K–12 Programs
Bring the museum to your students through frameworks-oriented programs! Each program is taught by a museum educator. All programs are 60 minutes unless noted.
Available Programs
Day of the Dead
Class capacity: 25 students
Class length: 45 minutes plus 15 for craft
Available in museum or virtually
Taught in either Spanish or English
On the Day of the Dead, Mexicans celebrate death as a part of life. Visit an altar to explore the indigenous and colonial elements of this festival through nichos, papel picado, skeletons, candle stands, and other artifacts. Groups taught in the museum choose to make skull masks or paper flowers to take home.
Supports Massachusetts social studies standards 1.T1.1, 1.T4.3
Photo © EJSP | Julieta Sarmiento
Globetrotters
Class capacity: 25 students
Class length: 50 minutes
Available in museum only
Taught in either Spanish or English
Young anthropologists travel the world, comparing artifacts from Africa, Asia, South America, Europe, Australia and North America. Students use a map of the continents and images of the environment to explore how different natural resources and environmental challenges shape the clothes, toys, and tools that peoples of the world use daily.
Supports Massachusetts social studies standards 2.T3.2 and 2.T3.3
Read with Raven
Class capacity: 25 students
Class length: 50 minutes
Available in museum or virtually
Taught in English
Explore the elements of a Pacific Northwest folktale using close looking and object-based discussion. Students are transported to a cedar longhouse in the Pacific Northwest, and storytelling techniques are used to help students understand the tale’s central message, identify the characters and structure of the tale, and learn more about objects made by Alaska native Tlingit and other native peoples. Students can create their own stories with a free worksheet.
Supports Massachusetts language arts standards MA. RL.K.5 – RL.2.5, MA.RL.3.2, W.K.1, W.1.3, W.2.3
Arctic Days
- Class capacity: 25 students
Class length: 60 minutes
Available in museum only
Taught in either Spanish or English
Delve deeper into one geographic region and explore ways that Inuit, Yupik, and other arctic peoples in the U.S. and Canada responded historically to the challenging environment and engineered appropriate food, clothing, and shelter. Photographs and video clips show how native responses to climate continue today.
Supports Massachusetts standards: 4.T2.2, 4.T5.1 & 4.T5.2
Day of the Dead
Class capacity: 25 students
Class length: 45 minutes plus 15 for craft
Available in museum or virtually
Taught in either Spanish or English
On the Day of the Dead, Mexicans celebrate death as a part of life. Visit an altar to explore the indigenous and colonial elements of this festival through nichos, papel picado, skeletons, candle stands, and other artifacts. Groups taught in the museum choose to make skull masks or paper flowers to take home.
Supports Massachusetts World Language Standards 4.Nov.C, 5.Int.C, 6.Nov.C
Photo © EJSP | Julieta Sarmiento
Igloos to Adobe
Class capacity: In-museum class: 25 students, online class: 50 students
Class length: 60 minutes
Available in museum or virtually
Taught in either Spanish or English
Explore cultural diversity and history among Native peoples in the Northeast, Southwest, and Arctic. Through guided discovery, students investigate exhibits of food, clothing, and homes to understand how the environment influences people and their culture. Students learn how Native communities like the Wampanoag, Diné, and Yukpik keep traditions alive today.
Supports Massachusetts social studies standards 4.T2.2, 4.T4a through 4.T4e, 5.T1
Aztec and Maya Leaders
Class capacity: 50 students
Class length: 60 minutes
Available virtually only
Taught in English
Compare the monuments, buildings, and symbols associated with royal power in Maya and Aztec civilizations. Students learn to read the built landscape of pyramids, stelae, and altars to understand the responsibilities and benefits of leadership. A museum educator streams into your classroom from the exhibit galleries to show examples of a codex, Maya stelae, an Aztec altar, and other artifacts. A companion PowerPoint slideshow provides maps and photographic support to put the artifacts in context.
Supports Massachusetts social studies standards 6.T5c
Day of the Dead
Class capacity: 25 students
Class length: 45 minutes plus 15 for craft
Available in museum or virtually
Taught in either Spanish or English
On the Day of the Dead, Mexicans celebrate death as a part of life. Visit an altar to explore the indigenous and colonial elements of this festival through nichos, papel picado, skeletons, candle stands and other artifacts. Groups taught in the museum choose to make skull masks or paper flowers to take home.
