Educational Trips

Enjoy a day of learning or fun and bring your class, Scouting or Guiding group for a full or half-day Ontario Curriculum-based field trip.

What you learn

We will teach your group the following:

  • Technological, and scientific themes related to Alexander Graham Bell
  • Social themes related to the Bell family and the late 19th century

What's included

We offer most of our programs year-round except our seasonal programs. We will also come to your classroom if we are available. All of our programs include:

  • An interactive tour of the Bell Homestead and Henderson Home
  • Hands-on activities or experiments
  • Making calls with our 1930's telephones

Rates

All of our rates are below and prices are per student. Teachers, chaperones and EA's are free.

Educational program options and rates

Option

Rate

Virtual (including program kits and delivery)

$60.30 (for grades jk to 2 and workshops without kits the rate is $30.00)

Half-day 

$6.75

Half-day visit (we come to you)

$7.25

Full-day

$13.10

Full-day (we come to you)

$14.05

Half day programs

We offer a wide variety of half day programs.

Curriculum Links:

  • Kindergarten: A. Foundations of Language and Mathematics; C. Self-Regulation and Well-Being; D. Belonging and Contributing
  • Grade 1: The Arts (C. Music, D. Visual Arts)
  • Grade 2: The Arts (C. Music, D Visual Arts)

Alexander Graham Bell loved music. He started playing the piano when he was four years old. He said music taught him about sound. Music can tell stories, convey emotions, and express ideas. Colour, line, and shape can also do the same. Explore art and music as you draw along to some of Bell’s favourite tunes.

Curriculum Links:

By testing them, Alexander Graham Bell knew what materials to use to build his telephone, airplane, and hydrofoil. You will investigate the properties of different materials through hands-on experiments. You will compare the materials and objects the Bell's used in their home to what we use today.

Curriculum Links:

  • Grade 1 Science and Technology: A. STEM Skills and Connections, D. Structures and Mechanisms – Everyday Materials, Objects, and Structures
  • Grade 2 Science and Technology: A. STEM Skills and Connections, C. Matter and Energy – Properties of Liquids and Solids

Alexander Graham Bell enjoyed boats: he used row boats, travelled on steamboats, owned a sailboat, and designed speedy hydrofoil boats. Different boats are made for different tasks, but they all need to support a load and they all need to float! Explore the properties and behaviours of liquids and solids as you test and build a boat from found materials. 

Curriculum Links:

  • Grade 4 Science and Technology: A. STEM Skills and Connections, C. Matter and Energy: Light and Sound
  • Grade 4 Language: B. Foundations of Language, C. Comprehension, D. Composition

Investigate the science of sound through hands-on experiments. Explore the properties of sound and its importance to the invention of the telephone. Learn about the life and work of Alexander Graham Bell through an interactive tour of the Bell family home. Try out 1877 and 1920s telephones.

Curriculum Links:

  • Grade 4 Science and Technology: A. STEM Skills and Connections, C. Matter and Energy – Light and Sound
  • Grade 4 Language: B. Foundations of Language, C. Comprehension, D. Composition.

Light is fantastic! Alexander Graham Bell actually used sunlight instead of wires to transmit sound in a special telephone he called the “photophone.” Explore the properties and behaviour of light! See how it interacts with other materials through hands-on experiments. Tour the Bell Homestead to see how the Victorians used light in their homes.

Curriculum Links:

  • Grade 7 Science and Technology: A. STEM Skills and Connections, B. Life Systems – Interactions in the Environment, D. Structures and Mechanisms – Form, Function, and Design of Structures
  • Grade 8 Science and Technology: A. STEM Investigation and Communication Skills, D. Structures and Mechanisms – Systems in Action
  • Grade 8 History: A. Creating Canada 1850-1890, B. Canada 1890-1914 – A Changing Society

Why do people invent things? Identify why inventions have failed or succeeded, and what their impact was on our environment. Draw up plans for your own invention and analyze each other’s inventions. Tour the Bell Homestead to see how one inventor, Alexander Graham Bell, and his family lived during the Age of Invention.

