Education

Teaching the future about the past

The Jefferson County History Center is proud to partner with area schools to provide educational programs for kids of all ages. Through coordination with educators, we are able to offer field trips, after school programs and summer activities. 

We encourage you to explore some of our past programs and contact us to discuss opportunities for your students.

What have our students been up to?

Fall 5th Grade Field Trip

On October 26, we hosted a field day for the Hickory Grove 5th graders (125 kids) at the Old Brookville Cemetery, next to the Parker Archives building.

The kids enjoyed activities at 5 different stations:

  • Archives & Artifacts – Students worked in pairs to examine artifacts from the archives and record information on their “Mystery from History” worksheets.
  • Scavenger Hunt – Students visited one section of the cemetery to search for a list of items on the tombstones in that area.
  • Iconography – Students discussed the meaning of symbols used on the tombstones and how they reflect the life of the people buried there. Then, they created icons of their own to represent themselves.
  • Tombstone Cleaning – Students worked in small groups, each assigned a tombstone. They recorded observations about the stone before cleaning, then performed some basic cleaning with soft bristled brushes, scrapers and rags. Adult volunteers sprayed each group’s stone with the “Wet and Forget” cleaning solution. After cleaning, students again recorded their observations of the tombstone.
  • Biographies & Tombstone Design – Students worked in small groups to look over examples of tombstone designs, then design a tombstone based on the biography of a deceased county resident.

The kids were also given the opportunity to purchase items from the gift shop.

The weather was perfect for these outdoor activities, and feedback from the kids and volunteers was overwhelmingly positive.

November Raider Time

At November Raider Time, the students brought Dennis McFadden’s poetry to the stage. Each group chose a poem from “Never Lick a Flagpole” and created a short skit based on the poem. The students’ creativity was on full display as they brought McFadden’s hilarious characters to life.

October Raider Time
October Raider Time was all about spooky stories. Linda Barnes told a fun story on “Blunts special sausage.” Gabby McLaughlin talked about her experience catching a photo of a ghost at the Jenny Wade House in Gettysburg. She also taught the kids about Thomas Litch and the haunted parlor at the History Center. Jill McLaughlin shared an interactive story called “Old Man’s Brains.” The kids got to feel mystery items that represented the old man’s body parts. Several students shared their own spooky stories too! 
September Raider Time

JCHC meets monthly with students in grades 3-6 who participate in the elementary after school program, “Raider Time.”

For September’s activity, students had the opportunity to observe 12 artifacts. They then tried to determine what those artifacts may have been used for and how they may have changed over the years. The students were very excited to learn what each item actually was. Can you identify the items in the pictures? Number 5 was a big hit with the kids!

Contact us about our education programs

Call the History Center at (814)849-0077 or email [email protected] to learn more about education opportunities for your students.