Supports Massachusetts World Language Standards 4.Nov.C, 5.Int.C, 6.Nov.C
Photo © EJSP | Julieta Sarmiento
Foragers to Farmers
Class capacity: 24 students
Class length: 75 minutes
Available in museum only
Taught in English
Students tour displays from native creators like the Shoshone, Ute, Salish and Maya to identify characteristics of foraging and farming groups. Students experiment with stone blades and leather, grinding utensils, and hand drills to learn more about early Neolithic activities and understand the pivot from nomadic lifestyles to farming.
A 4-lesson unit comparing early human lifeways is available, featuring map and chart worksheets on climate impacts and a mock dig kit with replica artifacts. Pick up the kit from the museum before your visit and return it during your field trip.
Supports Massachusetts social studies standards 6.T2.3, 6.T2.4
Magnificent Maya
Class capacity: In-museum class: 25 students, online class: 50 students
Class length: 60 minutes
Available in museum or virtually
Taught in either English or Spanish
Investigate Classic Period Maya culture through the clues left behind in tools, buildings, and writing. Identify the primary characteristics of a civilization, see antique replicas of famous Maya monuments, and learn about the presence of the Maya today.
Supports Massachusetts social studies standards 6.T5c
Mesopotamian Monuments
Class capacity: 50 students
Class length: 60 minutes
Available virtually
Taught in English
Mesopotamian Monuments investigates antique-replica sculptures from Sumer, Babylonia, and Assyria on display in the Harvard Museum of the Ancient Near East. Guided by a museum educator using a 3D model of the museum and embedded 360-degree images, the class analyzes artifacts as primary sources to understand the characteristics of three ancient river civilizations. This lively program highlights the Sumerian ruler Gudea, Hammurabi of Babylon, the Assyrian king Ashurnasirpal II, and cuneiform.
Free “Field Notebooks” are available for download so that students may record details during the program and use for later reference.
Supports Massachusetts social studies standards 6.T3b
Day of the Dead
Class capacity: 25 students
Class length: 45 minutes plus 15 for craft
Available in museum or virtually
Taught in either Spanish or English
On the Day of the Dead, Mexicans celebrate death as a part of life. Visit an altar to explore the indigenous and colonial elements of this festival through nichos, papel picado, skeletons, candle stands, and other artifacts. Groups taught in the museum choose to make paper flowers to take home.
Supports Massachusetts World Language Standards 4.Nov.C, 5.Int.C, 6.Nov.C
Photo © EJSP | Julieta Sarmiento
Repatriation
Class capacity: 25 students
Class length: 50 minutes
Available in museum
Taught in English
This discussion tour acknowledges bias by showing how past collection methods relied on racial and colonial assumptions. Students explore ways museums share authority so that Native nations decide how their heritage is interpreted and housed. We end with honoring the spirit of repatriation laws and view the return of cultural belongings not as an end, but as ongoing ethical care.
The following programs can be taught in either Spanish or primarily in English, with key terms reinforced in Spanish. Please indicate your preference on the reservation request page. See grade level sections above for class descriptions.
Arctic Days (3-5)
Day of the Dead (All grades)
Globetrotters (K-2)
Igloos to Adobe (3-5)
Magnificent Maya (6-8)
Read with Raven (K-2)
Orientation in either English or Spanish by a bilingual educator
Visit the museum without a facilitated program. Museum staff greet groups, review museum rules, and provide bins for coats and lunches. Eat picnic-style indoors on the floor in the education room, or if the weather is nice, choose a spot on the lawn. All four museums are available for your group with staggered entry arranged in advance. Try a scavenger hunt across two museums or reserve the free Museum Mysteries Kit to play a quiet hands-on game in the Peabody Native American galleries (ages 5–12). Larger groups are welcome with the appropriate number of chaperones.
How to Schedule a Visit
Please complete the online Reservation Request Form as far in advance as possible to begin the reservations process. When the request has been reviewed, you will be contacted by the Education Department to complete the reservation.
Following a confirmed reservation, you will be emailed an invoice for your visit. Please review the information carefully, and be sure to contact us if anything is incorrect. The reservations desk can be reached at pmaereserve@hmsc.harvard.edu or by calling (617) 495-3216
Why choose a Peabody Museum Program?
- Peabody Museum programs are delivered by a museum educator from the galleries
- Selected programs are offered both in-person and virtually
- Virtual Peabody Museum programs are offered via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or other platforms
- We care for the largest collection of cultural materials in the United States
- Museum programs align with Massachusetts social sciences frameworks
- Students are encouraged to use observation and inquiry skills to form new perspectives on cultures
Museum Policies
All policies are subject to change based on university guidance.
- Walking, no running or active play in all museum spaces, including the education classroom, to protect visitors and museum objects from harm.
