Dino-Mite!

Kindergarten to Grade 7

What can fossils teach us about past life on Earth? In this hand -on program, students will examine real fossils to decipher clues about dinosaurs and other prehistoric life. They will explore ancient bones, shells, and teeth from across North America through a variety of dinosaur images. Finally, students will create their own 'fossil' to take home!

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $4 per student
October through December, Wednesday & Friday
April through June, Monday & Wednesday

Small Animals of BC

Kindergarten to Grade 4

Weasels and beavers and bears, oh my! What do these animals have in common? Through a hands-on examination of a variety of mounted specimens, students will explore the world of mammals and learn how local animals adapt to their environment and to seasonal changes. Learn about mammal physiology, food chains, and life cycles as you get close up with our furry friends.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $3 per student
October through December, Wednesday & Friday
April through June, Monday & Wednesday

Birds of BC

Kindergarten to Grade 4

See eye-to-eye with an eagle or wing it with a woodpecker! This unique program will introduce students to the birds of British Columbia with a hands-on, sensory experience. Study the fascinating behaviour of birds, their songs, eggs, and nest-building techniques!

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $3 per student
October through December, Wednesday & Friday
April through June, Monday & Wednesday

Night Wings

Grades 3 to 6

Whooo’s out there at night? This program will reveal how an owl’s physical characteristics, sharp senses and hunting habits combine to make it one of nature’s most efficient predators. Students will learn about owls through a selection of mounted specimens and visual images, and will dissect an owl pellet to investigate the diet of local owls and their place in the food chain.

Duration: 90 minutes
Cost: $4 per student
Call for availability

Ethnobotany: Plants and People

Grade 3 to Adult

This program illustrates the interaction of people and plants throughout history, and the numerous ways that people depend on plants. Given a variety of indigenous plant samples, students will use their senses to examine each plant while learning about its traditional use. The program concludes with a hands-on activity where the students will create a memento to take home, using a selection of dried plants.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $4 per student
October through December, Wednesday & Friday
April through June, Monday & Wednesday

Lure of a Valley

Grade 3 to Adult

How would life be different a 100 years ago? Students will discover some of the differences and similarities of life over the past century through the examination of artefacts. History comes alive with images of people and places throughout the Okanagan Valley. Tracking our growth from the fur trade to the building of the Okanagan Lake Bridge, we will discover how this valley has lured settlers, from the past to the present!

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $3 per student
Call for availability

Living History - The Okanagan's Pioneers

All ages

Join us for this living history program exploring the life of an early Okanagan Valley pioneer. Meet a portrayal of one of the area's first settlers, hear their personal stories and memories. See and touch the early photographs and historical artefacts which they may have owned and used. This one-hour program includes a hands-on activity in which children make a paper sailboat pioneer toy.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $3 per student
Call for availability

The Fur Trade

Grades 4 to 6

The legacy of the Fur Trade began almost four hundred years ago when access to new territories was created by the discovery of Hudson Bay. Students will examine the history of the fur trade during Canada's development through visual images and artefacts, and learn about the travellers on the Fur Brigade Trail in the Okanagan Valley. Using actual trade goods and furs, students will participate in a dramatization of a fur trade.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $3 per student
January through March, Thursday & Friday

The Gold Rush

Grades 4 to 6

From maintenance and management to mania and mayhem, our province’s gold rush era demonstrates how a single moment of discovery can lead to an entire landscape of change. What equipment was used in the gold fields? Who and where were some of the well-known people and places? What are some of the secrets and stories of finding gold? Find the answers and view artifacts from the gold rush era.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $3 per student
January through March, Thursday & Friday

Ancient Egypt - The Art of Mummification

Grades 7 to 9

The Ancient Egyptian civilisation spanned thousands of years, with intriguing beliefs, rituals, and cultural practices such as that of mummification. Examine artefacts and visual images to learn about ancient mummies and Egyptian civilisation. Learn the techniques and procedures of mummification; the fascinating facts, and what secrets may be revealed by the smallest details. Students will mummify an object as a memento of the day.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $4 per student
January through March, Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday

