Homeschool History Program

Join us for hands-on lessons about Portsmouth history!

Join the Portsmouth Historical Society for eight 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 $10/student for Historical Society members and $12/student for non-members. Sign up for all eight lessons and you’ll get one lesson free! 

Lessons take place on the third Friday of each month, with the exception of September, which is on a fourth Friday. There will be no December lesson. 

Dates and topics:

September 27th: “The Matter of Memory” 

Our first program is rooted in our current exhibition, “The Matter of Memory.” We’ll tour the exhibition and take a look at how we study history and what different objects can tell us about the past.

October 18th: Indigenous New Hampshire

Learn about the Abenaki, Wabanaki, and Pennacook people who have called this area home for over 12,000 years.

November 15th: Life in the Colonial Era

Investigate artifacts from the colonial period, and try out some modern-day versions to see how these objects would have been used.

No December class

January 17th: Portsmouth and the Revolution

Learn about Portsmouth’s connection to the Revolutionary War and take a look at objects like cannonballs and powder horns that were a part of a Revolutionary soldier’s life.

February 21st: The Portsmouth Fires

Before water was readily available at every faucet and fire hydrant, how were fires put out? Learn about the history of firefighting and the Portsmouth fires that changed the face of the city.

March 21st: New Hampshire Waterways

How have oceans and rivers shaped life in New Hampshire? Learn about all the different kinds of watercraft that have been a staple of life in this area for as long as humans have been living here.

April 18th: Visit the African Burying Grounds 

What was life like for free and enslaved Black residents of Portsmouth in the colonial period? Join us at the African Burying Grounds and Seacoast African American Cultural Center for this lesson!

May 16th: Tour the John Paul Jones House

For our final lesson, we’ll visit the John Paul Jones House to learn, not just about the house’s history, but also about how historical objects are preserved! Check out what a historical house museum is like behind the scenes!