Education

Child watching a computer screen.

Virtual School Programs

The Museums of Mississauga bring heritage to life by visually narrating the early settler experience and life in the nineteenth century through to the modern era. Our programs are designed to support the learning objectives of the Ontario curriculum at each level.

In this unprecedented time, we have adapted our school program offerings so that we can continue to provide educational services to schools and our community while keeping everyone safe.

Book a virtual program for your class today! Guides and Scouts groups are welcome to book a virtual program to run on an evening or weekend. Programs are available starting January 18, 2021. Sap to Syrup is available starting February 22, 2021.

Each virtual school program is $150 per session and includes:

  • Three pre-recorded videos with heritage demonstrations and discussions.
  • Each video is designed to be stopped at certain points so students can discuss concepts and answer questions asked in the video.
  • Copy of recipe from cooking video.
  • Kahoot quizzes.
  • Individual pre-packaged activity for each student to complete in class/at home.
  • 45 minute live virtual session with a museum staff member including a guided activity and Q&A session

Thanks to the generous support of the Friends of the Museums of Mississauga, schools in Mississauga that book a virtual school program are eligible to receive a rebate of $150. Rebates are limited to one per school. Schools are required to pay for their program booking in advance, and will receive the rebate within 60 days of their program. Rebates apply to programs booked between January 2021 and December 2021.

Book now

Virtual School Programs

Travel back in time and explore the daily life and customs of the Bradley family in 19th century Upper Canada. Students will also learn about relationships between early settlers and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.

Curriculum Connections

Subject(s): Social Studies
Curriculum Strand(s): Heritage & Identity
Curriculum Topic(s): Our Changing Roles & Responsibilities (gr. 1), Changing Family & Community Traditions (gr. 2), Communities in Canada, 1780-1850 (gr. 3)

Videos:

  • Making Bannock and kitchen discussion
  • Spinning Demo and fibre discussion
  • Indigenous Story of Mississauga

Live Guided Activity:

  • Kim's Game
  • Q & A

Kahoot Quizzes:

  • How to build a log cabin?
  • What did early settlers wear?
  • What did early settlers grow?

Individual pre-packaged craft activity (Teachers choose one craft activity option for whole class):

  • Ball and Cup Craft
  • Design a Quilt Block Craft
  • Sampler/Sewing Craft
Duration: 45 minute virtual session
Group Size: 45 students max
Availability: Starts January 18, 2021
Location: 
Online
Fee: $150

In this program, students will explore the stories and lack of stories of early Black Settlers in Peel using object-based, inquisitive learning.

Curriculum Connections

Subject(s): Social Studies, History & Geography
Curriculum Strand(s): Heritage & Identity, History
Curriculum Topic(s): Communities in Canada, Past & Present (gr. 6), New France & British North America, 1713-1800, Canada, 1800-1850: Conflict and Challenges (gr. 7), Creating Canada, 1850-1890, Canada, 1890-1914: A Changing Society (gr. 8)

Videos:

  • Making biscuits and food discussion
  • Carding demo and enslaved labour discussion
  • Mapping: land for the Loyalists discussion

Live Guided Activity:

  • Artifact guessing game
  • Q & A

Kahoot Quizzes:

  • Black community contributions to Peel
  • Navigating the Underground Railway
  • What's in your suitcase?

Individual pre-packaged craft activity:

  • Exploring evidence left behind: primary source activity
Duration: 45 minute virtual session
Group Size: 45 students max
Availability: Starts January 18, 2021
Location: 
Online
Fee: $150

In this program students discover the magic of maple trees as they explore how sap is collected and boiled over an open fire. They will compare the maple sugaring traditions of Indigenous communities, settlers and modern maple sugar bushes.

Curriculum Connections

Subject(s): Science & Technology, Social Studies, History & Geography
Curriculum Strand(s): Understanding Life Systems, Understanding Matter & Energy, Heritage & Identity, People & Environments
Curriculum Topic(s): Needs & Characteristics of Living Things, Energy in Our Lives (gr. 1), Properties of Liquids & Solids, Changing Family & Community Traditions (gr. 2), Growth & Changes in Plants, Communities in Canada, 1780-1850, Living & Working in Ontario (gr. 3), Political & Physical Regions of Canada (gr. 4), Properties of & Changes in Matter (gr. 5), Interactions in the Environment, Pure Substances & Mixtures (gr. 7), Fluids (gr. 8)

Videos:

  • Identifying and tapping maple trees
  • Collecting and boiling sap
  • Indigenous story of maple

Live Guided Activity:

  • Maples and climate change Jeopardy game
  • Q & A

Kahoot Quizzes:

  • Types of maple trees
  • Maple tools
  • Is maple syrup good for you?

Individual pre-packaged craft activity (teachers choose one craft activity option for whole class):

  • Story of Maple picture (K-Grade 2)
  • Maple tin punching (Grade 3-6)
  • Maple seed envelope (All Grades)
Duration: 45 minute virtual session
Group Size: 45 student max
Availability: Starts February 22, 2021
Location: 
Online
Fee: $150
A Child playing a traditional game using sticks and a hoop.

