Third-graders learn from the past
A day in a historical one-room schoolhouse brings bygone era alive
By Earl Horlyk Journal staff writer | Posted: Friday, April 04, 2008
Emerson Elementary third grader Seth Keleher, left, checks the ink on the tip of the quill pen he and his classmates used Thursday, April, 3, 2008, at Fairview School, a one-room school house, to learn what it was like for pioneer children in that era. (Sioux City Journal, Jerry Mennenga)
SIOUX CITY - What did Emerson Elementary School third-graders learn in class on Thursday? Let's see, they learned all about hygiene and penmanship and had a lesson that was straight out of the McGuffey Reader.
Wait, what is this, the 1890s?
The calendar may say it's 2008, but for one day, Bobbi Trobaugh's class stepped back in time to the days of the one-room schoolhouse.
"The kids were learning about pioneer families in their social studies class this semester," the third-grade teacher explained. "I thought it might be fun for them to experience pioneer life firsthand."
Trobaugh's class spent the entire day at the Fairview Schoolhouse, a one-room schoolhouse across the street from the former Herbert Hoover Middle School on Country Club Boulevard.
"They were real excited about today," she said. "In fact, many of the kids chose to dress like pioneer children."
Trobaugh said her class had already read such books as "Sarah, Plain and Tall" and "Little House On The Prairie."
"So they already have some background on the time," she said with a laugh, "but nothing will prepare them for the real thing."
According to Jeanne Hanna, the schoolhouse was built in 1882 in Holstein, Iowa. It was moved to its current location in 1970 as part of a Junior League project.
Hanna, a retired educator with Western Hills Area Education Agency, has been Fairview's resident "school marm" for the past four years.
Conducting her class as if it were 1890, Hanna taught her young charges to raise their hands, address her as "Mistress Hanna" and bow to her as they answered her questions.
"Silence is golden, children," she reminded her class when it got rowdy. "Remember, silence is golden."
During the course of the day, kids learned how to use a quill pen, took part in a spelling bee and worked arithmetic problems using slate boards.
"Arithmetic," Hanna told her students. "That's not a word people use very much anymore. They call it mathematics instead."
"Since it's 1890," she commanded, "we'll be calling it arithmetic today."
Third-grader Katie Lewis said she liked learning the way her ancestors did.
"I liked using the blackboard to answer my math problems," she said, then corrected herself. "Uh ... I mean my arithmetic problems."
Her classmate Dusty Birkes liked modeling the classroom's dunce cap. "That was kinda fun," he admitted.
Seth Keleher thought the entire schoolhouse experience was "cool."
"Things were so different back then," he said, "and there are so many things to see and do around here."
One that immediately captured Seth's imagination was the secret door built into the school's blackboard.
"Behind the door," Hanna explained, "are the boys and girls restrooms. In an old one-room schoolhouse, there would only be an outhouse. But we thought that might be carrying the pioneer spirit too far."
Despite that nod to modernity, Hanna said she believes Fairview captures the era perfectly.
"It's important to show kids that things weren't always the way they are today," she said. "This will give them a better appreciation of how life was lived many, many years ago."
Wait, what is this, the 1890s?
The calendar may say it's 2008, but for one day, Bobbi Trobaugh's class stepped back in time to the days of the one-room schoolhouse.
"The kids were learning about pioneer families in their social studies class this semester," the third-grade teacher explained. "I thought it might be fun for them to experience pioneer life firsthand."
Trobaugh's class spent the entire day at the Fairview Schoolhouse, a one-room schoolhouse across the street from the former Herbert Hoover Middle School on Country Club Boulevard.
"They were real excited about today," she said. "In fact, many of the kids chose to dress like pioneer children."
Trobaugh said her class had already read such books as "Sarah, Plain and Tall" and "Little House On The Prairie."
"So they already have some background on the time," she said with a laugh, "but nothing will prepare them for the real thing."
According to Jeanne Hanna, the schoolhouse was built in 1882 in Holstein, Iowa. It was moved to its current location in 1970 as part of a Junior League project.
Hanna, a retired educator with Western Hills Area Education Agency, has been Fairview's resident "school marm" for the past four years.
Conducting her class as if it were 1890, Hanna taught her young charges to raise their hands, address her as "Mistress Hanna" and bow to her as they answered her questions.
"Silence is golden, children," she reminded her class when it got rowdy. "Remember, silence is golden."
During the course of the day, kids learned how to use a quill pen, took part in a spelling bee and worked arithmetic problems using slate boards.
"Arithmetic," Hanna told her students. "That's not a word people use very much anymore. They call it mathematics instead."
"Since it's 1890," she commanded, "we'll be calling it arithmetic today."
Third-grader Katie Lewis said she liked learning the way her ancestors did.
"I liked using the blackboard to answer my math problems," she said, then corrected herself. "Uh ... I mean my arithmetic problems."
Her classmate Dusty Birkes liked modeling the classroom's dunce cap. "That was kinda fun," he admitted.
Seth Keleher thought the entire schoolhouse experience was "cool."
"Things were so different back then," he said, "and there are so many things to see and do around here."
One that immediately captured Seth's imagination was the secret door built into the school's blackboard.
"Behind the door," Hanna explained, "are the boys and girls restrooms. In an old one-room schoolhouse, there would only be an outhouse. But we thought that might be carrying the pioneer spirit too far."
Despite that nod to modernity, Hanna said she believes Fairview captures the era perfectly.
"It's important to show kids that things weren't always the way they are today," she said. "This will give them a better appreciation of how life was lived many, many years ago."
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