Homeschool Opportunities at the Salem Museum
We are happy to work with our local homeschool learners to bring history to life. We provide field trips and classroom visits to local co-ops. We welcome families to the Museum for visits, tours, and our special homeschool programs listed below. To learn more, contact Hunter Haskins at Hunter@SalemMuseum.org or 540-927-2066.
Homeschool Days at the Salem Museum
Students ages 5+ are invited to explore local history this school year. Learn interesting stories from our past, and get to hold pieces of history in your hand!
Each program will be held on the second Tuesday of each month, at 11:00am & 2:00pm. Each program will include an hour of hands-on history instruction, an activity, time to get to know other students, and explore the Museum's exhibits.
RSVP Required. Call 540-927-2066 or email Hunter@SalemMuseum.org to register.
Artists of Salem and the Roanoke Valley, November 10- Join us to learn about the lives and works of local artists. From nationally known names like Walter Biggs to local icons like Grace Smyth, there is all sorts of art being made in the Valley.
Mail Time at the Museum, March 9- Learn about history of our area through letters in our collection. From immigrants writing across continents in the 1800s to soldiers’ letters home during the World Wars, there is a lot we can learn about daily life from what people were writing about.
Weather across the Roanoke Valley, April 13- Weather has always had an important impact on everyone’s lives! Join us to learn about what people historically did to tell the weather, its importance for farmers who settled this area, and some of our area’s biggest storms and weather events.
Schools in Salem and the Roanoke Valley, May 11- We end the year discussing the evolution of schools in Salem and Roanoke County, from one room schoolhouses to the schools around the area today. Learn how homeschool is similar to historic classroom methods, and get a sneak-peak at our fall
feature exhibit!
Teen Homeschool Literature Course
There are a lot of great works of literature that are best understood in their historic contexts. There is so much we can learn about peoples and the history of the world through great writings and their analyses. This once-a-month class will delve into more context and help students develop skills to properly analyze historic works of literature.
This year’s theme is Genre Studies of Historic Works!
How It Works:
- Read the book!
- Attend the Monthly meetings
- Third Wednesday, 4pm
- Discuss book with Museum Director Garrett and Co-teacher Victoria
- Pizza and Movie after class discussion
- Museum Assistant Director Hunter is a film historian and will discuss film theory while Garrett discusses adaptation quality and/or literary themes
Class also includes field trip opportunities to the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton
RSVP Required. Contact Garrett Channell, Garrett@SalemMuseum.org or 540-927-2066, to learn more!
True Grit by Charles Portis, November 18- Genre: Western Mount up and ride in this classic Western as a young girl seeks revenge for her father’s murder with the aid of a one-eyed US Marshal and a flashy Texas Ranger.
The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, January 20- Genre: Mystery Read Sherlock Holmes’ most famous case as we explore the world’s most beloved detective series.
Josephine by Beverly Jenkins, February 17- Genre: Romance Jenkins revolutionized the romance genre by focusing on Black joy in 19th Century America. Read one of her YA debut novels!
Night by Elie Wiesel, March 17- Genre: Memoir Experience the horrors of World War II and the Holocaust with Wiesel’s haunting memoir.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding, April 21- Genre: Adventure/Dystopian Find out what could happen when a group of boys are stranded on an uninhabited island. Reflect on human nature and what it takes to build a society.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, May 19- Genre: Fable/Allegory We conclude our year with Coelho’s highly regarded work of modern literature. Read the coming-of-age story about a shepherd in search of his treasure/”Personal Legend”/destiny.
Teen Homeschool Shakespeare Course
Few authors in history can compare to William Shakespeare’s library of works. From his broad scope of content to his mastery of language (of which he invented over 1,700 words) to his influence on all writers since, Shakespeare is true a master of English literature. So there was no way we could confine him to just one month of our literature class!
Join us this year as we explore the works of Shakespeare, how they still resonate today, and how they have been adapted and changed over time.
How It Works:
- Read the play!
- Attend the Monthly meetings
- First Tuesday, 4pm
- Discuss book with Museum Director Garrett and Co-teacher Victoria
- We will cover the text itself, line reading variations, and adaptations.
Class also includes field trip opportunities to the American Shakespeare Center in Staunton
RSVP Required. Contact Garrett Channell, Garrett@SalemMuseum.org or 540-927-2066, to learn more!
As You Like It, December 1- We round out the semester with a comedy. Escape to the forest of Arden with Rosalind, disguising herself as a man to coach others in the ways of love.
Hamlet, February 2- Use winter break to read Shakespeare’s longest play. A tale older than The Bard (but perfected by his retelling), of a young man tasked to avenge his father. But will the ordeal drive him mad?
Much Ado About Nothing*, March 2- Field Trip to American Shakespeare Center, Date TBD The original enemies to lovers! The story of two couples and their loves; one looking to be undone by a villain, and the other determined to not be started by the couple themselves. *Tentative. May be switched depending on American Shakespeare Center’s final spring schedule
Othello, April 6- The tragedy of being blinded by jealousy. One of Shakespeare’s most interesting villains, Iago, works in the background against his commander and his new wife.
A Midsummer Night's Dream**, May 4- We conclude our year with one of Shakespeare’s most beloved comedies. Hermia loves Lysander; Demetrius loves Hermia; Helena loves Demetrius. Mix in a traveling troupe of foolish actors and fairies that are working against them all, and you have one of the most iconic stories of all time! **May be switched for “All The Devils Are Here: How Shakespeare Invented the Villain” by Patrick Page, if it is published in time