Age of Discovery – The Renaissance

Grades 7 to 9

Many historians believe that the Renaissance was the beginning of modern history. In this interactive one hour program, students explore the inventions, voyages, artwork, and philosophy of this era and examine how the scientific and mathematical discoveries changed the world. Renaissance inventions and replica artifacts are included, as is a hands-on sketching activity using mulberry paper and graphite.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $3 per student
January through March, Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday

First Nation Studies

Grade 4 ONLY

This program is offered only to teachers and students in Grade 4 within School District #23. Groups from other educational institutions are welcome to contact us to discuss other opportunities for First Nation Studies at the Okanagan Heritage Museum.

The program, held at the Okanagan Heritage Museum is presented in conjunction with the First Nations Cultural Program of School District #23 and is sponsored by School District #23. Focusing on the Aboriginal People of the Interior, it will include interactive activities, a visit to our pit house (winter dwelling) and an examination of artefacts. Students will learn about traditional hunting and foraging practices, utilitarian objects such as tools, weapons, and baskets, as well as drumming, singing, and story-telling. The program includes an activity led by an Aboriginal presenter.

Duration: 120 minutes
October through December, Tuesday & Thursday
March through June, Tuesday, Thursday ∓ Friday

Attention teachers! Please book early! This program is fully funded by SD#23, and space is limited.

First Peoples of the Interior

Grades 1 to 12

Learn what life was like for the First People of the Interior at the time of, and after, contact with Europeans. Using the permanent exhibitions of the Okanagan Heritage Museum, students will learn about trade and barter, settlement, and the introduction of different technologies to the First Peoples, and how they responded and adapted to a changing world. This will be followed by a fun hands-on activity.

Duration: 90 minutes
Cost: $4 per student
Call for availability

Contact and Conflict

Grades 9 to 12

In 1871, when it joined Confederation, British Columbia was the only province in which Aboriginal people were the majority. By 1911, they represented only 5.5% of the provincial population. In the Interior, the peaceful existence of the First People changed soon after the first contact with Europeans in 1811. With artifacts from the fur traders, the missionaries, and the early settlers, students will examine the effects of contact historically and through contemporary issues. This program includes a hands-on creative activity.

Duration: 90 minutes
Cost: $4 per student
Call for availability

First Nation Custom Programs

Please note that additional opportunities are available to teachers and students upon request. Feel free to call us at (250) 868-4836 for booking and availability.

Walking Through Time: Your Kelowna Museums

All ages

Put on your walking shoes and get ready to embark on a journey back in time! Your guide will lead you on a journey of discovery, concentrating on history and memorable stories told through an interactive one hour visit to Your Kelowna Museums! History will come alive on this walking tour to the Okanagan Heritage Museum, Okanagan Military Museum, and the new BC Orchard Industry Museum.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $3 per student
April through June

Self-Guided Tours

Self-guided visits are by donation, and must be scheduled through the Department so that there is no conflict with our other programming. Self guided visits must be within regular hours of operation only. For more information please call 250.868.4836

War Time Letters

Grades 4 to 9

Using actual letters, postcards, and message cards from the museum’s collection, students will examine the process of communication between soldiers overseas and loved ones at home during World War I and World War II. Narrative styles, penmanship, and tools of the trade such as the types of pens, papers and inks will be investigated. The program will be completed with a hands-on activity in which students will practice using pen and ink on a range of papers to write their own 'war time letter'.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $4 per student
October through April, Wednesday & Friday

Canadian Military History

Grade 11

This two-part presentation is an examination of the evolution of the roles played by the Canadian Forces since Confederation, and is designed to meet Grade 11 Social Studies learning outcomes. The 60 minute in-class PowerPoint presentation is supported by kit box artefacts from World War I and World War II. The following 60 minute component at the Okanagan Military Museum has students rotating through three activity stations as they tour the museum: Postcards Home, Weapons of War, and a Scavenger Hunt.

