Bring the Stories of the Pacific War to Your Students!

Are you a teacher looking for historical resources to use in the classroom? A librarian searching for educational programming to offer library visitors? A school that’s unable to visit us in person? We want to make teaching WWII accessible to you.

Our Traveling Trunk Program provides original and reproduction WWII artifacts, accompanied with TEKs-aligned activities that are designed to be flexible for any schedule. Students gain hands-on experience with objects usually kept behind glass – an invaluable opportunity for history to come alive.

What’s Inside a Traveling Trunk?

Each trunk contains WWII-era artifacts and replicas from the museum’s Education Outreach Collection, along with TEKS-aligned lesson plans and activities. Depending on the trunk, you will receive artifacts like aviator goggles, ration cards, military helmets, gas masks, pamphlets, newspapers, and more.

The trunks are designed to be flexible - you can adapt the activities, or allow students to interact with the artifacts at their own pace.


Available Traveling Trunks

  • Communications, Technology, and Life During WWII
    • This trunk, created in partnership with the Smithsonian’s Cellphone: Unseen Connections exhibit, explores how people communicated, navigated, and stayed connected during the war. The activities use cellphones as a starting point to allow students to imagine themselves without modern technology, helping them draw meaningful connections between the past and present while examining wartime strategy, communication, and life on the home front. This trunk is ideal for an overview of the war and is designed with older students in mind.
  • Texas and World War II
    • This trunk gives students a glimpse into Texas history during the war. Designed specifically for students studying Texas history, this trunk can supplement their learning by learning how the war affected Texans. Students will investigate the economic transformation of the state during the war, and understand how wartime opportunities impacted different Texan communities.
  • Responsible Citizenship on the Homefront
    • Designed for younger students, this trunk allows students to get an inside look at what life would have been like on the Homefront during World War II. Students will examine examples of responsible citizenship on the Homefront, learn about rationing and civilian life during the war, apply principles of citizenship to their own lives, and learn how to be good citizens of their communities today.

How to Request a Traveling Trunk

Interested in bringing this program to your school or organization? Click HERE to request a Traveling Trunk!

While this program is offered free of cost, pickup is currently limited to the Central Texas region and mailable options are limited to the state of Texas.

Have any questions? Reach out to us! Call 830-997-8600 ext. 225 or email nmpwvista@nimitzfoundation.org