Old Independence Regional Museum is pleased to offer a 2-hour Arkansas History workshop to area teachers on Monday, June 11, 2012, 9:30 a.m.—Noon. This workshop will feature a sampling of the hands-on programs that the Museum currently offers to school groups. Please call to register by June 5, 2012. Space is limited to 40 participants, and a $5.00 materials fee will be due the day of the program. Activities are subject to change depending on the number of participants.
The morning will begin with everyone participating in My Fair Share, a game developed by the museum staff that explores the rationing system that was put in place during WWII. The second hour will consist of four concurrent sessions. Teachers may choose two of the following thirty-minute sessions:
Making Music—The Great Depression was a challenging time for most living in the Independence County region. To lift their spirits folks came together to listen to the radio, tell stories, and make music, and not having money to buy instruments did not stop them. Many made do with homemade instruments. Participants will make a set of spoons to take home.
A-Maize-ing – Corn was a very important crop to the Native Americans and early settlers who lived in our region. During this program you will learn about the many uses of corn, grind corn using a mortar and pestle, play a round of corn cob darts,, and make a corn husk doll.
Freedom Quilts—This program will begin with a discussion of slavery in Arkansas and will move to discussing the Underground Railroad and how quilt patterns were thought to be used to send messages. The museum interpreter will read Patchwork to Freedom and the program will end with piecing a paper quilt block.
Churn Butter Churn– For families living long ago, butter was churned once a week and was often a chore for children. This was a time consuming, yet rewarding, process. You will experience, first hand, the work that went into it. At the end of the program you will be able to sample the result of your hard work.
Participants will be invited to sample historic snacks during the two 15 minute breaks.
Old Independence Regional Museum is an approved ADE professional development provider. Upon completion of the workshop, participants will be given a certificate with OIRM’s ADE professional development approval code for your records.
Old Independence serves a 12-county area: Baxter, Cleburne, Fulton, Independence, Izard, Jackson, Marion, Poinsett, Sharp, Stone, White, and Woodruff. Parts of these present-day counties comprised the original Independence County in 1820s Arkansas territory.
The museum is located at 380 South 9th street, between Boswell and Vine Streets in Batesville.
