I'm a firm believer that we must remember our past to embrace our future. I have shared with you, my groupies, a lot of the neat old farm shows that my family and I participate. Click here. And here. And here.
Our sons are well traveled and well versed in how things were done on the farm 50 to 100 years ago. Click here. My son is always sharing with his friends and teachers a lot of the neat things that he has seen and experienced.
Many of my sons classmates have never experienced the chance to sit on a tractor, milk a goat, see how corn is shelled from the cob or ride in a horse drawn wagon.
Friday at Big A Elementary they did!
It was Pioneer Day at Big A!
The teachers and students were dressed for the part in their overalls and long pioneer dresses and bonnets.
They got to see how to crank a tractor my hand and sit on a tractor.
They got to see how to make their own pottery.
They got to see how to use a cross cut saw.
They got to see a corn sheller work.
They got to see how hard it was to get seeds out of a cotton boll.
They got to hear music played on a bow saw.
They learned about the Cherokee Indians.
They ate stew cooked over an open fire.
They got to see how to milk a goat.
The most important thing is these students experienced things that many of them would have never experienced if the teachers and administration of Big A didn't feel it was important for these kids to learn about their history.
As educators we are so busy trying to teach so our students will pass a test that we forget there are other lessons that we need to be exposing our students to!
Pioneer Day was one of those days we got to expose students to their history that may not be in a book but is still important. They were exposed to real life!
Do you feel we need to do more things like this in our schools or just teach what they need to know for state tests? Share your comments...
Top Mommy Blogs - Vote for us @ TopMommyBlogs.Com!
I so agree with you. It isn't that we want to return to the old days; it's that you still need how to do things when you're down to the bare bones in your life and have to make do... kudos to you all for keeping this alive for your boys... Come visit when you can...
ReplyDeleteI sure wish I was there to enjoy that day. I love doing things like this.
ReplyDeleteLove this post! I think that you said it perfectly. As a previous kindergarten teacher I understand we have to teach to a test, but I also understand kids learn by doing and they learn by touching and having an experience. I use to teach math based off our race car. A little wild but I can say all the kids learned their numbers. I always say you need to teach kids about life.
ReplyDeleteAgain fabulous post and the outing looks like a blast!