Guide & Scout Badge Programs

The Museums of Mississauga offer a variety of programs for Guides and Scouts at Bradley Museum and Benares Historic House year-round. Featuring historic house tours, historic cooking and crafts, programs are designed to complement the new Girls First and Youth-Led program initiatives. Programs are available on both evenings and weekends. Weekend programs can be combined to fill a whole day.Try an Overnight Program at the Bradley Museum! Arrive on a Friday or Saturday night for a sleepover at the Log Cabin. A pizza dinner and access to our fire pit is provided on the night of your arrival. The next morning, participants make a pancake breakfast and enjoy a program in the Bradley House. After the program, museum staff will cook a hot dog lunch with participants over the fire. The Bradley Museum is within walking distance to the Rattray Marsh and Lake Ontario. Groups wishing to arrive early or stay later to enjoy a hike can make arrangements to do so. All participants and leaders will receive a Log Cabin Overnight Crest.

Year Round and Seasonal Programs
1.5 hour - $6 per child (no tax for children 12 and under)
2 hours - $6.25 per child (no tax for children 12 and under)
Up to 6 adults included free per group

Overnight Programs
$48.25 per child (tax not included)
$24 per adult (tax not included)
First 2 adults are free per group

Year Round

Do you have what it takes to be an Early Settler? Test your skills and see how easy or hard life as an early settler could be. Participants will take part in a series of hands on tasks based on the daily routine of an early settler. Includes making a tasting a settler meal. Program activities are adapted for the age range of the participants.

Location:
Bradley Museum

Length:
1.5 to 2 hrs

Program Connections:
Guiding: Unit's Own: Canadian Connections
Scouting: Beaver Scouts - Personal Achievement Badge - Canada Beaver, Scouts - Personal Achievement Badge - Cub Scouts Canada

Explore how museums use research, artifact collections and programming to share local history through a series of interactive activities which will take participants around the museum in a scavenger hunt style game.

Location:
Benares Historic House

Length:
1.5 to 2 hrs

Program Connections:
Guiding: Build Skills - Life Stuff - Career Day
Scouting: Cub Scouts - Personal Achievement Badge - Cub Scouts Hobby

Explore the changing roles of women in Canada past and present using the real life stories and experiences of women from Mississauga.

Location:
Benares Historic House

Length:
1.5 - 2 hrs

Program Connections:
Guiding: Explore Identities - Gender Power - Herstory Lineup/ Canada's Herstory
Scouting: Scouts - Rideau Trail: Citizenship - Suffrage

Learn about the effect of WWI on the Canadian home front, the importance of remembrance and how you can impact the fight for peace across the word through a series of hands on activities which will help participants make a personal connection to the concepts of Remembrance and Peace.

Location:
Benares Historic House

Length:
1.5 - 2 hrs

Program Connections:
Guiding: BC Guiding Remembers Challenge
Scouting: Beaver Scouts - Personal Achievement Badge - Canada Beaver, Scouts - Personal Achievement Badge - Cub Scouts Canada

Explore the experiences and contributions of the Indigenous, Black Settler and United Empire Loyalist communities to Mississauga through a series of interactive games and activities.

Location:
Bradley Museum

Length:
1.5 - 2 hrs

Program Connections:
Guiding: Unit's Own: Canadian Connections
Scouting: Beaver Scouts - Personal Achievement Badge - Canada Beaver, Scouts - Personal Achievement Badge - Cub Scouts Canada

Try your hand at activities that were essential to an early settler family including lighting a fire, mending your own clothing and growing your own food. This program ends with enjoying a snack at our fire pit.

Location:
Bradley Museum

Length:
1.5 - 2 hrs

Program Connections:
Guiding: Unit's Own: Canadian Connections
Scouting: Beaver Scouts - Personal Achievement Badge - Canada Beaver, Scouts - Personal Achievement Badge - Cub Scouts Canada

Explore the Bradley site on both a letterboxing and geocaching quest. Participants will get a chance to use a compass and map and a GPS device to navigate as they search the Bradley site for hidden letterboxes and caches. This program is run outside in most weather conditions; participants must be dressed for outdoor exploration.

Location:
Bradley Museum

Length:
1.5 - 2 hrs

Program Connections:
Guiding: BC Geocaching Challenge
Scouting: Cub Scouts - Personal Achievement Badge - Cub Scouts Community

Seasonal

Discover the historical and modern process of making maple syrup from start to finish. Participants will get a chance to try a different activity at every stage of the process and taste test some sweet treats.

Location:
Bradley Museum

Length:
1 - 2 hrs

Program Connections:
Guiding: Quebec Maple Syrup Challenge
Unit's Own: Canadian Connections
Scouting: Beaver Scouts - Personal Achievement Badge - Canada Beaver, Scouts - Personal Achievement Badge - Cub Scouts Canada

Learn about winter celebrations past and present from around the world as you participate in elements of celebrations from Edwardian Christmas, Diwali, Hanukkah, Eid and Winter Solstice.

Location:
Benares Historic House

Length:
1 - 2 hrs

Program Connections:
Guiding: Unit's Own: Canadian Connections
Scouting: Beaver Scouts - Personal Achievement Badge - Spirit Beaver

Contact Us
For more information contact:
museums@mississauga.ca
905-615-4860 ex 2110

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