Live Sessions

Children will typically play with anything they can find, from a box to pretty rocks found on the ground. It is this universality that we aim to look at and examine through the objects found in the Oil Museum of Canada collection. What were the trends in society that shaped the objects that children played with from the materials used to make the toys to societal expectations that we communicated through play based objects. Every object tells a story and is connected to memory. What are the stories connected to your childhood toys and memories. This program is adaptable for any age group with special consideration for people with memory loss and Alzheimer’s. 

Hats have been a pervasive part of fashion for hundreds of years. No outfit was complete without a hat or some type of head covering. It was unthinkable for a person to go out in public in the mid-19th century without a hat. Hats continue to convey messages to the public about the person wearing the hat such as status, morality, career, fashion, and cultural belonging. We will look at why people wear hats and fashion trends in hats. What messages we send with the hats we wear and why we continue to wear hats. This program is adaptable for any age group with special consideration for people with memory loss and Alzheimer’s.

Examine the history of the first commercial oil well in North America. You will hear stories about the problems that these oil pioneers faced at the start of this new industry in the wild swamps of Lambton County. Explore the rags to riches dramas of the dreamers, scoundrels and innovators as they rush to harvest and process “black gold”.

Examine the petroleum industry in Oil Spring from its humble beginnings in the mid-1800s to the large multi-national industry that operates today within our local communities. In this case study, we look at the attitudes of these oil industry pioneers towards the environment, economics and society in the 1800s through the lens of sustainability. After this historical look at the industry, we discuss how the industry has evolved over time to what we see today. How have attitudes shifted over time in regards to the environment, economics, and society in regards to sustainability.

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the work of museum professionals within your community. We examine the educational pathways to work in a museum, different job opportunities, contributions to the local community and the role museums have to play in social change.

Examine the history of the first commercial oil well in North America. You will learn about the problems that these oil pioneers faced to start this new industry in the wild swamps of Lambton County. Explore the rags to riches stories of the dreamers, scoundrels and innovators as they rush to harvest and process Black Gold.

Recommended for grades 6 to 12.

Take a behind the scenes look at the work of museum professionals within your community. We examine the educational pathways to work in a museum, different job opportunities, contributions to the local community and the role museums have to play in social change. For younger grades we discuss what is a museum and things you might discover at your local museum.

Recommended for grades 1 to 3 and 10 to 12.

Learn about the three factors of combustion which include heat, oxygen, and fuel; including the molecular breakdown of incomplete combustion and its final products. We also discuss the three states of matter when related to combustible fuels and how incomplete combustion can result in the reignition of a flame. 

Recommended grade 6-9.

We are an energy hungry society with increasing demands for energy to power all our devices and homes. What are the different types of energy that we use and where do those energy resources come from? Examine the difference between renewable and non-renewable energy resources and the methods you can take to conserve energy. 

Recommended for grades 4 to 6.

Join the Oil Museum of Canada as we explore different winter holiday traditions celebrated by early settlers of the region, such as: putting up a tree in the home, making candles, gift giving, and festive drinks. We also take a closer look at how relatives overseas communicated back home about the holiday traditions they encountered around the world.

Recommended for grades 2 to 4.

*Available from November 8 - December 14, 2021

Learn about a day in the life of an early settler in Canada from sun up to sun down. In this presentation we will examine the clothing, houses, work responsibilities, transportation and food that characterized this period of history. 

Recommended for grades 2 to 5.

Examine the petroleum industry in Oil Springs, from its humble beginnings in the mid-1800s to the large multi-national industry that operates today within our local communities. In this case study we look at the attitudes of these oil industry pioneers towards the environment, economics and society in the 1800s through the lens of sustainability. After this historical look at the industry we discuss how the industry has evolved over time to what we see today. How have attitudes shifted over time within the industry and outside the industry in regards to the environment, economics, and society in regards to sustainability.

Recommended for grades 7 to 12.

This is an introductory program to geology and looks at the reasons why the petroleum resources are found in Southern Ontario. Students will be introduced to the rock cycle, stratigraphy, prospecting, and rock/mineral identification techniques. 

Recommended for grades 4 to 9.

On March 17, 1863, the Detroit Free Press ran a small story on page three that discussed “a serious riot” occurring between the Black community and the white community in Oil Springs, Canada West. The article explains that rioters ordered Black people away, then “destroyed their property and burned their houses.” This program looks at the primary source evidence related to this incident, sheds new light on the experiences of Black laborers in the oil fields of Oil Springs, and shows that Black people were contributors to the local Oil Springs economy and the development of the early oil industry in Canada.

Recommended for grades 7 to 12.

This exhibit contains historical documents that use racialized language.

Science and chemistry have revolutionized the way we use raw crude oil resources. See how the process of refining crude has changed from James Miller Williams days in 1858 to how the modern refineries of Sarnia-Lambton process the crude oil into the greener fuels and products used today. 

Recommended for grades 7 to 11.

Discover how simple machines can increase force by reducing the amount of effort needed to perform work. Examine authentic historical examples of levers, pulleys, wedges, screws, planes, wheels and axles used in the early oil industry to harvest petroleum and make the fortunes of the oil barons. 

Recommended for grades 2 to 4.