Give Your Students the Present of the Past!

Discover our wonderful selection of resources which provide hands-on learning.

History Trunks
History trunks offer a hands-on supplement for teachers to use with their own classroom curriculum. The trunks provide an opportunity for students to handle uniforms and field gear used by soldiers in a specific wars and to view documents and photos. Each trunk includes a teacher’s guide that provides descriptions and interpretation of the equipment, as well as activity ideas for the history trunk items. History trunks can be effective in conjunction with a tour or as a separate activity.

The First Division Museum has history trunks that focus on the American Revolution, Civil War (Union and Confederate), World War I, World War II, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Two trunks may be checked out at one time and kept for up to two weeks. Call the Museum Educator at 630.260.8274 for reservations.

First Division Museum Primary Resource Packets
Resource Packets include reproductions of photographs, newspaper articles, maps, letters, oral histories, and other primary sources on a variety of topics. The packets also contain classroom activities for middle and high school students.

Teacher's Guide to the Main Exhibit Hall: The Teacher's Guide includes a Main Exhibit Hall Overview, Pre-Visit Activities, a Quiz that can be filled out while on the tour, and Post-Visit Activities.

American Revolution Unit: This resource contains a Unit Outline and Unit Content at a high school level but can be easily pared down for younger age groups. This unit also contains Visual Aids, Primary Resources, Projects, and Activities.

Ottenfeld Letters from WWI: This is a primary resource compilation of 28 letters Max Ottenfeld wrote home to his family during his tour of duty as part of the American Expeditionary Forces during and after WWI. The letters depict his experiences, lifestyle, and training as a soldier. The letters are to encourage deeper critical thinking about the war and a more effective understanding about the experiences of people during this time in history. Included with the letters are definitions of terms modern-day students may not know, a breakdown of the content of each letter with questions to review and generate conversation, and visual aids.

D-Day Packet: This resource packet is designed to provide your classroom with primary resources related to the invasion of Normandy, France, beginning D-Day, June  6, 1944. It includes oral histories, letters, photographs, maps, newspaper articles, and other documents related to the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division, who were the first U.S. troops to land on Omaha Beach.

Battle of the Bulge Packet: The multiple sections of this packet include a step-by-step explanation of the Battle of the Bulge and a specific explanation of the Battle at Butgenbach, which can be viewed as a microcosm of the larger event. Primary resources of quotations, journal entries, photographs, and newspaper articles are also included. Additional aids include Medal of Honor Citations, biographies of major personalities involved, maps, and an annotated bibliography.

To download any of the First Division Museum resources listed above, click here. Student quizzes for both museums are offered, to be used during your visit or as a post-visit activity.

PEAK Packs
Cantigny is proud to offer PEAK (Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids) Packs for use by schools and organized youth groups. PEAK Packs introduce and explore the concepts of Leave No Trace. Leave No Trace is a set of principles for participation in outdoor recreation that seeks to minimize the impact on the natural environment. The program strives to educate all those who enjoy the outdoors about the nature of their recreational impacts as well as techniques to prevent and minimize such impacts. PEAK Packs are available for up to three hours.

The primary goals of the PEAK program are to:
 • Increase awareness of Leave No Trace
 • Promote the stewardship of public lands
 • Meet the demands of diverse youth populations
 • Have fun!

Intended learning outcomes of the PEAK program are to:
 • Develop a sense of stewardship for the natural world
 • Understand how to be safe and prepared for adventures in the
   outdoors
 • Understand how to reduce impact on the environment when
   recreating outdoors
 • Introduce the idea of making responsible decisions when participating
   in outdoor activities

Cantigny offers two Packs for use during a park visit:

PEAK Pack
The PEAK Pack includes six fun and engaging field-tested Activities, which are designed to teach kids age six to twelve about Leave No Trace. Each activity or "module" can be delivered in 30-60 minutes depending on group size, available time, etc. Each module comes in its own plastic folder, and all six modules are included in the backpack- we suggest trying just one or two in a visit.

Each module contains instructions on how to facilitate the activity as well as supporting materials. Also included in the PEAK Pack is a Start Card, which offers many helpful teaching tips and an overview of the Leave No Trace program.

Teen Activity Pack
The Teen Activity Pack is a supplement to the PEAK program and consists of four educational activities designed for older youth audiences. These activities include: “Principle Presentation”, “Ethics Game”, “How Prepared are You?” and “Unlocking the Past.” The hands-on activities have been used to educate both teens and adults about Leave No Trace.

In addition to learning about the seven principles, the activities engage participants in higher-level discussions surrounding the themes of conservation, land ethics and responsible outdoor recreation.

Fees and reservations: PEAK Packs are available at no charge. A valid driver’s license is required as a deposit at check-out time and a usage agreement must be signed. Teachers/Leaders are asked to reserve backpacks at least one week in advance. A reservation confirmation and facilitator information will be sent. Click here for the backpack request form.

PEAK Packs are available for pickup at the Visitors Center Information Desk at 9:00 am. PEAK Packs must be returned in their original condition after the three hour ‘rental’ period. PEAK Packs loaned out after 2:00 pm may only have 1-2 hours of usage depending on when the Pack was checked out. (Packs must be returned by 5:00 pm).

Tree ID Guide
Our nature trail may be used for hiking before or after your scheduled tour or as the setting for a self-guided outdoor field trip. The wood chip trail is approximately 2 1/2 miles long and follows the perimeter of the park.

Using “Cantigny Adventures: Hiking Trail Guide” students can follow the  hiking trail in search of 20 different trees. Using the photographs of bark, leaves, and seeds or fruit in the Guide, students will learn to identify all the trees, from the red-berried Downy Hawthorne to the tall and wide White Oak. Copies of our Hiking Trail-Tree Identification Guide may be picked up at the Visitors Center kiosk. Please bring your own pens or pencils. (This guide is recommended for summer and fall, when the trees have leaves.)

 Download the Tree ID Guide

Download the Field Trip Planning Kit to assist you in planning and preparing for a field trip to Cantigny.