Curriculum Links:

  • Grade 7 Science and Technology: A. STEM Skills and Connections, B. Life Systems – Interactions in the Environment, D. Structures and Mechanisms – Form, Function, and Design of Structures
  • Grade 7 The Arts: D. Visual Arts
  • Grade 8 Science and Technology: A. STEM Investigation and Communication Skills, D. Structures and Mechanisms – Systems in Action
  • Grade 8 History: A. Creating Canada 1850-1890, B. Canada 1890-1914 – A Changing Society
  • Grade The Arts: Visual Arts

Bell invented the telephone in 1874. The basic technology hasn’t changed, but the form of the telephone has. Analyze and critique the functionality of original 20th century telephones. Create a model of a new telephone for today’s user. Tour the Bell Homestead to investigate ergonomics in Victorian design. Try out historic telephones in the Henderson House.

Full day programs

Full day programs are five hours long, including nutrition breaks. You can also combine any two of our half day programs to make a full day program.

Curriculum Links:

  • Grade 5 Science and Technology: A. STEM Skills and Connections, E. Earth and Space Systems – Conservation of Energy and Resources
  • Grade 5 Language: B. Foundations of Language
  • Grade 6 Science and Technology: A. STEM Skills and Connections, C. Matter and Energy – Electrical Phenomena, Energy, and Devices
  • Grade 7 Science and Technology: A. STEM Skills and Connections
  • Grade 8 Science and Technology: A. STEM Investigation and Communication Skills
  • Grade 8 History: A. Creating Canada 1850-1890, B. Canada 1890-1914 – A Changing Society

How did Alexander Graham Bell generate the electricity for his telephone? How were magnets involved? Investigate electromagnetism through hands-on activities. Tour the Bell Homestead to compare pre- and post-electricity life styles and use working telephones from the 1920s.

Curriculum Links:

  • Grade 6 Science and Technology: A. STEM Skills and Connections, D. Structures and Mechanisms – Flight
  • Grade 7 Science and Technology: A. STEM Skills and Connections
  • Grade 8 Science and Technology: A. STEM Investigation and Communication Skills
  • Grade 8 History: A. Creating Canada 1850-1890, B. Canada 1890-1914 – A Changing Society

Alexander Graham Bell first became interested in flight as he watched birds soaring in the sky. Later in life, he designed kites and airplanes. He put together a team called the Aerial Experiment Association and they built and flew Canada’s first airplane in 1909. Explore the properties of air and the forces of flight with hands-on activities. Learn how to build Bell’s tetrahedral kite. Find out how different animals are able to fly.

Curriculum Links:

  • Grade 3 Science and Technology: A. STEM Skills and Connections, C. Matter and Energy – Forces and Motion, D. Structures and Mechanisms– Strong and Stable Structures
  • Grade 4 Science and Technology: A. STEM Skills and Connections
  • Grade 5 Science and Technology: A. STEM Skills and Connections, C. Matter and Energy - Properties of and Changes in Matter, D. Structures and Mechanisms – Forces Acting on Structures

Alexander Graham Bell began exploring structural stability when he was building kites in the 1900s. He discovered that the tetrahedron is a very stable shape and that it can be used to create structural frameworks of all sizes. Explore the strength and stability of different materials as you build structures. Investigate how forces act on structures with hands-on activities. Tour the Bell Homestead, a building that’s been standing since 1858.

Curriculum Links:

  • Grade 4 Science and Technology: A. STEM Skills and Connections, C. Matter and Energy: Light and Sound
  • Grade 4 Language: B. Foundations of Language, C. Comprehension, D. Composition

Combine our popular Sounds of Science and Light Fantastic programs into one full-day visit! Explore the properties and behaviours of sound and light. Tour the Bells’ 1870s home and learn why sound was so important to Alexander Graham Bell. Make telephone calls using 1920s telephones in the first telephone business office.

