SCHOOL PROGRAMS

Coquitlam Heritage offers a variety of school programs for students at the museum and in the classroom. During your next fieldtrip, you can visit us for a museum tour and a heritage activity. We are also excited to offer Pop-Up Exhibit Tours, a guided curatorial tour of a past exhibit of your choosing.

Can’t come to us? The museum can come to you! We offer a selection of Heritage Bins, where students can view and interact with artifacts, We also offer virtual or in-person presentations on different topics all based around our past exhibits. These can be done virtually through zoom or by our staff in the classroom. Specially made for teachers, our Education Kits can be rented for classrooms and offer a week’s work of educational content and aligns with BC’s curriculum for the given grades.

If you would like more information, please contact events@coquitlamheritage.ca.

MUSEUM tours

Visit Mackin House and take one of our many tour offerings to learn a new skill and get insight into local history. We currently offer Museum Tours and Walking Tours as part of our in-person experience. The tours present multiple perspectives and have something to offer for every age group. We have tours in English, French, and Mandarin available and will do our best to accommodate all abilities and learning levels.

Pop-up Exhibit Tours

Our Pop-up Exhibits offer tours on a specific topic for classes visiting the museum, tailored to older students. Each topic aligns with specific high school curriculum goals and comes with assignment suggestions.

  • Grades 9 +

    Learn about the warfare used in WWI and view the tools, equipment, and uniforms of the soldiers.

  • Grades 9+

    Learn about the history of the early Sikh immigrants who came to work at the mill, view objects from the lumber mill, and learn about the different roles and equipment present at Fraser Mills.

  • Grades 9+

    Learn about the history of the Chinese Immigration Act and the timeline of Canadian immigrant policies throughout different time periods. View historical immigration documents and various objects that people would have brought with them.

  • Grades 10+

    Learn about intersectionality in relation to identity and how it impacts a person’s interactions within society. View objects related to city planning and architecture.

Education Kits

for Teachers

Education Kits are for teachers to rent for their classrooms and offer a week’s work of educational content and aligns with the curriculum for the given grades. Each kit will include lesson plans, worksheets, books, and interactive objects.

  • K to Grade 1

    The Family Life & Community kit is aimed at K to Grade 1. It looks at how families have evolved since 1909, and how the roles that different family members take on has changed throughout the decades. You will also learn about the early history of the Maillardville community, and the roles that helped make up the neighbourhood.

  • Grades 2 and 3

    Food Culture Evolution is aimed at Grades 2 and 3, and looks at culture through different foods. When people immigrate to new places, they bring their culture with them. Journey through sushi, pizza, rice, and fortune cookies to learn about the cultures they came from and how they have changed Canadian kitchens and restaurants.

  • Grades 4 and 5

    Aimed at Grades 4 and 5, Rich Lands chronicles the natural resources that make up BC’s history. The relationship that humans have with these important parts of our economy, sustenance, and culture have changed over the years and will keep changing along with us. This kit looks at five resources: lumber, gold, salmon, gravel, and coal.

Classroom Visits (Heritage Bins)

If you’d like the museum to come to you, Heritage Bins offer an in-class presentation from our staff, along with artifacts for the students to view and interact with.

  • K to Grade 3

    The devices we rely on in modern times are the result of a long line of technological advances. Learn about the telegraph, telephone, old music players, alternative forms of communication, and compare them to what we have today.

  • Grades 1 to 5

    Maillardville in 1909 was a company town that was built up around the Fraser Mills Lumber Company. Learn about what early settlers did in early Maillardville history, the history of the early schools and markets, hear stories about how people spent their time, and view artifacts of items people used back then.

  • Grades 3 to 8

    Learn about the evolution of popular music and the devices we use to listen to them, from gramophones to streaming services. What music was popular in the 1920s? What led to the Beatles becoming known throughout the world? Listen to popular music from different decades and try out retro music devices.

Virtual or In-Person Class Presentations

Class presentations are lectures on different topics all based around our past exhibits. These can be done virtually through zoom or by our staff in the classroom. Class presentations are more lecture focused than our other classroom offerings and cover specific historical events and topics. Each presentation comes with an activity sheet.

  • K to Grade 3

    Learn about the history and evolution behind the everyday objects we have. See the inside of a piano, learn about early umbrellas, and much more.

  • Grades 1 to 5

    Learn about the history of Coquitlam through looking at the Fraser Mills Lumber Company, the ways in which people lived during the early 1900s, and become familiar with aspects of Edwardian architecture and design. Also looks at the roles of different Maillardville community members and the legacy of some of the early families.

  • Grades 3 to 8

    Learn about the history of BC’s Gold Rushes from the 1858 Fraser River Gold Rush, to the 1862 Cariboo Gold Rush, and the 1899 Klondike Gold Rush. Learn all about the people involved, the techniques and technologies invented, and how gold contributed to the early settlement of BC.

  • Grades 3 to 8

    Learn about the early settlement and immigration of Black Canadians, the roles they played in Canada’s history, and the different communities around the country that were built up by Black Canadians. See the range of culture they brought into Canada and learn about significant members of the community.

  • Grades 3 to 8

    Learn about the early history of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the role that train travel played in establishing early BC settlement, and the different ways that the Fraser Mills train station served its community. Also covers the history of immigrant workers on the railroad and the history of Black porters in Canada.

  • Grades 5 +

    Learn about the history of early immigrants who came to work at the Fraser Mills Lumber Company, with a specific focus on the Sikh community that came up during that time. Hear about the factory positions given to immigrants, their journey into Canada, the struggles they faced, and the communities they built up.

  • Grades 5 +

    Learn about the history of the Chinese Immigration Act and the timeline of Canadian immigrant policies throughout different time periods. See the different ways immigration was restricted, the roles that immigrants played in Canada, and the legacies of Chinese Canadians today.

  • Grades 8 +

    Learn about the war efforts and programs that were created during WWI and II and the impact it had on the people who stayed behind. Covering the roles of women during the war, homefront propaganda, and the ways Canadian communities changed during war time. Also learn about a selection of veterans from marginalized communities and the ways their identities shaped their war time experience.

  • Grades 8 +

    Learn about the lead up, history, and aftermath of the Korean War. This lecture covers the different political figures involved, the role that the US and Canada played during the war, the machinery and new kinds of warfare used, the impact is had on the Korean population, and the legacies of veterans and Korean Canadians today.

  • Grades 8 +

    Learn about intersectionality in relation to identity and how it impacts a person’s interactions within society. Look at intersectionality and how it connects with the city space, learn about the different ways people can experience physical spaces and how city planning is related to social experiences.