Education Programs and Resources

A school bus arrives for a tour.

A variety of tours and programs are available at Joseph Priestley House for teachers and students including home-school family groups. Come visit the 1798 manor house Priestley and his family built in Northumberland, Pennsylvania, where you and your students can investigate Priestley's ideas.

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A field trip to Joseph Priestley House addresses Pennsylvania Academic Standards in many subject areas, including social studies, science, reading, civics, and more! School group field trips are scheduled by appointment with special admission rates. Call 570-473-9474 at least one week in advance of your desired date to make tour reservations. Special programs in addition to or in lieu of a tour may also be available. Please call to discuss availability and your needs.

The site has two picnic tables available on the grounds if you wish to bring bag lunches.

School Tour
This field trip option includes a 10-minute orientation film, The Legacy of Joseph Priestley, and a guided tour of Priestley House. Groups up to 25 people should allow 1 hour and 15 minutes. Larger groups require additional time.

Special Focus Program or Activity in Lieu of school tour
GRADES 1-6:
How Many, How High, How Much? - A specialized tour of the museum offering students a chance to count, measure and estimate various aspects of the Priestley House. Program will be adapted mathematical themes recommended levels 1, 3 and 5 of the anchors assessments in the Pennsylvania Department of Education Mathematical Curriculum Standards. 1 hour, 15 min.

From Fuzz to Fashion in 1800 - An interactive exploration of how clothing was made 200 years ago - from fiber to finish - and what clothes tell us about the people who wore them. 45 minutes to one hour.

GRADES 3-8
"Did you see that?" - A hands-on survey of the science of optics, light, vision and color - a subject Joseph Priestley explored in his work. Fun demonstrations of optical tricks and toys with brief explanations of how each works, designed so that students could recreate the experiments at home or in the classroom. 45 minutes to one hour.

Science Sampler - Hands-on demonstrations serve as an introduction to topics Priestley worked on or wrote about. Sparks, flying objects, flashing colors and more! 1 hour, 15 min.

Summer History Camp
Junior historians having finished 1st - 5th grades participate in hands-on history sessions on three mornings in July. Crafts, games, snacks and fun enhance various thematic presentations and demonstrations focused on the life and times of Joseph Priestley and his family. Advance registration is required. Cost is $35.00 per child for all 3 sessions. Call or email us to request an informational flyer and registration forms.

Hands-on History Trunk Outreach Program
Costumed volunteer staff from Joseph Priestley House bring a hands-on history trunk filled with replica objects into your classroom. The program brings to life the clothing and activities of children, including education, work and pastimes circa 1800, when the grandchildren of Joseph Priestley lived and played in Northumberland. Presenters also talk about trades and craftsmen of the period.

This one-hour interactive program is suitable for 3rd and 4th grade students. Due to limited volunteer resources, this outreach program is available only by appointment to public and private schools within the Shikellamy School District. There is no charge for the program. Call Brooke Dearman at 570-473-9474 for the program schedule.

Further Reading:

Marcus, Rebecca B. (1961). A First Biography: Joseph Priestley Pioneer Chemist. Franklin Watts, Inc.: New York.

(2006) Joseph Priestley & the Discovery of Oxygen. Mitchell Lane Publishers, Inc.: Newark, DE. (part of the publisher's "Uncharted, Unexplored, & Unexplained" book set)