Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology

PreK-12 Programs

Classroom Visits, Online Resources, and More.

Resources for PreK–12 Teaching & Learning

Discover how the Museum can enrich your students’ learning through classroom visits, museum visits, and online resources.

Important Notice

The HMA's in-person and live programming for PreK-12 students are temporarily suspended. Programs are limited to HMA's asynchronous virtual offering This Land is Home (details below) or the Think Like an Archaeologist engagement, offered through Brown's Joukowsky Institute (details below). We look forward to reopening in-person programs when we are able to do so.

This Land is Home: A Seasonal Round in Native New England

3rd-5th Grade | Approximately 1 hour | Free | Launch This Land is Home

Screenshot of This Land is Home module, with background photo of trees. This Land is Home: A Seasonal Round in Native New England is a self-paced, virtual learning module that explores how the seasons shape traditional and contemporary Indigenous lifeways in New England. 

The Educator’s Guide provides links to tribal nations, tribal museums, tribal organizations, and other vetted resources for Native and Indigenous content.

Educators can also supplement student engagement by requesting free, accompanying worksheets via email: haffenreffer_programs@brown.edu.

Think Like an Archaeologist

6th Grade | Free

Two Brown University students standing in front of projector screen with the Think Like An Archaeologist presentation, in an elementary school classroom.Learn more about Think Like an Archaeologist, access program materials, and fill out an application. 

Working with 6th grade Social Studies students in the Providence Public Schools? Dig into the science of archaeology with archaeologists from Brown's Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World! Practice the process of scientific inquiry by analyzing artifacts and learning how to locate, map, and excavate archaeological sites. 

Think Like an Archaeologist is a four classroom session program with an additional visit to a local museum. The sessions introduce 6th grade Social Studies students to the process of archaeology through hands-on sessions. This is a partnership program between Brown University’s Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World, the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology, the RISD Museum at the Rhode Island School of Design, and the Rhode Island Historical Society.

Additional Resources

We also recommend checking out the following resources from other museums, nonprofit educational groups, professional organizations, and federal agencies for accurate information on anthropology, archaeology, indigenous history and culture, and other related topics.