Duration: 60 minutes in-class and a 60 minute museum tour & program
Cost: $4 per student
Call for availability

The Kit Box

All ages

Discover the Okanagan Military Museum! This program begins with a tour of the museum and is followed by an exploration of the Kit Box. This wooden trunk is similar to a soldier's travelling trunk and contains military artefacts, uniforms and memorabilia from our collections. Students will learn the history of each article while handling it and will discuss how it was used and why. Hands-on learning with stories and shared experiences brings Canadian Military history alive.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $3 per student
Call for availability

Remembrance Day at the Okanagan Military Museum

All ages

The Okanagan Military Museum is a perfect place to come to remember, not only around the time of Remembrance Day but throughout the year. Learning and understanding about the service of Canadians, in war and in peace, helps us to put meaning into such celebrations as Remembrance Day.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $3 per student
Call for availability

The Trees We Eat

Grade 3 to 5

This interactive program begins with a tour and will introduce participants to the various tree fruits of British Columbia. Students will learn several ways to identify different fruit trees, as well as discuss seasonal jobs in an orchard and how tree fruits get from the farm to the consumer. Students will use their senses to compare the characteristics of different types of apples and finish with a taste of new and traditional apple varieties.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $4 per student
October through December, Monday & Wednesday
March through June, Monday & Wednesday

Bugs: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Kindergarten to Grade 6

Join us in the newly renovated Orchard Museum to discover the world of bugs! After a tour of the museum, students will play a game of 'Good Bug or Bad Bug', examining some common creepy crawlies that we have in our Okanagan orchards. Next, become a famous entomologist and take an up-close look at a wide variety of real insect specimens.

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $3 per student
October through December, Tuesday & Wednesday
March through June, Tuesday & Wednesday

The Earth Beneath Our Feet

Kindergarten to Grade 3

Discover what soil is really made of! After a tour of the museum, the students will examine different types of soil and make observations about how they might affect local agriculture. We will take an up-close look at the components to the growth of plants and what can be seen in home-made topsoil, using our Scope-on-a-Rope. Dig in!

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $3 per student
October through March, Monday & Wednesday

The Discovery Box

All ages

Come and discover the Orchard Industry of BC! The Discovery Box program begins with a tour of the BC Orchard Industry Museum followed by an exploration of the Discovery Box. Artefacts in the box come from the orchards of BC, both past and present, and students will examine and try on items from many aspects of the industry. Guessing is allowed!

Duration: 60 minutes
Cost: $3 per student
Call for availability

Wish You Were Here

The world feels like it’s getting smaller as more people travel. Souvenirs remind us of places we have been and things that we have done during our time away from home, and Wish You Were Here is a diverse collection of artifacts that have been brought back to Kelowna from around the world.

July 22, 2010 through November 26, 2010

Alive History

The Kelowna Museums are proud to present a new online project called Alive History To help launch this exciting new web site, we are holding a contest. Your class could win! Check it out at www.AliveHistory.ca for full contest rules and prize information.

Heritage Week

This year’s theme is Communications of Heritage. Join us for a public walking tour of the Kelowna Museums and the Cultural District to explore buildings and sites relating to post, telegraph, telephone, radio and television. The kick-off breakfast will take place on February 21st at the Okanagan Heritage Museum.

February 21-27, 2011

Okanagan Regional History Fair

Taking place April 29th & 30th, 2011, Heritage Fairs begin in the classroom with students producing a project on a time, place, person or event in Canadian history that touches them. Students are then selected to present their projects at the Regional Fair with opportunities to continue onto the Provincial and National Fairs! Watch for more information about our Regional Fair!

Culture Connection

Grades 9 to 12

Students will spend a half day in Kelowna's Cultural District where they will learn about the history of the area and the inner working of galleries, museums and theatres. Culture Connection is a partnership of the Kelowna Museums, the Kelowna Art Gallery, the Rotary Centre for the Arts, School District #23 and the City of Kelowna.

Duration: 9:30am to 11:30am
Cost: $4 per student
April 11-15, 2011