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These activities are part of the
Museum Tours.
Enjoy living history at its best! “Dig in” to experience the
daily chores required of those who lived c. 1847-1870. The first
stop we make is our artifact cart containing items used by many
of our pioneer citizens and native Americans who first inhabited
this land.
Students participate in 6 or 7 stations led by the
adults/parents accompanying the tour.
Printable version of Hands-on
Activities ( PDF file) |
Artifact Table |
Bucket Brigade |
Laundry |
Water Hauling |
Steer Roping |
Corn Grinding |
California Indian Pictographs |
Adobe Brick Making |
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- BUCKET BRIGADE
- Please read the following information to your students and
your adult leaders before your arrival.
- The bucket brigades were used for putting out fires during the
period we are portraying which is 1847-1870.
- Line up in a row between the two large water containers.
- The first students fill the bucked with water and then
passes it to the next student
- The second student passes it to the next student and down
the line until the last one.
- The last student pours it in the large container to put out
the (FIRE). Repeat going the opposite way if time allows.
- When you return to class discuss the following:
Discuss how fires are put out today. Compare a bucket brigade with
limited water and modern fire fighting. Discuss how you would get
out of your house if there were a fire. Do you and your family have
a plan on what to do, and where to meet after you are outside?
Think how you would feel if your home burned down, and you and your
family lost everything. What would you save if you could save ONLY
two things other than people or pets?
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- LAUNDRY
- Please read the following information to your students
and your adult leaders before your arrival.
- Select one item of clothing
- Place item in wash water and scrub with soap.
- Scrub on washboard.
- Use agitator to agitate the cloths, a group can agitate
together.
- Rinse in rinse water
- Wring out thoroughly over the tub.
- Use the heavy flat iron to iron the cloths
- Hang them on the clothesline using the clothespins to
dry.
- Remember, in those days each person had 3 to 4 outfits and did
their laundry once a week.
When you return to class discuss the following:
Discuss how long you think it would take to do your family’s
laundry? How long would it take to build the fire, heat the water,
and haul it?
What would it be like having only 3-4 outfits to wear?
Why did you need wash water, rinse water, and an agitator? Why did
you need to thoroughly wring out the water? What would you do in the
morning if your clothes were still wet? How might you dry your
clothes in an emergency?
The next time you do laundry, appreciate your washing machine and
dryer.
List the modern conveniences in your home which make your family’s
life easier.
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WATER HAULING
Please read the following information to your students and
your adult leaders before your arrival.
- Fill the buckets halfway form the well water.
- Put the yolk on the student and add water buckets to the hooks.
- The students then carries the water to the yellow barricade
When you return to class discuss the following:
The average woman spent 30% of the day hauling water. It was one of the
most important jobs in any home or ranch. Clean water was one of the
most precious commodities that existed. How much water do you think you
would need to supply all of the water for one day for your entire
family? That includes flushing the toilet. drinking, laundry, cooking,
bathing, etc. Remember, all water was cold during the time you are
reliving, and had to be heated after they built a fire in their stove.
Think about it every time you use water at home.
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STEER ROPING DIRECTIONS
Please read the following information to your students and
your adult leaders before your arrival.
- Hold the lariat the form of a circle with one hand. Hold the
other end of the rope tightly with the other hand
- Thrown at the horns and round the steer’s neck.
- When a lasso is successful you may ring the cowbell.
When you return to class discuss the following:
Ask the students why they might need to rope a cow and haul water.
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INDIAN CORN GRINDING
Please read the following information to your students and
your adult leaders before your arrival.
- Place one spoon of corn in the mortar (bowl).
- Use the widest part of the pestle (grinding stone).
- Grind the corn with the pestle until you can shake it through a
colander onto a large bowl.
- Regrind any corn that didn’t fit through the colander
- Put the ground cornmeal into a small bowl.
-
The Mexican-Spanish the term for the bowl is molcajete and the
grinding stone is tejolote. Many people had problems grinding their
teeth down because particles of stone would get into their food.
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CALIFORNIA INDIAN PICTOGRAPHS
Please read the following information to your students and
your adult leaders before your arrival.
- Look at the center of the table for pictograph designs. Draw one
or ore designs on your rock.
- Use black pens and save color for things like dots. Colors were
too hard to make.
- On the other side put your initials.
- Give your pictograph to your adult leader who will return it to
you after you return to school or your group meeting area. We do not
want your work lost
Discuss how hard it would be to write a book using pictographs. This
is a form of primitive communication using drawings. The simplicity of
the designs are basic items or events of importance to share. The
Indians used pictographs as a way of identifying themselves. The rock is
abundant and can be found easily. The flat shape makes it perfect to
draw a pictograph. They also wrote on walls of caves and on huge
boulders
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ROCK ART
A petroglyph is usually carved or scratched into the rock.
A pictograph is a painting on stone. The most common color is black.
Sometimes red was used. White, yellow, green and blue were very
rare. Colors were usually from minerals or plants.
GENERAL BACKGROUND
A variety of animal petroglyphs exist around the world. Animals were
important to our early Native Americans. Both land and see animals
provided a rich source of food, and their hides, shells, teeth,
antlers, and ivory were used for tools, weapons, ornaments and
clothing.
Many animal images may have had some ceremonial or spiritual
function, and were believed to have brought good luck in hunting by
increasing the amount of game. Some were thought to be messengers.
Anthromorphs, or human-like forms were in almost infinite varieties.
Some were shown hunting, dancing, or playing games or flutes. It is
best if two adults are at this station, so one can oversee the Bank
Note and the other the Pictographs, but one adult can do both. All
materials are on one table.
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ADOBE BRICK MAKING
Please read the following information to your students and your
adult leaders before your arrival.
- FIRST: Each student places a half of shovel of soil into the
large container. Break up the dirt with your hands and throw the
rocks in the small bucket.
- SECOND: Break up the soil and crumble the clumps. Do the twist
dance on the soil until it is fine.
- THIRD: Continue crashing the dirt to fine powder. Add equal
amounts of sand. Mix well with your hands.
- FOURTH: Each student adds one handful of straw. Mix well. This
is the binder that binds the brick together.
- FIFTH: Add enough water to make a mush-like mixture. Mix well
with hands.
- SIXTH: Fill the wooden adobe brick mold with the mixture. Pat
with your fingers and fists and smooth the top with the wooden
trowel.
CONGRATULATIONS!!! Your class has just made an adobe brick. As a
class project you can build an adobe house using sugar cubes and
frosting.
When you return to class discuss the following:
Discuss how long it would to make an adobe house for six people. How
many bricks do you think it would take? How would you make the roof?
What would be in your house? Your class can try to make an adobe house
using sugar cubes and frosting to hold it together.
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