Education Programs
Stagville is dedicated to teaching about the lives, culture, and labors of enslaved people on one of the largest plantations in North Carolina. Our educators focus on ethically teaching an inclusive history of plantation slavery. Stagville offers a variety of education programs for students of all ages. All education programs take a two-hour block, typically from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Picnic tables and chairs are available on-site for groups that want to stay and eat lunch afterwards. Buses or cars for all students must be on-site for the duration of the field trip—students must be driven between the two sections of the site as part of the programs.
Call 919-620-0120 to schedule a group, or to ask questions about any program. To do an education program, Historic Stagville requires at least 10 students at a fee of $1 per student. Call us with any questions!
**Note: Our hands-on field trips are currently on hold due to COVID-19, but we still offer indoor and outdoor guided tour programs for 4th through 12th grade students!**
(1) Slavery and Freedom: Daily Life at Stagville
Explore the daily lives experience of enslaved people on one of North Carolina’s largest plantations. Students will study the craftsmanship of black builders and artisans and learn historical trades and games. Recommended grades are 3rdthrough 8th.
(2) Black and White, Enslaved and Free
Students explore the history of race, class, and culture at Stagville. Based on age, they will explore different themes of how money, power, and race shaped the lives of people at Stagville. Hands-on activities may include historical trades, gardening, or foodways. Recommended grades are 6th through 12th.
(3) Underground History: Studying Slavery through Archaeology
How do we study the life of enslaved people who were not allowed to write it down? Students learn the basic principles of archaeology research, and its significance in studying slavery. Then, join a simulated archaeology dig, based on real artifacts discovered at Stagville. Recommended grades are 3rd through 6th.
(4) Secret Stories: Studying Slavery through WPA Narratives
How can oral history teach us about slavery? Students will read and unpack firsthand accounts of formerly enslaved people from Stagville. This program explores North Carolina history from slavery into Jim Crow segregation.Recommended grades are 8th through 12th.
(5) Stream Study Program
This STEAM program explores the history of Stagville’s land, environment, and people. Students walk in the Triangle Land Conservancy Nature Preserve and conduct a water quality study at a local stream. Recommended grades are 3rdthrough 8th.
(6) Stagville School Days
Discover the history of school, education and exclusion in the 19th century. Students will participate in a 19th century school lesson, compare and contrast access to education at Stagville, and learn about literacy and its ties to Jim Crow laws. Recommended grades are 3rd through 8th.
(7) Seeking Equality: Slavery and its Legacies in North Carolina
A Historic Sites Partnership Program: Three Historic Sites, One Day, 100 years of African American History in Durham County.
At Historic Stagville, students will learn about enslavement and emancipation at one of the largest plantations in the state. Bennett Place will examine the role that African Americans played un the Civil War, with a United States soldier interpreting military life. At Duke Homestead, students will explore post-emancipation life for African Americans, through tobacco farming and manufacturing. Recommended grades are 3rd through 8th. $3 per student.