We are beginning to plan a new type of tour program for our facility.  With this new format teachers will lead their own classes through our galleries.  They will get pre and post visit materials, pick up a back pack of hands-on pieces when they arrive to use in our galleries, and have activities to do at about 4 places in the gallery.  We plan to do several of these tours.  Each will focus on a different topic such as Native Americans, settlement, and agriculture on the prairie. We will not be using staff or docents to interact with the groups while they are in the gallery or in our classroom area before or after their visit.

Does anyone do programs similar to this?  
If so what do you see as the benefits and/or drawbacks to this type of tour compared to a docent/staff led tour?
What is a good size to break largers groups into for this type of program (4 students per group, 8 students)?
Do the classes come with enough adults to make this type of tour work?  What is the adult/student ratio you require?
How much writing are the students expected to do while on the tour?
How much material is appropriate in a previsit packet?
Do you make space available outside of your galleries for post visit materials to be covered on-site?
How much maintenance is involved in keeping the backpacks organized?
If you offer both docent led and teacher led tours what is the percentage of groups that use the teacher led tour?  Do teachers seem to prefer one type of tour over the other?

Thank you for your help!  Any insights into this type of program are greatly appreciated.

Lois J. Herr, Outreach Coordinator
Kansas State Historical Society
6425 SW Sixth Avenue
Topeka, Kansas 66615-1099
785.272.8681, ext. 251
FAX 785.272.8682
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