​Teacher's Guide

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Daily Schedule Example for 1st & 2nd Grades

Many of our volunteer teachers and schoolmarms have requested examples of how to structure classroom visits to Cornell School. Below is  how Ruth Pelkey, one of our long-time volunteer schoolmarms, created a special field trip for 1st and 2nd graders. 

• Greeting: Meet children at the door with a hot baked potato, butter and salt.
• Seat students: Classroom teacher does this.
• Schoolmarm: Tell students they are at Cornell School to learn and have fun. There are many different items in this one-room schoolhouse than in the students' classroom now. Walk around the room discussing the following items:
  1. Pot belly stove. This was the only source of heat for the classroom. Ask students how they think it heated the room and what was used. (wood or coal) Show how door opens and a fire was made. Point out the chimney and why it was necessary. 
  ​2. Ink bottle and pen. Also show the ink well in most of the desks. Explain that it prevented the ink from being knocked to the floor. Students were very proud of their writing and practiced so that they would have good penmanship. 
  3. Pictures of Washington and Lincoln. Ask students if they recognize these men?
  4. Maps. These are very old maps of Ohio and the United States. 
  5. Bookcase containing McGuffey Readers (see William McGuffey link)
  6. Doors to cloakrooms and front entry (Now would be a good time to ask the class where they think the door to the bathroom is. Explain that the bathroom was outside in a small building called an outhouse. Show picture of pg. 17 of One Room School. It would be similar to using a porta-potty now. 
  7. Crock (Ask students what they think this was used for) Explain that it was used for water and that the oldest boy would have been responsible for filling it each morning from the well. The students used the ladle to get a drink of water. Then tell the "Drinking from the Water Crock" story. 
  8. Organ (Ask students if they know the name of this piece of furniture.) Demonstrate how it was used. Show a picture on pg. 82 of the Good Old Days Remembers the Little Country Schoolhouse book. After showing this picture it leads into talking about the teacher and what she wore and expectations of what she was to do as a teacher. "Teaching in the 1920's" by Charles S. Chamberlin. 
  9. Hornbooks (Show the wooden one but use the cardboard one because there is less noise)

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You may want to also talk about:  The Flag or the 1894.1923 Class Photo (the 1894 photo is located in Cornell School's basement stairway.)

• Math Lesson- Problems were about the farm, animals, canning vegetables, etc.
• Lunch
• ​History Lesson:  "Toys Teach History"

Display the following items and discuss how they might have been used in real life. Ask simple questions like (What toy could you use outside? What items are made from iron?)

1. ​Crafts - Design a Thaumatrope.
2. ​History of Cornell School (include photos) 
3. Moving of Cornell School (include photos) 
4. Copy books
5. Students write their name and the date in their copy book
6. 5 Finger Lesson
7. Draw schoolhouse item like the potbelly stove
8. Illustrate a McGuffey story such as the Blind Man and the Elephant
9. Go outside and draw Cornell School​

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