Education

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Participation in professional development events counts towards maintaining professional certification from the New York City Department of Education. The offerings support teachers as they work toward aligning curriculum and instructional priorities with Common Core State Standards demonstrated through College and Career Ready student performance tasks.

Email ezipris@mcny.org to sign up for our e-newsletters. Register for all events here.

Learn: Lecture Series for Educators

Learn about the history of New York City through historian-led lectures, presented in conjunction with school programs offered by the Museum. All lectures are free and take place on Thursdays from 5:00 to 6:30 pm. Reservations are required.

Reading Buildings: Using Architecture as a Tool for Teaching History Thursday, November 17, 2011
Far exceeding the need to provide shelter, architecture is a form of storytelling; buildings speak volumes about the times in which they were built, the people who built them, and the people they served. Join independent curator and author Thomas Mellins as he presents this illustrated lecture to provide educators with basic tools for "reading" a building's meaning. RSVP here.

Creating Central Park Thursday, March 22, 2012
In the 1850s, New Yorkers removed more than 800 acres from the most expensive real estate market in the country to create the nation's first large landscaped public park. How did the park get built and how did its construction change the social geography of the city? How did the Park’s use change from the elite and exclusive carriage parade to the massive crowds who thronged to "the great backyard of the city" to relax and play? Explore these questions with Dr. Elizabeth Blackmar, Columbia University, during this illustrated lecture. RSVP here.

Five Points: the First and Most Notorious Slum in America Thursday, April 19, 2012
Five Points was something new in America: a slum that lay at the very heart of New York City. Settled by Irish immigrants fleeing the Great Hunger, this densely overcrowded neighborhood got a reputation as a “loathsome den of murderers, thieves and abandoned women…” Using the census, bank records, marriage records and other sources, Professor Carol Groneman will counter these sensational stereotypes and reconstruct the lives of the Irish working-class who lived, worked, and raised their children there. RSVP here.

Rediscovering Jacob Riis Thursday, May 31, 2012
Join Dr. Dan Czitrom, Mount Holyoke, as he uses the photographs of Jacob Riis to investigate poverty, mass immigration, urban housing, political corruption, and racial difference in New York City during the Gilded Age. In addition to discussing these key issues, Dr. Czitrom will also explore Riis as a one of the founding figures of American Progressivism, as well as a pioneering figure in documentary photography and muckraking journalism. RSVP here.

Discover: Open Houses for Educators

Join us for free tours of our exciting upcoming exhibitions which are led by a curator or specialist. All open houses are free and take from 5:00 to 6:30 pm on the day indicated. Reservations are required. Information here.

The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Celebrate the bicentennial of the 1811 Commissioners’ Plan with a lecture and guided tour led by Dr. Sarah Henry. Learn about Manhattan’s street grid through rare documents, maps, photographs and paintings, such as the original manuscript from the Report of the Commissioners for laying out the streets and roads in the city, 1807-1811 and John Randel’s field book of the survey of New York. RSVP here.

The Puffin Gallery for Social Activism May 9, 2012 5:00 - 6:30 PM
Educators are invited to a special evening marking the opening of the Museum’s newest gallery. Curator Dr. Steven Jaffe will deliver a lecture and guided tour of this exhibition that vividly illustrates social activism in New York City from 1650 to present day. Topics to explore include the debates over religious freedom in New Amsterdam, slavery in 19th century New York, civil rights in the mid-20th century, as well as contemporary issues such as the controversy of building a mosque at the World Trade Center site. RSVP here.

Participate: Hands-on Workshops for Educators

Enhance your social studies curriculum by participating in these courses bringing New York City’s history to life through hands-on workshops, gallery talks, and walking tours. During the workshops, educators will learn content on a variety of New York City topics and strategies for effectively using primary and secondary source materials. RSVP here.

Chancellor’s Day Professional Development: The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan, 1811-2011
Co-presented by the Museum of the City of New York and the New York Public Library
Monday, January 30, 2012, 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM
High school educators are invited to join the Museum of the City of New York and the New York Public Library for a full day professional development focusing on the evolution of Manhattan’s famous street grid. The morning will begin at the Museum of the City of New York with a historical overview and curator-led tour of the exhibition, The Greatest Grid: The Master Plan of Manhattan, 1811-2011. In the afternoon, educators will convene at the New York Public Library on 42nd Street for a tour of the library’s map collection. Educators will receive resources relating the exhibitions and content to their classroom curriculum. The event is $40.00 per participant. RSVP here.

Afterschool Workshop Series: Planning Urban Places and Spaces
Thursdays, January 19 through February 9, 2012, from 5:00 to 7:00 pm These workshops will introduce teachers to fundamental concepts in urban planning and design. Teachers will use resources from the Museum’s collection combined with neighborhood investigations to explore the underlying systems that shape the city we live in. Teachers will learn about zoning regulations and the importance of public space. The series is $60.00 per participant. RSVP here.

Spring Walking Tour Series
Join us for a three part program as we explore New York City’s neighborhoods to trace the city’s past. Each walking tour is $15 per session or $30 for all three.
Walking Tour Dates:
Sunday, May 6, 2012, from 10:00 am to noon: Walking New Amsterdam
Sunday, May 20, 2012, from 10:00 am to noon: Walking Central Park
Sunday, May 27, 2012, from 10:00 am to noon: Walking East Harlem
Interested? Email ezipris@mcny.org

It Happened Here: Images from the Collection of the Museum of the City of New York
Download a PDF of images from the Museum’s collection corresponding to monthly dates and events.

July
June
May
April
March
February
January
December
November
October
September

PUBLIC AND FAMILY PROGRAMS: SPECIAL EDUCATOR INVITATION
We are pleased to offer a special educator rate for public programs and we invite you and your family to attend the weekend family programs for free.

In addition to visiting the galleries during free educator open houses and participating in hands-on workshops during professional development events, we invite you to engage with experts during lectures and symposiums offered as public programs. In addition, you can bring your children to the Museum over the weekend to enjoy our family programs. Reservations are required unless otherwise noted.

Learn more about upcoming public and family programs here.
To RSVP for public programs and to receive your discounted educator rate, please call 917.492.3395 or e-mail programs@mcny.org.
The Museum is free the last weekend of every month for educators and their families. Bring your school ID or letterhead for free admission and a 15% discount at the Museum Shop!