Educational Programs

The Musée maritime du Québec’s programming seeks to allow visitors to experience the history and maritime heritage of the St. Lawrence River from the Great Lakes to the high seas, including the Arctic territories. The educational program offers students the possibility of exploring the maritime world through social studies, science and the arts.

Download the 2018-2019 educational activities programming brochure Programme d’activités éducatives 2018-2019 in PDF format – in French only. It contains information on the exhibitions and various activities offered at the Museum.

2018 – 2019 PROGRAMMING

VISITS-GUIDED TOURS OF EXHIBITIONS

Permanent Exhibitions 

Sea Roots

This exhibition showcases unique maritime artefacts from the 19th and 20th centuries and authentic tales of adventures and shipwrecks that bear witness to the strong ties that bind Quebecers to the St. Lawrence.

Duration: 30 minutes

Target clientele: all levels

Captain Joseph-Elzéar Bernier, 1852-1934

Learn about this son of L’Islet, a captain at age 17and an internationally renowned navigator. Follow his career that culminated in providing Canada with an Arctic frontier. The Museum is dedicated to the memory of this captain.

Duration: 20 minutes

Target clientele: all levels

The Ship Model Reserve

Enter this mysterious reserve in the Museum and admire more than 200 scale models of boats and ships that have marked the history of Quebec and Canada.

Duration: 50 minutes

Target clientele: all levels

A Boathouse that sparks an interest in sailing!

New, starting July 4, 2018

A tour of the all-new exhibition at the Boathouse allows visitors to find out about the importance of traditional small watercraft in Quebec. Learn about the many types of small boats used on the river and its tributaries.

Duration: 45 minutes

Target clientele: all levels

SHIP MUSEUM TOURS

Presented by ICI EXPLORA

The Icebreaker NGCC Ernest Lapointe

Board the icebreaker NGCC Ernest-Lapointe, a proud Canadian Coast Guard retiree. Visit the ship from the engine room to the captain’s quarters.

Duration: 50 minutes

Target clientele: all levels

The Hydrofoil NCSM Bras D’or FHE-400

Explore this experimental ship of the Royal Canadian Navy built to detect submarines during the Cold War. Avantgarde prototype designed to skim over the water.

Duration: 50 minutes

Target clientele: elementary cycle 2 and 3 students and secondary cycle 1 and 2 students

Temporary Exhibition

Ships that sailed nowhere

July 5, 2017 to April 1, 2019

This temporary exhibition sheds light on the captivating story of the lightships of the St. Lawrence and the men who manned them.

Duration: 30 minutes

Target clientele: elementary cycle 2 and 3 students

SCIENCE WORKSHOPS

Why does it float?

This workshop on floatability focuses on the mass and volume of objects. Students learn to handle objects in a basin of water and record their mass using an electronic scale.

Duration: 45 minutes

Target clientele: elementary cycle 1 and 2 students

Simple machines

This workshop focuses on the division of mass using different simple machines: inclined plane, lever and a hoist.

Duration: 45 minutes

Target clientele: elementary cycle 1 and 2 students

Navigate Without Getting Lost

New

This workshop focuses on making a compass, calculating your position using the stars and understanding how GPS calculates your position on earth using satellites.

Duration: 45 minutes

Target clientele: elementary cycle 3 students and secondary cycle 1 students

The science workshops can be offered in a comprehensive program that includes a tour of the permanent exhibition Sea Roots and a recap quiz.

CREATIVITY WORKSHOPS

Beach Glass Mobiles

Make a mobile from pieces of beach glass that you find along the shores of the St. Lawrence. Learn about how the glass got on the beach in the first place. The youth leave with their creations.

Duration: 90 minutes

Target clientele: elementary cycle 2 and 3 students, secondary cycle 1 and 2 students

Driftwood boats

Driftwood to build the hull, string and thumbtacks for the rigging and pieces of cloth for the sails. Build pretty boats while learning about a ship’s architecture. The youth leave with their creations.

Duration: 90 minutes

Target clientele: all levels

Bracelet Making Workshop

Make a pretty bracelet using a sailing knot. The youth leave with their creation.

Duration: 45 minutes

Target clientele: elementary cycle 2 and 3 students

WORKSHOP

Rope Making

Workshop on how to make rope the old-fashioned way using a rope walk. Presentation on the history and techniques of rope making.

Duration: 30 minutes

Target clientele: elementary cycle 1, 2 and 3 students

ACTIVITIES

Polar Expedition

Polar walk along the icy foreshore to learn about the ices of the St. Lawrence River, Rocher Panet and the legend behind the rock’s name. In the warm premises of the Museum, learn more about the particular conditions of expeditions to the Canadian Arctic.

Duration: 90 minutes

January, February and March at low tide

Target clientele: elementary cycle 3 students, secondary cycle 1 and 2 students

(Snowshoes with cleats required)

The Short Polar Expedition

This short polar expedition includes a short tour of the icy foreshore to learn about the kinds of ice on the St. Lawrence River. In the warm premises of the Museum, participate in a presentation on the lifestyle of the Inuit during the era of Captain Joseph-Elzéar Bernier’s explorations.

Duration: 60 minutes

February and March at low tide

Target clientele: elementary cycle 1 and 2 students

(Snowshoes with cleats required)

Mud and Shallows: An Adventure!

At low tide, follow the guide and trek through mud to the legendary Rocher Panet. Learn more about navigation as ships approach the shoal and shallow waters, the journey of the snow geese and the mysterious legend behind the rock’s name.

Duration: 90 minutes

June, July and August at low tide

Target clientele: elementary cycle 2 and 3 students, secondary cycle 1 and 2 students

The Mysteries of the Franklin Expedition

Treasure hunt in the Museum’s river park and presentation indoors of recent discoveries made by Park Canada’s underwater archeology team on the wrecks of the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror.

Duration: 45 minutes

Target clientele: elementary cycle 2 and 3 students

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