Seasonal programs

Curriculum Links:

  • Kindergarten: A. Foundations of Language and Mathematics, C. Self-Regulation and Well-Being, D. Belonging and Contributing
  • Grade 1 Social Studies: A. Heritage and Identity
  • Grade 1 Language: A. Literacy Connections and Applications, B. Oral and Non-Verbal Communication
  • Grade 1 Science and Technology: E. Earth and Space Systems
  • Grade 2 Social Studies: A. Heritage and Identity, B. People and Environments
  • Grade 2 Language: A. Literacy Connections and Applications, B. Oral and Non-Verbal Communication
  • Grade 3 Language: A. Literacy Connections and Applications, B. Oral and Non-Verbal Communication
  • Grade 4 Language: A. Literacy Connections and Applications, B. Oral and Non-Verbal Communication 

Many cultures have winter holiday celebrations. Many families have brought their holiday traditions with them to Canada. Learn how the Bell family celebrated Christmas and New Year with decorations, food, and fun. Compare the Scottish New Year celebration, called Hogmanay, to the New Year celebrations of other countries. Tour the Homestead, make a holiday treat in our kitchen and take home a craft that represents the season.

Curriculum Links:

  • Kindergarten: A. Foundations of Language and Mathematics, B. Exploring Environments, C. Self-
  • Regulation and Well-Being, D. Belonging and Contributing
  • Grade 1 Science and Technology: B. Life Systems, C. Matter and Energy, E. Earth and Space Systems
  • Grade 1 Social Studies: A. Heritage and Identity, B. People and Environments
  • Grade 1 Language: A. Literacy Connections and Applications, B. Foundations of Language
  • Grade 1 Health and Physical Education: A. Social-Emotional Learning Skills, B. Active Living, C. Movement Competence
  • Grade 1 The Arts: D. Visual Arts
  • Grade 2 Science and Technology: B. Life Systems, E. Earth and Space Systems
  • Grade 2 Social Studies: A. Heritage and Identity, B. People and Environments
  • Grade 2 Language: A. Literacy Connections and Applications, B. Foundations of Language 
  • Grade 2 Health and Physical Education: A. Social-Emotional Learning Skills, B. Active Living, C. Movement Competence
  • Grade 2 The Arts: D. Visual Arts
  • Grade 3 Science and Technology: B. Life Systems
  • Grade 3 Social Studies: B. People and Environments
  • Grade 3 Language: B. Foundations of Language
  • Grade 4 Science and Technology: B. Life Systems
  • Grade 4 Social Studies: B. People and Environments
  • Grade 4 Language: B. Foundations of Language

Spend a day at the Bell Homestead exploring the natural environment around the site in a fun series of activity stations. Activities include: a tour of the historic houses, , plant and animal identification games, making ice cream in the historic kitchen, and making a take-home craft.

Curriculum Links:

  • Kindergarten: A. Foundations of Language and Mathematics, B. Exploring Environments, C. Self-Regulation and Well-Being, D. Belonging and Contributing
  • Grade 1 Science and Technology: B. Life Systems, D. Structures and Mechanisms
  • Grade 1 Social Studies: A. Heritage and Identity
  • Grade 1 Health and Physical Education: A. Social-Emotional Learning Skills, B. Active Living, D. Healthy Living
  • Grade 1 The Arts: D. Visual Arts
  • Grade 2 Social Studies: A. Heritage and Identity
  • Grade 2 Health and Physical Education: A. Social-Emotional Learning Skills, B. Active Living, D.
  • Healthy Living
  • Grade 2 The Arts: Visual Arts
  • Grade 3 Health and Physical Education: A. Social-Emotional Learning Skills, B. Active Living, D. Healthy Living
  • Grade 3 The Arts: Visual Arts

As both a teacher and a scientist, Alexander Graham Bell understood the importance of our senses. Spend a day at the Bell Homestead exploring sight, hearing, touch, taste and smell through hands-on activities and crafts. Students will tour the Bells’ home and find out more about Bell’s work with deaf children and how the ear inspired the telephone. Students will get to see, touch, and hear 1920s telephones.

Virtual programs

The Bell Homestead offers virtual programs for classes that are unable to visit the museum. These programs include a virtual tour of the Bell Homestead. Classroom supply kit is provided after booking. Programs are led by the museum’s Education Coordinator. Primary grade workshops are 30 minutes in length and 60 minutes for grades 3 to 8.

Curriculum Links:

  • Materials; Objects and Everyday Structures; Properties of Liquids and Solids

See what materials Mr. Bell used to build his telephones. Listen to the tale of the three little pigs and find out why some materials work better than others. Find materials around you to investigate for properties like hardness, softness, flexibility, rigidity, stretchiness and mass.

