Seasons on the Farm

Objective: Students will compare and contrast the jobs/chores of the nineteenth century during the four seasons of the year.

Pre Activity

Activity 1

Students participating with Seasons on the Farm will get to learn about chores of the past that the Davis' and their slaves took part in, that are very different from what their chores are now. Have the students write in a journal their “chores” at home. Discuss their likes and dislikes of these chores.

Activity 2

Students participating with Seasons on the Farm will get to learn about different occupations of the nineteenth century that may look different from careers of the present age. Have a career day before your visit. Ask student’s parents to come in and discuss their daily work schedule and describe their career. Areas to bring out in discussion are where they work, do they work with machines or with their hands, do they travel to work or work at home, etc.

Post Activity

Activity 1

Compare and contrast the daily work seen with Seasons on the farm with the students chores & the careers of the student’s parents that they discussed prior to the visit. Questions to ask? Were the jobs seen harder or easier, more or less time consuming? What is the impact of the chores or work seen at Sam Davis Home. I.e.: Food to eat for family, candles to use for lighting every day, quilts to keep warm in winter.

Have them discuss or write in their journal which activity at the Sam Davis Home they would most like to do every day or least like to do. Why did they choose this job?

Activity 2

Use on of the following recipes to make a sample of the food that would have been made on the Davis' farm.

Choice 1:

Bring in slices of cured ham or fat back for the students to sample cured meat.

Choice 2:

Easy Butter Making

Ingredients needed:

1-quart heavy whipping cream

Baby food jars (enough for every two children)

One marble for every jar

Process;

Place 1 marble in each baby food jar. Pour whipping cream into jars. Place tops on jars tightly. Have children shake jars for approximately ten minutes or until butter forms. The sound of the marbles shaking within the jars will diminish as the butter forms. Once the butter “comes” you will be able to hear the marbles shaking loudly again. You will be able to see the separation of the butter and buttermilk within the jar. Once the butter is made, pour off the buttermilk in a sink. Place the butter in a cup and rinse with water until it runs clear. The butter can then be served on warm biscuits or bread.

Choice 3:

Dried Apple Rings

One apple per student

Several apple corers

Knife

2 ft of heavy string per student

º cup of lemon juice

Large bowl filled with cold water

Wax paper or Paper towels for each child

Process: Have children core their apple using the apple corer. Teacher should cut the apple into round pieces. Immediately have the student put in the cold lemon water.

The student then takes the apple rings and places on string and ties the two ends of the strings together to form an apple ring.

Have students label their ring and hang on a wooden clothes-drying stand, if possible near a heater. Takes approximately two weeks inside for the apples to fully dry. Students can eat them or take them home for decoration (can place a candle in the middle of ring and use for a candle holder), should be sprayed with clear polyurethane if going to be used for decoration.

(Suggestion: bring enough apples for the students to eat a fresh apple now and a dried apple two weeks later, can compare and contrast the flavor, texture, etc.)