Meet Annalise, Tufts University

Meet Annalise, a passionate graduate student from Tufts University immersing herself in the world of history and museum studies this summer at the American Independence Museum. Follow her journey as she redefines educational programming, dives into curriculum development, and brings marginalized voices to the forefront of Revolutionary War history. Join us as we uncover the fascinating intersection of education, storytelling, and historical artifacts through Annalise’s eyes.

Hi, I’m Annalise! I’m currently pursuing my master’s degree in History and Museum Studies at Tufts University, and I am spending my summer interning here at the American Independence Museum. I wanted to intern at AIM as I really wanted to work in a history museum, and I was intrigued by the educational programs that the museum offers. Part of my goal for this summer is to dive deeper into curriculum development and understand how museums create programming for schools.

My main project this summer is to revamp the Traveling Trunk lesson plans that the museum currently offers. The Traveling Trunk offers schools around the country the opportunity to interact with material culture that is reminiscent of objects found in the Revolutionary War period. Students are able to play with these objects and ask questions about how they might have been used during this time period. The trunk also comes with lesson plans to help guide educators as to best utilize the objects in the trunk. 

My goal is to create new lesson plans that expand upon the objects in the trunk and that are engaging and easy for educators to use. Ideally, I would like to highlight stories from marginalized voices into these new lesson plans. Curriculum surrounding the Revolutionary War period typically centers around the men who fought in the war, but it does not highlight the stories of women or those of African descendance, who either fought in the war or were forced into slavery. Civics education is also an important aspect of the trunk, and it is something that I believe I can draw out of the objects in the trunk in order to really aid in students’ understanding of the Revolutionary War period.

Besides the Traveling Trunk, I will also be helping with leading the kid’s tent at the American Independence Festival that the museum puts on every year! I am excited to be able to collaborate with my fellow interns on this project. I have worked at a summer camp for the past seven summers, so I love working with kids and creating games and activities for them. I’m excited to also help out with the Mini Camps that the museum offers later on in the summer!