Education
The mission of the educational programming department of the Colorado Railroad Museum is to:
Foster an understanding of the role of railroads in the development of the state of Colorado
Railroads are a rich part of our heritage—the railroads played a critical roll during the period of Western Expansion, and the Colorado Gold Rush. The Museum brings this information to the forefront in awareness through focused exhibit development and curriculum for school groups.
Develop an understanding of the vital function of today’s railroads
While total trackage in the United States has declined, the role of railroads in today’s world and the amount of rail traffic is still immense. The railroads are an integral part of our nation’s transportation network.
Provide railroad-specific educational resources to the public
The Museum plays a unique resource roll to many different sectors of the public—from casual questions about a specific rail car to an in-depth request from a noted author. Our Museum has the ability to provide information on many different levels.
Outreach – Meet Hiram Wheeler
The Colorado Railroad Museum now has an exciting educational presentation for elementary classes. The Museum provides a K-6 certified teacher to your school, along with display boards teaching about early Colorado railroading. The presentation includes a working telegraph and addresses fourth grade social studies benchmarks in the Colorado State standards for instruction on the history of Colorado.
The program can be adjusted to meet your individual needs. From studying the impact of Chinese workers on the building of the Transcontinental Railroad to the impact of railroads on the economic development of early Colorado, we have a program perfect for your classroom or club. There is no additional charge for a customized presentation for your school.
Contact Steve Lee at the Museum to arrange for Hiram Wheeler to visit your classroom, 303-279-4591.
Scouting
The Museum personnel can also provide adult counseling for the Scouting Railroad Merit Badge. Contact the Museum for details.
Education Links
The Democracy Project
A GREAT lesson plan for kids to recognize the importance rail transportation has had on political campaigns. "The students will take the fictional platform from the lesson 'Donkeys and Elephants and Voters, Oh My!' to raise support for members of their party at the local, state and national levels while on the campaign trail.
Based on a student-created itinerary, the students will map the cross-country campaign stops. The students will estimate arrival and departure times and the distance between stops using an atlas. The students will take time zones into consideration when calculating arrival and departure times. The students will check these estimates by using Internet mapping sites like MapQuest or Vicinity." PBSKids
When Politics Rode the Rails
An excellent article from Time Magazine that is full of great information on the role trains have played in political campaigns.
