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That Was Then, This Is Now: A Comparison Study
of Agriculture and Schooling in Vermont–1800 & 2002 by Jessica Simpson & Tracie Surridge 4th Grade Teachers—Burke Town School Our Story  Can you imagine living in Vermont and never having been to a farm? It’s more common than you realize and that’s how our agriculture unit got started. Jess has always taught “A Day in the Life” portion of this unit as part of her Vermont studies curriculum. We decided to go deeper with the unit and include an agriculture study. We applied for and received a Grow Vermont grant that helped with the development and delivery of this whole unit. We wanted to focus not only on the common aspects of agriculture like the dairy industry but the uncommon ones as well like bee keeping and logging. Photo at Right: Students visit a local lumber mill. It was exciting to see the students really get into this course of study. We contacted local farmers and business owners and took several field trips. One day we went to Cabot Creamery, Goodrich’s Sugarhouse and The West Hill one-room school in Cabot. Another day we went to a gentlemen farmer’s house and did chores of an 1800’s child. Another day we traveled to a large dairy and walked the 2 miles back to school. Then we visited a small dairy to compare methods and equipment. We took a trip to a sawmill and had a student’s father who is a logger come and demonstrate loading and unloading logs. After school field trips were taken to a bee keeper, a sheep farmer, a large sawmill and back to the large dairy to learn to milk. All field trips were taken within our community. Photo Below: Hands-on agricultural experience.  We also had guest speakers come in and talk to the students on life on a farm 50–80 years ago. We watched movies on the topics. Each student had to choose one topic of particular interest. Then the students were paired according to what they were interested in studying. On every field trip, all students were required to ask a minimum of three questions and to record their answers in their notebooks. If it was a trip on the student’s topic, then they were required to ask at least six questions. This information would be used on their final projects. We integrated math, problem solving and writing. The culminating event was a pot luck luncheon and project fair. One of the biggest ah ha’s was how powerful a tool the notebooks became. Our shiest students began to blossom into enthusiastic, persistent questioners as they knew they had to get the answers to their questions before returning to school. Also, after watching one of the movies where students had interviewed people working in various jobs in the dairy industry, our students modeled the interview questions on an unsuspecting veternarian who was making a call at one of the farms we visited. He was gracious and answered all of their questions as if it had been planned. Next they got the milk truck driver. All these little bonuses added to the richness of our unit. Getting Started Timeline and description of student or program participants: This unit can be taught as a whole 7-8 week combined unit or broken into two separate units – one on schooling and one on agriculture. Our class consisted of 25 students with a variety of abilities and special needs. Materials and Resources Needed: We were fortunate to have some very helpful resources. • Movies: Measured Furrows–VT Farming History, A Sugaring Story, Let’s Go to the Farm, Beyond the Bovine, In Days Gone By • Agriculture kits from Cabot Creamery containing some of the video mentioned above but also pre-made lesson plans that are standards based are available on request. • School House kit from the Vermont Historical Society has many books and artifacts of 1800’s schooling and is available for a nominal charge. • Local people willing to share and visit with the chidlren. • Peggy Pearl from the Fairbanks Museum helped with the graveyard portion of our schooling unit.  Focusing QuestionsWhat are Vermont’s major agricultural industries? • How/Why has Vermont’s agriculture changed in 200 years? • What are farming industries in our area? • How has schooling in Vermont changed in the past 150 years? • What technology has aided in these changes? Rationale Students need to learn about and explore the history of our area and the changes that have occurred over time. Hands-on experience will enhance this learning. Photo at Right: Students show off their projects and field questions from community members. Culminating Activities For the culmination of the Agriculture portion of the unit students and teachers planned an old-fashioned potluck luncheon. We invited the community, parents, and the people who’s farms or businesses we had visited. The turn out was an incredible 125 + people. After lunch, students went upstairs in our town hall where they manned tables with their projects on them. They showed their projects as people walked around and answered questions on their own. Teachers were on hand if they got stuck but for the most part, they did it all on their own. They were even interviewed by the newspaper and featured in a later issue. Projects ranged from posters to displays to a power point presentation. It was an impressive site and well beyond the expectations we had set forth. Photo Below Right: Our community potluck dinner.  