Plan A Field Trip

Reservations for Field Trips to the Site*

• Pre- and post-classroom visits are available upon request. See program information table below for available programs.
• Call our visitor center weekdays at [phone] between 9:00 AM and 4:30 PM, or download the Group Reservation Form. (PDF, 53KB)
• Please note: No food, drinks or gum are allowed in the site.

Once completed, the form can be emailed (there is a link on the document), faxed to [phone] or mailed to:

Brown v. Board of Education NHS
Attn: Group Coordinator
1515 SE Monroe Street
Topeka, KS 66612

Confirmation

The Education Ranger will either mail or email your confirmation letter to confirm the details of your visit. If you need to cancel, please email or call [phone] as soon as possible.

• We can accommodate up to 90 students per visit.
• One adult is required for every ten students.
• Chaperones are required to maintain control of their group at all times.
• If you have a larger group, it may be necessary to divide into two or three groups.
• We recommend groups plan to eat lunches outside or on their buses because food and drinks are not allowed in the site.
• Upon arrival, a park ranger will meet the group to begin your tour of Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site.

Tour Length

• Tours are typically 90 minutes long, depending on programs selected.
• Arriving late may cause your program to be shortened or canceled.
• The confirmation letter shows the correct time, date, and location of your program.

*Transportation field trip grants may be available to school districts within 75 miles that apply. For more information, please contact the Education Specialist by phone at [phone] or by email by clicking here.

 

Educational Programs

Name	Length	Grades	Group Size	Classroom Visit	Site Visit	Distance Learning	Description
Fair is Fair	45 min	K-2	25	X	X		Students will watch a short 15 min video about what being fair means followed by a discussion about feelings, being alike and or different. An art activity follows to decorate an eagle based on the mascot of the movie. Curriculum packet available for many other lessons
National Parks	1-1.5 hrs	K-8	30	X	X		Great for pre-visit. Magnificent landforms are displayed through short videos and book where students will learn about National Parks through games, art, maps, reading and writing activities.
Self-Guided Gallery Tours	1-1.5 hrs	K-12	90		X		A ranger will greet you at the front entrance for a brief orientation to the story and the site. The exhibits are self-guided. NOTE: The Hall of Courage exhibit is recommended for ages 12 and up due to disturbing images.
Don't Say Ain't	45 min	1-5	30	X	X		Ranger reads a book that tells of an event that makes three friends different and how they are able to overcome it. It becomes interactive when the jump rope chant from the book is continued outside with jump ropes and hopscotch.
Letters From Home	30-45 min	3-6	30	X	X	X	Letters written from soldiers in the civil war and the wars of today that are fighting for our freedom. Students will prepare weeks in advance to bring items to pack and send care packages to soldiers in Afghanistan while writing their own letter.
Jacks, Jump Ropes and Marbles	45 min	3-6	35	X	X		This activity trunk contains reproduction toys and games from 1950's America. The program is designed to make school and recess come alive for children by providing them with games and toys children used more than fifty years ago.
Pass It On	30-60 min	3-8	30	X	X		Great for wrap-up for post-visit. Students will watch a short 12 min video about what engaged citizens can do to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of diversity.
Photo Thoughts	30 min	3-12	30	X	X		Groups will observe and post their thoughts on primary source images to discuss and share with others.
The Five Icons	50 min	3-12	30	X	X		Great for pre- or post-visit. An introduction to the museum that organizes the story of Brown v. Board of Education into five sections which are symbolized by five icons. The group will discover and discuss the different areas of the civil rights struggle by using the icons and follow up with a 30 minute movie that is also divided into those same five areas.
History Hunters	30-45 min	4-6	30	X	X		This activity trunk is designed to introduce learners to the ways that historians, archeologists, and anthropologists use primary resources to learn about the past. Students will role play by wearing costumes identifying each as an anthropologist, archeologist, or historian.
Great PB&J Debate	30-45 min	4-6	30	X	X	X	Interactive, ranger‐led program discussing the importance of the 14th Amendment to the end of segregation laws.
Scavenger Hunt/Trivia Game	1-1.5 hrs	4-8	30		X		While in the exhibits students will seek answers while focusing and utilizing maps, timelines, music and videos. Then teams will play to win in our very own Trivia Game.
School Boards, Busing and Brown	1-1.5 hrs	7-12				X	Interactive, ranger-led program analyzing political cartoons in reference to the Brown case and segregation.
Guess Who	1 hr	9-12	25	X	X		This lesson provides students to observe, discuss and overcome stereotypes. through dialogue.

For a complete Topeka experience focusing on the enduring struggle for freedom in Kansas, we recommend the following programs:

Name	Length	Grades	Location	Description
Kansas State Capitol Tour	1 hr	K-12	Kansas State Capitol	During your visit, you'll see: Restored Representative Hall and Senate Chamber Former Supreme Court chamber Governor's ceremonial office John Steuart Curry murals Capitol Store (with Kansas and Capitol treasures)
Rediscover Freedom's Pathway	1.5 hrs	3-7	The Ritchie House	During this tour, students will learn about abolitionists John and Mary Ritchie and their commitment building a moral, learned and inclusive community.
General/Gallery Highlights	1 hr	4-12	Kansas Museum of History	The award-winning museum tells the story of the people of Kansas and also includes: John Brown's pike Civil War battle flags Flag from Quantrill's raid Carry Nation's hammer 1868 stagecoach 1950s diner Museum Store with unique Kansas gifts Changing exhibits
Bleeding Kansas and the Civil War	1 hr	6-8	Kansas Museum of History	This tour introduces students to the action in Kansas during the Territorial era (1854-1861) and the roles that Kansans played during the Civil War. A museum docent leads students through the Territorial Kansas and Civil War sections of the permanent gallery, providing stories and insight about the people who lived in Kansas during these turbulent years and the objects on display. Students then go to the museum classroom to inspect reproduction artifacts and determine which Kansas residents of the time period would have used them.

If your tour includes Brown v. Board of Education NHS and you receive a transportation grant, your transportation costs to these other sites will be included. Please contact these other organizations to make reservations for their sites by clicking on their names above.