Education
The NYC Department of Records and Information Services, which preserves and provides public access to the historical and contemporary records of New York City government, is working to expand the resources available to educators and students through the Municipal Archives and Library.
Our educational offerings include a virtual program that can be scheduled in advance, as well as downloadable curriculum aides incorporating both historical and contemporary materials from our collections.
Looking for something else for your class? E-mail us to explore what is available.
Programs
The Brooklyn Bridge: Landmarks of Today and Yesterday
Grades: 2nd - 6th
The Municipal Archives at the New York City Department of Records and Information Services invites teachers and students to participate in an educational program about the Brooklyn Bridge, drawn from our rare archival collection of material on its design and construction. Students will learn about the history and unique engineering of the bridge in a fun and interactive way, fostering a better understanding of the Bridge and its relationship to the city's infrastructure and transportation. This program can be presented virtually via Zoom, at your school, or as part of a school trip to our landmark building in Lower Manhattan. If you are interested in this program, please complete our sign-up form.
Uniting the Boroughs: The Triborough Bridge Exhibit
All grade levels.
Explore this free exhibit at our Lower Manhattan offices, which explores the history of the Triborough Bridge and its role in uniting Manhattan, the Bronx, and Queens in a rapidly modernizing city. Educators may use our teacher's guide to lead your students through an informative tour and scavenger hunt.
Resources
Citizenship & Elections: The Importance of a Ballot
Grades: 9th - 12th
This lesson guide explores the history of voting rights and processes in New York City. It includes historic images and audio from the Municipal Archives and Library, as well as guiding questions that encourage students to interact with these voting materials in an educational manner and emphasize the significance of their own vote in the electoral process.
Living In The City: Cycles of Change
Grades: 6th - 8th
Based on the exhibition Living in the City presented at Photoville 2017 by The Municipal Archives at the NYC Department of Records and Information Services, this curriculum aide is an interactive lesson plan that incorporates more than 150,000 historical photographs of life in New York City from 1961-2001. Students will learn how the city has grown and changed by analyzing, comparing, and contrasting themes in historical images.
Grades: 8th - 12th
This resource provides information about gathering, synthesizing, and writing a story for inclusion in the WomensActivism.NYC archive. Students will read inspiring stories on the digital platform, learn how to interview a woman who inspires them for a personal account of their life, and then craft the information from the interview into a meaningful entry to the archive.