- Low voices. This is an active school with active classrooms, so no yelling or loud voices from chaperones or students.
- Gently touch only if there is a sign indicating you can touch. If there is no sign, please do not touch. Especially, do not touch the Maya and Aztec plaster casts on the third floor.
- Food and drinks may be consumed in the museum's Education Classroom only. Lunches or snacks may be stored in the classroom.
- No flash photography to protect the colors of objects.
- Youth need to stay within sight of chaperones at all times.
- Chaperones are expected to be actively engaged in maintaining these guidelines.
Reservations are required for programs and visits. As availability is limited, we recommend that programs be reserved as far in advance as possible.
The reservations desk may be contacted by phone at (617) 495-3216 or emailed at pmaereserve@hmsc.harvard.edu.
Following a confirmed reservation, a pricing estimate for the visit and online materials will be emailed. Please review the information carefully, and be sure to call us if anything is incorrect.
Delays and Cancellations
- Delays: If your group is running late, call (617) 495-2341 (weekdays) or (617) 495-3045 (weekends).
- Cancellations: Notify the Education Department immediately by email pmaereserve@hmsc.harvard.edu. Groups canceling within two weeks prior to a scheduled program will be charged the full fee.
- Snow Emergencies: Groups forced to cancel the morning of their visit due to a snow emergency will not be charged and are welcome to reschedule.
School & Group Programs
Reservations are required for all school and group visits.
K–12 Program Fees (In-Person)
$100 per program plus $10 museum admission for each student.
One chaperone per five students admitted free
$10.00 per additional adult chaperone
- Number of students: 10-25
- Your school may qualify for reduced fees if the percentage of needy students is 40% or higher. Contact reservations to find out.
K-12 and Youth Group Admission Fees (No Program)
$10.00 per student
One chaperone per five youth admitted free
$10.00 per additional adult chaperone
Number of students: 10 or more
- Length: Most group visits are two to three hours or less.
- Your school may qualify for free group visits if the percentage of needy students is 40% or higher; contact reservations to find out.
K-12 Program Fees (Virtual)
- $150 for groups of 10–50.
- Start times: 9:30 am, then on the half-hour until 3:00 pm.
- Number of students: 10–50 per session.
- Length: One hour, except for the 40-minute Day of the Dead program.
- Your Massachusetts school may qualify for reduced fees if the percentage of needy students is 40% or higher. Contact reservations to find out.
Payment and Attendance Policy
- We request payment by credit card, if possible, which supports our environmental sustainability goals and reduces administrative costs.
- Payment is due by the day of the scheduled visit. Payment in advance is welcome. Please reach out if this is not possible for your group.
- Accepted Payment Methods: Credit Card (preferred), Cash, or Check (payable to Harvard University). Purchase Orders (PO) must be arranged with our office in advance.
- Refunds: No refunds will be issued if your group arrives with fewer people than booked.
- Headcount Changes: You may adjust your participant numbers up to three business days before your trip.
- Day-of Additions: If you bring more than three (3) unexpected students or adults, they will be charged regular walk-in rates ($15 per student / $20 per adult).
Financial Aid
- Fee reductions are available for in schools with a needy population of 40% or higher. Please note if this may apply to your school in the comments/questions section of the Reservation Request Form. Cambridge public schools are always free of charge.
Delays and Cancellations
- Delays: If your group is running late, call (617) 495-2341 (weekdays) or (617) 495-3045 (weekends).
- Cancellations: Notify the Education Department immediately by email pmaereserve@hmsc.harvard.edu. Groups canceling within two weeks prior to a scheduled program will be charged the full fee.
- Snow Emergencies: Groups forced to cancel the morning of their visit due to a snow emergency will not be charged and are welcome to reschedule.
Additional Information
- Educators are invited to visit the museum for free in advance to develop assignments for their students’ visits. Please contact pmaereserve@hmsc.harvard.edu to arrange your free visit.
Free Benefits
Teachers receive special benefits at the Peabody Museum, including:
- An opportunity to preview the museum when it is open to the public without your students. Enjoy one free admission per AFT or MTA member card or school ID for K–12 teachers working in Massachusetts schools. This offer does not apply to scheduled group visits
- Resources for teachers for selected programs
- Access to multimedia, videos, and lectures related to featured educational programs and current exhibitions of interest to teachers and students
- Collections Online is a library of the museum’s collections, including what is on view and what is behind-the-scenes
- Watch the Peabody Museum Pre-Visit Video
- Many free lectures and programs. For details, see the calendar of events