The Frontier Culture Museum is pleased to announce their new Educational Programs. The Museum will be offering programs to suit the needs of all ages, from kindergarten to college!

Each educational program is designed to complement the learning that happens inside the classroom. All of the programs incorporate the Virginia Standards of Learning.

• From Germany to the Valley
• From Ireland to the Valley
• Frontier Settlement to Farmstead: Becoming an American Farmer
• Logs & Rakes, Rails & Shakes: Working with Wood and Iron
• "First, Catch your Hare": Historic Foodays/Foodways on the Farms
• Early to Rise: The Life of an Historic Farmer
• People on the Move: Immigrants to America
• The Thread That Binds: Flax and Wool Processing

From Germany to the Valley
In this program, students learn the similarities between the German Farm and the 1820 American Farm (a.k.a., the Bowman Farm) in architecture, culture, and daily life. Students learn why many in the Palatinate emigrated to America in the 18th century. The 1820 American farm showcases the life of an established Valley farmer of German descent. Students will experience in-depth hands-on activities on both farms.

From Ireland to the Valley
Visit the Irish Farm to see what life was like in the north of Ireland in the 18th century and learn why many people made the decision to emigrate to colonial America. Students will then visit the Settlement Farm to learn how an Irish family started their life in the Valley. Hands-on activities vary by season.

Frontier Settlement to Farmstead:
Becoming an American Farmer
Participate in the recreation of a 1750 farm like those built by some of the first settlers in the Valley of Virginia. Students will work with traditional tools and building techniques, and cultivate the land with hoes and other hand tools. They will also learn about foodways, daily life, and survival on the frontier. The students will then travel to the 1820 American Farm to see how a farm matured as it became established. Hands-on activities will vary by season.

Logs & Rakes, Rails & Shakes: Working with Wood and Iron
Two-man saws, wedges, augers, draw knives, lathes and planes: these tools and many others were used in building fences, splitting shingles and building houses. How did a farmer differ from a professional woodworker in level of ability? Students try their hands at using some of these tools. Location: English Farm, Irish Forge. Specific hands-on activities vary by season.

"First, Catch your Hare":
Historic Foodays/Foodways on the Farms
From planting and tending crops, raising livestock, to baking bread and making soup students learn how food was prepared in the past. Modern methods require precise measurements, electricity and ultimate cleanliness. How was it different in earlier times? Location: Choose two farms. Hands-on activities vary by season.

Early to Rise: The Life of an Historic Farmer
Step back into the lives of early farmers and discover the roles livestock, field crops, and gardens played in people's lives. Your students try different farm chores and learn how families and communities were organized, and how natural resources affected life for both consumers and producers. Location: Choose two farms. Hands-on activities vary by farm and season.

People on the Move: Immigrants to America
Learn about the factors influencing decisions by Europeans to come to America. How do you choose what to take with you on such a momentous journey? What was that journey like, anyway? How did they change the cultural landscape in the American colonies?. Storytelling is used to emphasize the experiences of colonial immigrants. Location: European Farm/ American Farm.

The Thread That Binds: Flax and Wool Processing
Today, clothing is cheap and sold off the rack. But in the past, our ancestors had to make their clothes from scratch.. Learn the tools and techniques used to transform fibers from the flax plant and wool from sheep into cloth and clothing. This program is conducted on the Irish Farm and the 1820 American Farm. Hands-on activities vary by season.