  • Understanding Life Systems

Read Alexander Graham Bell Answers The Call. See Mr. Bell’s first telephones and his mother’s hearing trumpet. Take part in five guided activities to explore the senses.

Curriculum Links:

  • Music; Visual Art

Learn how much Mr. Bell loved music as a boy as we read Alexander Graham Bell Answers The Call. See his telephones. Listen to his favourite music and make drawings inspired by the songs.

Curriculum links:

• Personal and Social Development

• Language – Oral Communication

• Social Studies – Heritage and Citizenship, Canada and The World Connections

• The Arts – Visual Art

Book your class for a fun live virtual session of the NEW Holidays at the Homestead program. Learn how the Bell’s celebrated a Victorian Christmas and a traditional Scottish Hogmanay (New Year’s Eve). Students will learn about Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Chung Jie (Chinese New Year). We will provide supplies for students to create their own dreidel then learn how to use it to play a game, create a Kwanzaa bracelet and create a Chung Jie red paper cut. When you order your kit, you will also book a live virtual session
with the Bell Homestead staff and you will receive a link to a video of the Bell Homestead’s Christmas tour. Kits cost $50.00 each. Registration is required at least one week in advance by emailing bellhomestead@brantford.ca or calling 519-756-6220.
Classroom kits include:
  • red paper cutout templates
  • dreidel game print outs, including a dreidel to cut out and put together
  • beads and pipe cleaners for Kwanza bracelets
  • Hogmanay shortbread for the whole class and recipe cards

Curriculum Links:

  • Understanding Structures and Mechanisms; Understanding Matter and Energy; Understanding Earth and Space Systems

Mr. Bell was fascinated by flight. Build his tetrahedral kite cell and make a paper roto-copter. Grades 3 to 6 will also investigate the properties of air.

Curriculum Links:

  • Media Literacy
  • Visual Arts

Is there truth in advertising? Look at Bell Canada advertisements from the 1870s to today and find out! See how advertising strategies have changed and how companies try to convince you to buy their products. 30 minute for grades 1 and 2; 45 minutes to 60 minutes for grades 3 to 8.

Curriculum Links:

  • Properties of Liquids and Solids

Alexander Graham Bell built a high-speed boats in his later years. Discover which materials float in water, which ones sink, which ones soak up water and which ones do not.

Curriculum Links:

  • Heritage and Identity

Look at artifacts from our collection to see what life was like in the 19th century. We can compare the objects to things in our houses today and find out what they used every day.

Curriculum Links:

  • Understanding Matter and Energy

What do magnets have to do with the telephone? Find out as we look at Bell’s first three telephones and investigate magnetic forces with hands-on activities.

Curriculum Links:

  • Strong and Stable Structures; Forces Acting on Structures and Mechanisms

How do we make structures stand and stay in place? Build bridges, test out different shapes for stability, and build a structure based on Mr. Bell’s tetrahedral tower.

Curriculum Links:

  • Light and Sound

Through hands-on experiments you will learn about the properties of sound and light and their importance to the invention of the telephone. Choose four activities from a list of eight to customize your workshop.

Curriculum Links:

  • Understanding Matter and Energy; Heritage and Identity

We rely on fossil fuels, hydroelectricity, and some green energy sources to power our lives. What did they use in the 1800s? Find out about fuels like whale oil and coal. Discuss how energy use then and now impacts the environment.

Curriculum Links:

  • Canada – A Changing Society

You will explore inventions throughout history, identify what makes an invention succeed or fail, look at its impact on the environment, draw up your own invention plans, and critique each other's inventions.

Curriculum Links:

  • Forms and Functions; Systems in Action
  • Canada – A Changing Society

Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1874. The technology hasn't changed, but the form has. You will analyze and critique the functionality of 20th century telephones.

Scouting and Guiding badge programs

Our school field trips are flexible to help kids in all levels of scouting and guiding earn their badges. Book your program on an evening, weekend or at an overnight “camp” in our visitor centre. Speak to our education coordinator for more details.

Scouting and Guiding program options and rates

Option

Rate

Half-day

$6.25

Overnight

$45.00

Contact us

You can call us or email us to book or for more information.

Contact Us

Bell Homestead NHS
94 Tutela Heights Road, Brantford, ON N3T 1A1
T. 519-756-6220
E-mail Bell Homestead NHS

 

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