The culminating event for the Schooling unit was a day in a one-room schoolhouse. The teachers took the students to the White Schoolhouse museum in East Burke where students actually spent the whole day being a student in a one-room schoolhouse. They had practiced at school beforehand. They had taken on a persona as part of this unit and had to act the age of the child they were playing. They were given schoolwork that would have been given then and asked to stand and recite in front of the class. They also played olden days games at recess and ate their lunches outside on the lawn. Then we ended the day with a trip to the store for penny candy. The exciting part of this unit is the fact that now each year, our students are tour guides at this museum during our Fall Foliage Festival. One year they did reenactments of a day in school in 15 minute clips and another they acted as tour guides giving visitors information on the school and its contents. UNIT OUTLINE That Was Then, This Is Now: Timeline:  II. Schooling Section of Unit(Vermont Standards:1.12, 6.4, 6.5, 6.6) Objectives: Students will investigate artifacts from life in 1800’s Vermont, illustrating a key period in our history. They will show how new technologies and industry changed both school and community. They will classify objects from the past and today and explain what this shows us about change over time. Photo at Right: Taking part in a one room school reenactment at Cabot. Assessments: 1. K-W-L Chart (with stickies) 2. 1800’s Student Profile and Narrative (“Alive in the Past”) 3. Performance Assessment - Mock School Day 4. Final Paper - Reflection Timeline May 21—Lesson 1 K-W-L Chart - students look at school books from the past to ask questions and share what they know about school in 1800’s Vermont. May 22 & 23—Lesson 2 Cemeteries–Students will explore a local cemetery, comparing early and modern stonework as well as discussing disease, dates of death, epitaphs and symbols. Students will make grave rubbings and investigate town records. 1800’s Student - Have students create an identity for themselves using surname from an old Burke map. (Students should be reminded of names from the cemetery walk) Fill out student profile and design a character doll with an appropriate style of dress. May 24—Lesson 3 Early Transportation - Students listen to readings about early settlers and transportation, take notes and write a story. May 25—Lesson 4 “In Days Gone By” - Students will watch the PBS video and answer questions about it. May 28—Lesson 5 Early Schooling - Read reminiscences and look at pictures to fill in going to school chart. Mrs. Lawson (teacher of 50 years) will come in and talk to the class about her experiences as well as what it was like when she was young and in school. Students will ask questions. May 29—Lesson 6 Supplies–Compile a list of classroom supplies from the 1800’s and today. Compare lists and explain some of the technology changes that affected school supplies. May 30 —Lesson 7 1800’s Lesson–Arrange classroom accordingly and have students do activities as they were done in the 1800’s: A. Memorize and recite passages B. Practice penmanship C. Assign math problems D. Explore Geography E. Have a spelling bee May 31—Lesson 8 White School Activities - Students will spend an afternoon at a local one-room schoolhouse participating in a re-enactment of a school day. They will dress the time period and participate in the following: A. Games and lunch on the lawn B. Schoolhouse activities similar to the ones listed in Lesson 7. C. Penny candy at a local store. June 3-6—Lesson 9 Reflection - Students will complete the K-W-L chart. Write reflections on the day at the Old White School and write thank you notes to those helping us. June 7 Final field trip at end of year to Old Stone House Museum (inviting our guest speakers and farm hosts to join us) & a stop at Willoughby Lake for a grand finale picnic & swim!! Fall 2002—Students will form a Heritage Club that will decide on a service-learning project to do at Fall Foliage Time involving the Agriculture and Schooling unit. The group will plan and carry out all aspects of their project with the teachers acting as facilitators. This process will be repeated over the years as new students complete the 4th grade units and go onto the 5th grade.
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