Today our second and third graders traveled through time and went to the year 1898 at Fowler School. Students dressed in appropriate clothing, brought lunches that would have been eaten during this time period, and "played school" in the schoolhouse for the day. To begin our day, we had a surprise visit from a traveling Bible man who called himself "Uncle Bob". This man shared a Bible story with our students, then we sang a few hymns together out of our songbooks together.
After our Bible story time in the morning, our schoolhouse students then began studying arithmetic. At first, students weren't sure what arithmetic was, but once they figured out arithmetic was simply math, they got right to studying their arithmetic books and using their slates to solve math problems.
Once arithmetic was finished, students had the opportunity to go outside and explore some games that students would have played outside in 1898. Some students played baseball, others explored buildings around the property, and some just used the swings next to the schoolhouse. Thankfully, the weather allowed us this time to run around outside before the rain began!
After our recess break, we came back into the schoolhouse and enjoyed some yummy snacks that were brought in by some of our amazing parents. For snack, we had blueberry muffins, oatmeal cookies, and venison beef jerky! Once all of our snack crumbs were cleaned up, we began our reading time in the schoolhouse. Because it is a one room schoolhouse and I had students from second through seventh grade in the classroom (our second and third graders were broken into grade groups with 3 to 4 students in each grade to give us an appropriate glimpse of a one room schoolhouse) we had to break students into groups in order to teach them at their specific grade level. Students were given a set of tasks to do at their desks, while I pulled grade groups of students to work in their McGuffy Readers. Students loved looking through these books and reading stories that students would have read in 1898.
Students were excited when lunch time arrived and they got to pull out the lunches that they had brought to the schoolhouse. Sadly, the weather didn't allow us to eat our lunches outside, so we stayed in the schoolhouse and ate our lunches at student desks. Once students finished eating, since it was still raining, students had the opportunity to experience what students would have played inside in 1898. Some students played checkers, others played jacks or pick up sticks, and quite a few students experimented with cat's cradle. Overall, inside recess wasn't too big of a disappointment because students loved experimenting with these new inside games!
Writing followed recess and students had the opportunity to write about their favorite parts of being a student in 1898. Some students shared their writing, then we moved on to social studies. Students answered history questions from 1898 (we worked on memorizing these questions earlier in the week so each student had a history answer memorized). Sadly, one student didn't know the answer to his question. He was forced to come up in front of the classroom and wear the dunce cap because he was not prepared. ;) Following this, all of the students wanted a turn wearing the dunce cap and sitting in the corner!
To end our day, students came up in their different grade levels and recited poems that they had memorized as grades. Students did an excellent job with making sure their poems were memorized, said with expression, and included motions to go along with their poetry. Below are videos of each grade level performing their poems:
Fowler School gave our second and third graders an amazing experience to glimpse what life was like in the past. I know that I enjoyed this field trip with my students, and I hope you enjoy the sweet photos of your children in 1898.
I want to say a HUGE thank you to my dad, "Uncle Bob", for driving the bus for this field trip and teaching us a Bible story to begin our day. I also want to say another HUGE thank you to my sister-in-law, Amber, who came out to the schoolhouse and took photos through the beginning part of our day. Below, I have included a link to all of the pictures she took in the schoolhouse. Feel free to look through them!
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