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New Free Course Teaches K-12 Educators to Use Museum Exhibits in the Classroom
today released “Exhibits in the Classroom,” a free microcourse developed with the Virginia Museum of History and Culture (VMHC).
The course teaches educators how to bring the work of museums – and curators – directly into their classrooms, reframing exhibits as texts: carefully constructed arguments that students can read, question, and analyze in the same way they would a primary source document.
“This course makes the work of curators accessible to students, allowing them to practice and hone their historical thinking skills through an authentic process and product,” said Sam Futrell, SCP master teacher. “When teachers are able to partner with organizations and institutions, like the VMHC, students can see the impact of their work within their communities in real time.”
The course was developed in close collaboration with VMHC’s Director of History Education, Maggie Creech, giving participating educators direct access to the thinking, research, and design decisions that go into building a museum exhibit. Creech co-presents the course with Futrell.
“Teachers have the opportunity to help students see history not simply as something that happened in the past, but as something they can question, interpret, and connect to their own lives and communities,” Creech said.
That behind-the-scenes perspective is central to the course's approach: “Exhibits in the Classroom” shows teachers how curators build arguments through artifact selection, layout, and interpretation, and how those same skills can be taught in any K-12 classroom, regardless of subject area or whether a museum visit is possible.
Course Highlights
“Exhibits in the Classroom” offers K-12 educators practical strategies, ready-to-use resources, and real-life examples they can apply immediately. The course is built for teachers looking to:
- Make field trips to museums more academically meaningful by preparing students to read exhibits critically before, during, and after a visit
- Strengthen students' skills in primary source analysis and argumentation using authentic museum content
- Support students developing exhibit-style projects, including National History Day submissions, with guidance modeled on real curatorial practice
- Bring authentic, museum-quality inquiry and project-based learning into everyday instruction, even without access to a physical museum visit
The course is designed around transferable skills rather than a single collection or exhibit. Educators across grade levels and content areas – including history, social studies, English language arts, and STEM – can adapt the strategies to their own curriculum.
Course Availability
“Exhibits in the Classroom” is available now and free to all K-12 educators at . The course takes approximately five hours to complete and carries five professional development hours, stackable toward lilyPD’s Educating for the 250th credential. Educators will need to sign up for a free lilyPD account before taking the course. The timing lets teachers put the strategies to work at the start of the school year, ahead of the fall National History Day season.