Early American Pioneers: Simulation in Third Grade Classroom
Chris Kraft, Third Grade
ckraft@ilstu.edu
Metcalf Laboratory School
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois 61790-7000
(309) 438-2414
SUBJECT
Integrated Unit: Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, Physical Education, Drama
GRADE
Third grade
ABSTRACT
Because children learn best what they experience first hand, the Early American Pioneers simulation gives them the opportunity to experience what it was like to live in pioneer times. The children pretend to be students in one of the earliest public schools in our nation. They personally experience the joys and frustrations of going to a one-room schoolhouse during the rough and tumble pioneer days. They develop a sense of our early history as they explore this special time in our past. The children are assigned a new identity in a pioneer family, attend a one-room schoolhouse, follow rules of early schools, play early Americangames, and make crafts typical of pioneer times. They experience learning through drills and recitation without modern tools such as computers. This three-week unit, adapted from the Apple Valley school simulation by Interact, gives the students an appreciation for pioneer life and a better understanding of the immigrant families who came to America.
PROCEDURE
Kick-Off at Historical Museum
This three-week unit began with a visit to the Historical Museum in the Old Courthouse in Bloomington. There the children were able to have hands-on experiences in the Pioneer Room: putting on pioneer clothes, pushing the plow on the track, beating rugs, and seeing the tables, beds, and outhouse. They then learned about McLean County immigrants.
Transformation of classroom
With that background, the students helped turn their classroom into a one-room schoolhouse, with one wall decorated as a log cabin with a fireplace. The room contains an old child's desk, a large black stove, and other artifacts of pioneer life. To try to give the students a real sense of what life was like to go to school then, the computers were removed from the classroom, the phone is not answered, and the lights are turned out.
New identities
As teacher I took on a new identity, with a new name (Abigail) and family background which was shared with the students. The children were assigned a family on the first day and got a new name. There are six families in the class with children of varying ages. Each family has a story about the family for the children to better understand the early immigrants. Each family created a poster to share information about their family with the other students.
Costumes
The girls wear bonnets and the boys wear suspenders. Some of the children extend their costume, with some of the girls wearing long skirts. (Click on the thumbnail to see a larger version.)
Visit to Eyestone School
The children went to Eyestone School, a one-room schoolhouse on the ISU campus, and stayed there for the day. There they used the old McGuffy Readers, wrote on slates, sat in the old desks, and had lessons presented as they would have been in the late nineteenth century. (Click on the thumbnail pictures to see a larger version.)
Change in classroom procedures
Throughout the three-week unit, students stand when they recite, follow strict rules, and earn points for graduation as they would have in early days. They follow strict discipline, sitting up straight in their seat at the ring of the bell for example, and sitting in their desks rather than moving to the carpet for reading.
Strict rules
Points were given according to a posted chart with rules for students. For example, 5 points were given for arriving at school on time, 5 points for completing homework on time, 10 points for being a good citizen, and 25 points for getting a perfect spelling test. Points were also taken away for misbehavior, such as 5 points taken for being tardy to school, 10 points for talking out, and 25 points for fighting.
Duties for teachers from 1872 were also discussed, such as the following: "Teachers will fill the lamps and clean the chimney each day", and "Each teacher will bring a bucket of water and a scuttle of coal for the day's session."
Recess games
For recess the children played pioneer games, such as hop scotch and marbles.
Mini-workshops
There were mini-workshops for 1 2 hours in the afternoon, in which the students chose three activities. They made rag dolls; cooked old-fashioned popcorn balls and heart shaped cakes; made ornaments such as tin punch, strings of cranberries and popcorn, dried apples, gingerbread men, or candles; made apple wreaths, or did woodworking. Parent volunteers assisted with these projects. (Click on the thumbnail pictures to see a larger version.)
CURRICULUM
Language Arts emphasized grammar, penmanship, spelling, memorization. Reading a Little House on the Prairie book gave practice in learning how to find main ideas to summarize text in addition to providing more information about life in pioneer days. Diary writing, journals, and slate writing were also utilized.
Social studies emphasized McLean County history, the westward expansion, and other historical events and time lines. Math included pioneer cooking/fractions, data collecting and graphing, along with word problems, computation, and estimation. For science emphasis was on simple machines and how tools today differ from the tools in pioneer days.
For art the children made the Early American crafts, created machines, and made a Conestoga wagon. Physical education activities included early American games, and music focused on folk songs.
GRADUATION
For graduation, the students had to earn enough graduation points which they kept in an envelope they had decorated. During the graduation ceremony, the children recited poems and conducted choral readings, and the valedictorian gave a speech.
BENEFITS
The students were excited about the Early Pioneer simulation. They had fun helping put the room together, and they enjoyed wearing their bonnets and long skirts and their suspenders. However, by the end off the three weeks they were ready to bring the computers back and to get up from their seats as they were used to. They had gained an appreciation for the pioneer days and the struggles children in those days had. They also gained more respect for what they do have now because they did without it for three weeks.
CHILDREN'S COMMENTS
When asked about what they were doing in the classroom, one students commented: "We made it into our own pioneer school in the 1870's. It feels different in here, coming and sitting down. We usually came and had free time. We never had a bell. Now the teacher rings it and we sit down. When the teacher asks a question, we have to stand up. We have a new family and a new old-fashioned name." Another student added, "It feels kind of weird. We get points for what we do, and lose points if we talk out. The best thing is getting 25 points for a perfect spelling test."
When asked what they learned, one student commented "They had to live very hard back then. They had to do exactly what the teacher said. It was very strict. If you don't listen, the teacher would slap your hand - but we didn't do that."
