Educational Programs

Interpretive Guided Tours for School Groups

Unlike the general public, school groups studying the WWII era, may reserve a time and date to visit the USS Arizona Memorial. At no cost to the school or students, groups that make reservations through Arizona Memorial Museum Association receive pre-visit informational packets and are provided an age-appropriate introduction at the memorial.

For information on scheduling a group visit, contact:

Steve Kooiman
Education Specialist
Arizona Memorial Museum Association
1 Arizona Memorial Place
Honolulu, Hawaii 96816
808-485-2788
education@arizonamemorial.org

Witness to History Videoconference Program

Witness to History is a series of programs that utilize video conferencing technology to take students where visitors cannot go and bring the USS Arizona Memorial to students unable to visit Hawaii.

• The Pearl Harbor Survivor Series enables Pearl Harbor Survivors to relate their testimony of that fateful day to schools and other interested groups. (See link at right for selected biographies.)
• The Interpretive Ranger Series shows a video of a USS Arizona underwater dive while the Park Ranger gives a voice-over interpretive lesson. This is followed by a student and educator question and answer time.

For more information contact: Paul Heintz, Video Conferencing Coordinator, Witness to History Program, Arizona Memorial Museum Association 808-485-2744.

Junior Ranger Program

The USS Arizona Memorial designed a Junior Ranger Booklet to help children embrace and enjoy history. Visiting the USS Arizona Memorial amongst trips to the beach, shopping, snorkeling and Hula makes it hard to make meaningful connections. However, it can be done by humanizing a story and by making history personal.

The booklet guides young students through the events of the attack. These activities include Opana Radar, Target Oahu, Midget Subs, Battleship Row, Code-Breaking Magic, Wartime Civilian Life, Remembering Those Who Died, and Memorials and Memories.

Koa, a dolphin designed by longtime illustrator Alan Low, best met the criteria for the main character. Reflecting the maritime and Hawaiian sense of place; the dolphin seemed the ideal choice. The name Koa means warrior in the Hawaiian language. Koa is also an acronym for (Knowledge Officer for the Arizona).

The booklet approaches history with a child in mind, which is the purpose of the Junior Ranger program. Junior Ranger’s not only earn a badge, but they learn the story of December 7, 1941, and gain an appreciation for the USS Arizona Memorial.

The USS Arizona Memorial Junior Ranger Booklet can be obtained for free at the visitor center front desk or through the link above. The guide is intended for youths (Ages 7-12). A Junior Ranger badge will be given upon completion. Please see a Park Ranger if you have any questions.

Teacher Tool Kit

The Teacher Tool Kit contains a variety of primary and secondary sources that can be used to supplement your curriculum instruction. They offer the most direct explanation of the events surrounding the attack on December 7, 1941. The variety and scope are broad to give you the most latitude in use. For the CD version of this document contact the Arizona Memorial Museum Association Education Specialist.