Providing engaging, interactive virtual field trips is nothing new to us — we have over 10 years' experience offering our award-winning virtual workshops!
Our LIVE, multi-disciplinary, educator-led workshops transport your students into the shadow world, test their spy skills, encourage teamwork, and bring the Museum's unique content and collections to life (all while supporting your curriculum standards!).
We can accommodate up to 30 students in the following formats:
All students in one physical classroom
Each student connects individually from different locations
Hybrid (some students in 1 physical room and others connecting from home)
COST: $150/workshop* (except for Spy’s Eye View – see pricing below). FREE for Title 1 schools thanks to the generous support of the Diana Davis Spencer Foundation Giving Back Initiative.
WHEN: Monday – Friday between 9am – 5pm EST (Federal holidays excluded). Workshops booked outside these hours will incur an additional off-hours fee of $100+.
PARTICIPANTS: 5-30 students (and at least 1 teacher/supervising adult is mandatory) If your school is IN-PERSON or HYBRID, we can only connect with one physical classroom per workshop (see above for connection options).
MATERIALS: All workshops include a PDF packet of materials which will be emailed to the teacher upon booking.
PAYMENT: Full payment MUST be received no later than one week prior to the date of the workshop. Accepted forms of payment include Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, or checks. The International Spy Museum will NOT accept purchase orders as a form of payment.
CANCELLATION: Cancellations up to 14 days prior to the online field trip date are eligible for a full refund. After that, the Museum is unable to issue a refund.
The International Spy Museum is a proud inductee of the Center for Interactive Learning and Collaboration (CILC) Pinnacle Award Hallof Fame. This award is based on program evaluation ratings from participating educators.
YOUR MISSION:
Choose one or more of the workshops listed below. Package pricing is available for 10 or more workshops booked by a school or school district.
Book your workshop directly - see workshops below.
We will contact you to confirm your workshop and process payment.
Grades: 3-5, 6-8, or 9-12
Time: 50 minutes
Can your students use their observation skills to spot suspicious activity, think like a gadget-maker to solve problems, uncover an agent in disguise, and more? In this skill-based workshop, interactive challenges with real-world stories will be woven together as students explore the shadow-world of espionage. (This workshop can be customized for a variety of themes including American Revolution, World War II, Cold War, Female Spies, etc.)
(This workshop can be customized to cover the following themes: American Revolution, Cold War, and Female Spies. To request one of these themes, please make a note in your booking.)
Cold War | US History/Government | Science & Technology | World History | Decision Making/Conflict Resolution
MINUTE BY MINUTE: CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS SIMULATION
Grades: 7-8 or 9-12
Time: 60 minutes
Do your students have what it takes to avert a nuclear catastrophe? This classroom simulation places students in the role of CIA intelligence analysts in October 1962. By analyzing declassified primary documents and surveillance photos from U-2 spy planes, students advise President Kennedy of the “ground truth” at each stage of the Crisis.
Cold War | US History/Government | World History | Math | Decision Making/Conflict Resolution
MIND GAMES: SECRETS, BIAS, AND BRAINS
Grades: 7-8 and 9-12
Time: 50 minutes
Spies gather secrets, but it’s the analysts who help make sense of them. In this workshop, students become intelligence analysts, spotting patterns, testing assumptions, and uncovering how cognitive biases can affect decision making. The workshop concludes with an exercise inspired by the real-life search for Osama bin Laden.
Decision Making/Conflict Resolution | US History/Government | World History
RED, WHITE, AND SPY
Grades: 4-6
Time: 50 minutes
Reporting to General George Washington, students will travel back in time to the summer of 1780. The mission: craft a deception operation to divert the planned British attack on the incoming French fleet. Their methods: covert communication, invisible ink, and codes and ciphers. Integrating primary documents into a live action mission, students will assist General Washington while American success in the War hangs in the balance!
US History/Government | World History | English Language Arts | Decision Making/Conflict Resolution
COVERT CLUES: A FORENSICS WORKSHOP
Grades: 7-8 or 9-12
Time: 45 minutes
Is there a mole in your operation? While accusations fly, only forensic evidence provides the necessary counterintelligence clues to put this case to bed. Students become forensic scientists and use real FBI forensic techniques to examine evidence, make recommendations, and use the scientific method to determine the identity of the mole.
Science & Technology | Math | Decision Making/Conflict Resolution
SPY FICTION WRITER’S WORKSHOP
Grades: 4 - 6
Time: 50 minutes
The shadow world of spying has captured the imagination of authors for centuries. Now, your students can be the ones to develop their own spy novel that grips readers’ attention! This unique writing workshop goes through the process of creating intriguing characters and spine-tingling stories. Spy Museum educators will supply real spy stories, artifacts, and inspiration to get your students started.
English Language Arts
OPERATION CODE CRACKER
Grades: 4-6
Time: 45 Minutes
There’s a mole in the operation. Can your students decipher secret messages to reveal important intel? Supporting critical thinking, analysis, and problem-solving skills, this workshop demonstrates how codes and ciphers function in the shadow-world of espionage.
Science & Technology | Math | English Language Arts | Decision Making/Conflict Resolution
HIDDEN INFLUENCE: A WORKSHOP ON PROPAGANDA
Grades: 7-8 or 9-12
Time: 50 minutes
Every day students are faced with different forms of propaganda. However, it is nothing new. Can your students identify the tools and techniques used to create successful propaganda campaigns? By the end, students will think critically about the information they consume and understand how it could be designed to manipulate their thoughts and opinions.
Decision Making/Conflict Resolution | US History/Government | World History
