississippi Studies
- MS.2: Compare and contrast the indigenous cultures in Mississippi and assess their lasting impact on its history and traditions.
- H.4.6: Compare and contrast between the different Mississippi Native American cultures: Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Natchez.
- Reconstruction
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Between the years 1865 and 1877, the nation tried to rebuild after its bloodiest conflict, the Civil War. During this time, economic systems were restructured, equality was extended to the formerly enslaved, and educational opportunities were broadened. However, due to these progressive reforms, legal and social resistance ensued. In this session museum staff will uncover and evaluate the lasting cultural impact of Reconstruction in Mississippi through the exploration of artifacts and exhibits in the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
Curricular Connections
Fourth Grade: Mississippi Studies and Regions
- E.4.3: Identify economic conditions as a result of the Civil War, including the collapse of the economic structure, destruction of the transportation infrastructure, and high casualty rates.
- CI.4.3: Identify rights and responsibilities as a citizen of your community and state.
Seventh Grade Compacted: US History Exploration to Reconstruction/Civics and the World
- 7C.15: Analyze the Reconstruction efforts in post-Civil War America.
Mississippi Studies
- MS.6: Recognize the role of Mississippi during the Civil War and evaluate the effects of Reconstruction within the state.
- MS.7: Examine the economic, political and social changes in post Reconstruction Mississippi.
US History: 1877 to Present
- US.3.2: Trace the development of political, social, and cultural movements and subsequent reforms, including: Jim Crow laws, Plessy vs. Ferguson, women’s suffrage, temperance movement, Niagara movement, public education, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and Marcus Garvey.
- Mississippians in WWII
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Students will explore the war's impact on a Mississippian's daily life on the home front, as well as Mississippi soldiers' experiences overseas and returning home. In this session, museum staff will present artifacts and exhibits from within the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum.
Curricular Connections
Fourth Grade: Mississippi Studies and Regions
- H.4.1: Recognize symbols, customs, and celebrations representative of our community, Mississippi and the United States.
- CR.4.1: Analyze the Civil Rights Movement to determine the social, political, and economic impact on Mississippi.
US History: 1877 to Present
- US.7: Examine the nation’s role in World War II and the impacts on domestic affairs.
African American Studies
- AAS.7: Analyze the conditions and contributions of African Americans during the Great Depression and World War II.
- Separate Is Not Equal: School Segregation
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On May 17, 1954, the United States Supreme Court rendered its unanimous decision in the case of Brown v. Board of Education. This decision mandated the integration of public institutions across the country and formally outlawed racial segregation in schools. In this session museum staff will present artifacts and exhibits in the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum exploring Mississippi's long freedom struggle to desegregation by examining the impact of court cases such as Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, and Alexander v. Holmes, and the courageous efforts of leaders like Medgar Evers, Clyde Kennard, and James Meredith.
Curricular Connections
Fourth Grade: Mississippi Studies and Regions
- CR.4.1: Analyze the Civil Rights Movement to determine the social, political, and economic impact on Mississippi.
Mississippi Studies
- MS.8: Evaluate the role of Mississippi in the Civil Rights Movement.
US History: 1877 to Present
- US.11.3: Explain contributions of individuals and groups to the modern Civil Rights Movement, including: Martin Luther King, Jr., James Meredith, Medgar Evers, Thurgood Marshall, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the civil rights foot soldiers.
- Freedom Summer 1964
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In the summer of 1964, local movements grew into a coordinated statewide campaign for freedom that captured the nation’s attention and culminated in a dramatic challenge at the 1964 Democratic National Convention. In this session museum staff will present artifacts, films, and exhibits about the impact of Freedom Summer on voting rights, through the efforts of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party (MFDP), Fannie Lou Hamer, and Council of Federated Organizations (COFO).
Curricular Connections
Fourth Grade: Mississippi Studies and Regions
- CR.4.1: Analyze the Civil Rights Movement to determine the social, political, and economic impact on Mississippi.
Mississippi Studies
- MS.8: Evaluate the role of Mississippi in the Civil Rights Movement.
US History: 1877 to Present
- US.11.3: Explain contributions of individuals and groups to the modern Civil Rights Movement, including: Martin Luther King, Jr., James Meredith, Medgar Evers, Thurgood Marshall, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the civil rights foot soldiers.
2. Explore Education Materials
Below are links to downloadable museum education materials, which are designed to enhance your students' experience. Please print enough materials and provide enough pencils for each of your students in advance of your visit.
4. Request Your School Group Visit Now
We want every school group that visits the Two Mississippi Museums to have a meaningful experience. To accomplish this goal, we ask that groups book their field trips in advance.