Programs & Tours - Outreach & Speaker Programs

Outreach Programs

Available to public, private and home schools. All programs include hands-on components and can be tailored to your group's grade level and SOL specifications. Programs can be given by a museum educator or implemented by the classroom teacher.

Please call at least 3 weeks in advance to book a program. Contact the Program Director at 757.422.1587 or send an email.

Maritime Stories and Songs with Tidewater Troubador Bob Zentz ~Grades K-12

Internationally recognized folklorist and recording artist Bob Zentz will bring an 'informance' to your classroom. Mr. Zentz will educate and entertain students with his vast repertoire of instruments, folk music, and lore--all presented with a sharp sense of history, humanity, and humor.

Several themes are available to support Social Studies, Science, and Language Arts SOLs

Songs & Tales of Whales and Sails (K-2)
Yo-Ho-Ho for H2O (K-2)
Workin' on the Water (K-5)
Songs of the Chesapeake and Her Rivers (K-5)
Songs of the Sea, the Ship, and the Sailor (4-8)
Songs of America on Land and Sea (6-12)
Songs of the Revolution, War of 1812, or Civil War (5-12)

Time: 60 minutes per session
Group size: 1-2 classes per session (no more than 60 students)
Rates: $200 per session, $150 for 2 or more sessions on the same day
*Discounted Rates may apply for Virginia Beach Schools thanks to a grant from the Youth Foundation of Virginia Beach, Inc.

Storytime with Captain Fishbones ~ Grades Pre-K-2

Students enjoy a storybook reading and activities with a costumed storyteller. Assorted themes available including Pirate Adventure and Life at Sea.

Time: 30-45 minutes
Group Size: 10-30 students per session
Rates: $50 per session

Shipwrecks and Ghost Lore ~ Grades 3-12

Students will learn about local history and ways of life through stories of local shipwrecks, withces, pirates, and ghosts, and have a chance to share their own spooky tales in a short story composition.

Time: 45-60 minutes
Group Size: 10-30 students per session
Rates: $50 per session

Pirates: Fact vs. Fiction ~ Grades 5-12

Students will engage with an interactive PowerPoint presentation to compare historical pirates with the romanticized versions of popular culture. Students will test their own knowledge and answer the question: "Do pirates deserve celebration or scorn?"

Time: 45-60 minutes
Group Size: 10-30 students per session
Rates: $50 per session

U-Boats Off the Virgina Coast ~ Grades 7-12

Students will analyze World War II U-boat activity off the Virginia Coast and compare it with the broader context of the war through examination of artifacts, primary sources, images, and video.

Time: 60-90 minutes
Group Size: 10-30 students per session
Rates: $50 per session

Economics of a Shipwreck ~ Grades 8-12

Students will analyze shipwreck records and other primary sources to understand the economic factors that lured sailors and businessmen to risk treacherous voyages across the sea. Students will roleplay to evaluate the individual motives driving the trans-Atlantic trade in the late 19th Century. Can be combined with Economics of a Shipwreck. *This program is made possible by a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Wine Classic Foundation.

Time: 60-90 minutes
Group Size: 10-30 students per session
Rates: $50 per session

Geography of a Shipwreck ~ Grades 8-12

Students will work in small groups to analyze records and primary sources related to a particular shipwreck and map the origins and destinations of cargoes. Students will share their research a a class and evaluate how trade changes global relationships and compare global relationships today. Can be combined with Economics of a Shipwreck. *This program is made possible by a grant from the Chesapeake Bay Wine Classic Foundation.

Time: 60-90 minutes
Group Size: 10-30 students per session
Rates: $50 per session

Speaker Programs

The museum has several programs appropriate for all audiences. Speaker programs can be offered on- or off-site.

Availabie topics include:

Life-Saving Stations of Virginia
Early Virginia Beach
African Americans in the Coast Guard
Women in the Coast Guard
Golden Age of Pirates
Shipwrecks and Ghost Lore

Please contact the museum for more information and rates: 757.422.1587 or by email.