The Shoshone Traveling Trunk and the Fur Trade Traveling Trunk are now available for classroom check out! The education department invites all teachers to reserve a trunk that we lovingly refer to as a “field trip in a box.” Traveling Trunks are perfect complements to history and social studies units that focus on the history of the West, Utah Studies, American history, Cache Valley history, and Native American culture and history. Trunk check out is free with a refundable $50 deposit.

The Shoshone Traveling Trunk, developed in partnership with the Brigham Tribal Office of the Northwestern Band of the Shoshone Nation, includes a Guide for Teachers containing seven lesson plans, worksheets, maps,
photographs, and lists of recommended online resources.

Artifacts include beads, cowrie shells, imitation elk teeth, jingle cones, dried food, stone and metal projectile points, obsidian, bison horn cap, bison horn scoop, brain-tanned leather scraps, rawhide, sinew, bone awl, coyote hide, fur scraps, cattail doll, parfleche, medicine bag, rabbit skin moccasins, symbol cards, ten books, an audio CD, and a beading demonstration on DVD.

The Fur Trade Traveling Trunk features a Guide for Teachers full of activity plans, maps, worksheets, and artifact and historical information. Artifacts include beads, blanket, brain-tanned leather scraps, fox pelt, beaver pelt, nutria fur, bear fur, beaver skull, tanned beaver tail, beaver trap, bar lead, lead balls, bullet mold, powder horn, horn powder measure, bone powder measure, flint and steel, shooting pouch, tow, coffee beans, brick tea, dried beaver castor, cone sugar, oil cloth, canvas, jerky, scale model moccasins, top hat, mountain man hat, rope, copper pot, scissors, thimble, tin cup, soap, cotton calico, wool flannel, linen, shirt, wolf-eared cap, silk scarf, kissing otter silver, stove pipe wire, synthetic bear claw, old felt hat, and four books.