Outreach Programs

March 26, 2018/in School Programs/by VISTECH Editor

Outreach Programs

READING ARTIFACTS

(Grades 1 – 4)

What can artifacts tell us about life in early America?

THEME: The West Division of Hartford in the 1700’s was a small farming community. Noah Webster’s father was also a weaver. People traded with friends, neighbors, merchants, and artisans for goods and services they needed. Using hands-one, inquiry-based learning, students will work in small groups to “read” different types of artifacts from the Noah Webster House Museum. What is it? How was it used? Do we use anything like it today? What does the artifact tell us about life in the 1700’s?

Cost: Please email education@noahwebsterhouse.org for current pricing.

Program Length: 1 hour per classroom

Max. No. of Students per Classroom: 25

EARLY AMERICAN GAMES AND TOYS

How did early Americans spend their free time?

(Grades 1 -4)

THEME: Like many early Americans, Noah Webster lived on a farm. A lot of hard work had to be done on a farm, and children had to help out as much as they could. Many times, children turned their work into games to make it more fun and make the time go by faster. When children had time to play, they played some of the same games we still play today. Many games helped children learn skills they would need when they grew up. Where did toys come from? How were they made? What skills do the toys and games teach? Using hands-on, inquiry-based learning, students will learn about the past by playing with toys and games.

Cost: Please email education@noahwebsterhouse.org for current pricing.

Program Length: 1 hour per classroom

Max. No of Students per Classroom: 25

On Site Programs

March 26, 2018/in School Programs/by VISTECH Editor

On Site Programs

Thank you for your consideration of Noah Webster House Educational programming! See below for full descriptions of our current educational program offerings. For more information, please contact our Education Department by filling out the contact form below. We hope to see you soon!

Life on the Webster Farm (Grades 4-8)

Life on the Webster Farm

(Grades 4-8)

“It was an amazing and enjoyable experience for all my students and parents. [They] were extremely impressed with all the hands-on activities and facts the students learned.” -Forestville Fifth Grade Teacher

How did early American families live, work, and play?

Theme: In 1774, children were responsible for learning and contributing to the wellbeing of their families and communities by doing chores related to housekeeping, farming, and production of textiles and food.

Guided by our museum educators (in period attire), students will explore Noah Webster’s historical birthplace and the times he lived in, while engaging in hands-on activities that demonstrate different aspects of early American life.

Everyone will help to prepare the mid-day meal (dinner) in the 18th-century reproduction kitchen, (over the open hearth), and experience how to prepare wool & flax, the raw materials that the Webster family would use to create yarn for clothing, blankets and other necessities. Students can assist with “carding” and spinning wool, breaking flax, and learn how weaving was accomplished.

Students will sew their own sampler, experience what school was like in Early America, learn a period dance called The Townsend Reel, and play games that were popular with children in the 1700s.

Cost: $25/student. Program length: 3½ hours (including ½ hour for lunch). No. of Students: 10 (min) to 50 (max).

Community Life in the 1700s (Grades 4-8)

Community Life in the 1700s

(Grades 4-8)

“Overall, the experience was great. The docents had great energy and were very knowledgeable about the house and the history… They really enjoyed it all and were thankful to get to experience the Noah Webster House.” -West Hartford Fifth Grade Teacher

What are the stories of freedom and power that define community life in the 1700s in West Hartford?

Theme: Historians look at many sources when doing research and they interpret their information by making them into stories about the past.

This program teaches students how to conduct a “community study,” to examine the past with a focus on a single early American community. Students will uncover the stories of specific people who lived in West Hartford (Hartford’s “West Division” during the 1700s), along with their roles within the community and relationships with each other.

Students are encouraged to be curious, ask questions, and draw conclusions about early American life, as they move through various rooms in the Noah Webster House. This program engages with students as more than just casual observers- they take on the role of being young historians as they study artifacts and primary documents straight from the West Hartford History Center archive.

