Learning About the Past

We all took so much away from last week's field trips to the Albany Heritage Visitors Center and Fort Crailo. Both experiences were chock full of information about how earlier generations lived in this area. The trip reinforced the learning that has been happening in the classroom. We launched our unit, How Our Land Changed Over Time, in the last few weeks.

We were all inspired to design creative ways to present the knowledge the children are learning. This week the kids will decide which time period they want to focus on--Native American, Dutch and colonial, or urban Albany. Once those decisions are made, the children will choose the specific topics they want to study and make plans to communicate that knowledge. The culmination will be our Show of Work after the Peace Assembly on Friday, December 19th. The excitement is just beginning!!

AT THE VISITORS CENTER

Portraying Native Americans

A Dutchman and Dutch girl

Learning about Henry Hudson's trip

A model of early Albany

 Some of us in historical dress. :-)

The kids helped to plant Red Emperor tulip bulbs for a Journey North garden at the Visitors Center. We will also plant a garden at Parker for Journey North that will track the progression of spring--along with other participating schools--across the Northern Hemisphere. We were gifted with over 20 bulbs for our school planting, as well as the individual bulbs your child brought home.

FORT CRAILO
We then headed to Fort Crailo. We went immediately down into the basement kitchen where we found a blazing fire burning in the Dutch hearth. Our educators led the children through assembling the dough for seed cakes with caraway seeds. As each ingredient was added, we learned about historical farming and food production, the global economy at the time, diets, cooking tools and eating utensils, and family chores and routines. All this was discussed as the children passed the bowl and bruised the caraway seeds, softened the butter, and added flour. 

Watching as hot coals are put on the Dutch oven

THEN IT WAS TIME TO EAT!

 

Outside Fort Crailo

The next day, Grandma Heidi came to share her passion for learning about the past by bringing in a collection of  everyday items used by settlers in our area. There were toys, headware, clothing, a replica hornbook, bellows, and many other items that brought the children closer to the Dutch and colonial period. You can see by the faces that this was a great way to spend a Friday afternoon. Thank you, Heidi!!

 

We're busy and having lots of fun! 

A Study in Contrasts

Last week's Snapshot of the Hudson was quite an adventure. The conditions we lived through should add to the lore of that day. The kids were uncomfortable, but intrepid in the wind and rain.

With the weather, we did not run a complete rotation through stations. But each team at each station was able to pull together information we can share. The rain meant the children did not find any fish or macroinvertebrates. But they wielded those nets, hoping for the best. We were able to collect turbidity, pH, and chlorophyll data. This week, the kids are working in art class to complete their observational drawings, using pictures and their own memories to complete the task.

In the weeks leading up to the Snapshot day, the 2-3s worked at our pond to get familiar with the tools and procedures they would employ at the river. The weather those days was absolutely divine.

A real study in contrasts, wouldn't you say?!