HOMESCHOOL: Portsmouth Historical Society Homeschool Days

Join the Portsmouth Historical Society for hands-on learning lessons about all different aspects of Seacoast history! These lessons are designed for homeschool families with students from ages 5 to 12, with adults present to help engage with the content and activities. 

Each lesson is $12/student for Historical Society members and $14/student for non-members. 

Lessons take place on the first Friday of each month, with the exception of the final lesson, which will take place on the fourth Friday in May. This session will meet from 10:00–11:30 am. 

Dates and topics:

October 3rd: Using Your Voice
Inspired by America’s upcoming 250th birthday, our lessons this season will focus on the topic of how people use their voices to change the world around them. We’ll begin with a visit to our “Winds of Change” exhibition and discuss how artists use their work to speak about what’s important to them.

November 7th: History in the Cemetery
Take a tour through North Cemetery - the second oldest cemetery in Portsmouth - and learn more about some of the influential figures buried there.

December 5th: Celia Thaxter and Poetry of Place
Learn about Celia Thaxter and her history with the Isles of Shoals. We’ll also take a look at her poetry and try our hand at writing about the places we love.

January 2nd: The Portsmouth Peace Treaty
Learn about Portsmouth’s special connection to the treaty that ended the Russo-Japanese War, and how the citizens of Portsmouth assisted in this important diplomatic endeavor.

February 6th: Women of Portsmouth During WW2
Learn about the Portsmouth women who took on all kinds of new jobs during the Second World War, and the impact they made on our city.

March 6th: Reinventing Portsmouth
Learn about the changes that happened to the landscape of Portsmouth in the 1960s and 1970s and the citizens who came together to create community.

April 3rd: Preserving Our Stories
How are the stories of the past preserved, and how will our stories be preserved in the future? Learn about the vital work of historians and archivists as we discuss present-day preservation.

May 22nd: Loyalist or Patriot: Visit the New Exhibition at the John Paul Jones House
For our final lesson, we’ll visit the brand new exhibition at the John Paul Jones House and learn about the lives of the citizens of Portsmouth on both sides of the Revolutionary War.