While cooking on our open hearth, carding wool with historical tools, and passing precious leisure time with 18th-century toys, students will learn where community resources came from, who had access to them, and how they were used.

This hands-on program explores the stories of local indigenous and enslaved people, offering a broader view of the multiple perspectives and voices that made up life in 1700s West Hartford. Students will unlock skills and awaken aspirations to study their own community’s local history.

Cost:$25/student. Program length: 3½ hours (including ½ hour for lunch). No. of Students: 10 (min) to 50 (max).

Early American Life through Work & Play (Grades K-4)

Early American Life through Work & Play

(Grades K-4)

What role did children play in contributing to the wellbeing of their community and families?

Theme: Early American families were usually not self-sufficient. They depended on a variety of local and global services and product trade networks for comfortable survival.

On a 18th-century farm in New England, even young children contributed to the welfare of the family. Students will card & spin wool, process flax for linen, and weave on a tape loom as they explore the way textiles were made for clothing, blankets & other necessities.

In the kitchen, students will learn how the fireplace worked, handle cast iron cooking implements, and discuss growing & preserving foods in the era long before refrigeration & processed foods in modern times.

While early-American children worked hard to help accomplish necessary household and farming responsibilities, they also found time for fun! Students will take turns playing with 18th-century toys.

Cost:$12/student. Program length: 1 ½ hours. No. of Students: 10 (min) to 50 (max).

History Explorers

Funds are available for a limited time to provide this history exploration to Connecticut Title 1 Schools. Contact the Education Department for more details and funding possibilities at (860) 521-5362 x210 or education@noahwebsterhouse.org.

School Programs Home

March 21, 2018/in School Programs/by VISTECH Editor

School & Youth Programs

Who We Are

Welcome to the Noah Webster House & West Hartford Historical Society, a museum dedicated to providing unique, hands-on opportunities to connect with history.

Here at the birthplace of Noah Webster, we help students make connections with our past through participatory experiences and access to historical materials. Our dynamic programs are offered both on-site at the National Historic Landmark boyhood home, or in your classroom. Our programs meet or exceed the new K-12 Connecticut Curriculum Standards, updated in October 2023, in several disciplines, including social studies and language arts. We are happy to help guide your selection process as you determine which program best suits the needs of your students.

Schedule a Program

We recommend scheduling your program at least 4 weeks in advance. Please have ready: program name, requested date (with alternates), requested start time, total number of students, grade level, teachers’ names, and any special needs. Call 860.521.5362 x 210 or e-mail education@noahwebsterhouse.org.

Payment

Payment is due in full upon arrival on the day of the program. Please adjust to reflect any absences or additions. We accept checks and credit cards.

Title 1 Schools

Our “History Explorers Program” offers free programs for Connecticut Title 1 Schools. Contact the Education Department for more details and funding possibilities.

Chaperones

One chaperone/adult is required per group of 10 students. Therefore, a class of 50 students divided into 5 groups would require five chaperones/adults in total, free of charge. A $5 fee will be charged for any chaperones over the required minimum. The maximum total number of chaperones allowed per school visit is 10.

Visit Our Museum Shop!

What field trip is complete without a trip to the gift shop?
Our museum shop carries books, toys and reproduction artifacts. If you would like your students to use the shop, please let us know when making your reservation. For your convenience, we can also provide shop lists prior to your visit.

Directions & Parking Information

(Best Bus route) – Take Exit 43 (West Hartford Center) off Interstate 84. Turn left at the end of the ramp. At the second light, turn left onto South Main Street. The Noah Webster House is less than a mile up South Main Street, on the right-hand side of the road. When you depart, you will simply continue south (on South Main Street) to re-enter Interstate 84 at Exit 41.

Parking

School buses and chaperone vehicles should park on South Main Street in front of the Noah Webster House (don’t worry, it’s not metered!).

Buses should NOT park in our (very small) parking lot under any circumstances.

Cars can park in lot, on South Main, or on Crestwood Road (right out of our driveway, then take your first left).