School Days

Grades 3 – 5
Using artifacts students will compare schooling during the days of one-room school to schools today. Using maps, they will examine the school districts in their own towns and identify questions to explore further. A brief one-room school lesson can be substituted for the artifact activity.

Global Citizenship Proficiencies:

2. History: 
Explain differences between historic and present day objects and identify how the use of the object may have changed over time.

5. Geography:
Observe land use to understand why particular locations are used for certain human activities. 
Identify ways in which culture in Vermont has changed.

Literature Connection:

Laura Ingalls Wilder, On the Banks of Plum Creek

Pre-Visit Activities

This inquiry is best used within the context of a broader unit on community history. Students might prepare for this inquiry by examining their own school room. 

• Map their desk, map classroom, list the furniture, etc.  
• Locate the school on a town map. Is it located in the center of town? Near a major road? Outside of town? 
• Have students draw or trace on a map their route to school. How long does it take to get to school and what transportation do they use?

Post-Visit Activities

Writing Task [Informational]: After learning about schooling in the past, compare your classroom to school rooms in the past.

Writing Task [Descriptive]: After learning about schooling in the past, write a diary entry that details a day in the life of a student from the past.

To schedule a visit or find out more, email Sarah Rooker: info@flowofhistory.org