2015-16

EDUCATION PROGRAMS
www.frontiermuseum.org
540-332-7850

Your museum provided an experience

that is unique. Students were able to travel
back in time to see what life was like in
Virginia hundreds of years ago.

Mission Statement
The mission of the Frontier Culture Museum is to increase public
knowledge of the formation of a distinctive American folk culture
from a blending of European, African and indigenous peoples.

Table of Contents
Introduction.............................................................................................................................................3
Exhibits....................................................................................................................................................6
Onsite Programs.....................................................................................................................................8
Daily Life Programs................................................................................................................................8
Immigration and Westward Expansion Programs..............................................................................9
Specialty Programs..............................................................................................................................12
Summer Camps...................................................................................................................................13
Outreach Programs .............................................................................................................................16
Plan Your Visit ......................................................................................................................................22
Contact & Reservation Information...................................................................................................23
Grant Information................................................................................................................................24
Map of Museum...................................................................................................................................26

Introduction
The Frontier Culture Museum is an outdoor, living-history museum and a
Commonwealth of Virginia educational institution. The Museum is located in Staunton,
Virginia, in the middle of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, at the intersection of I-81
and I-64. It is conveniently located within a drive for Richmond, Charlottesville,
Lynchburg, Roanoke, Harrisonburg, Winchester, and northern Virginia.
The Museum currently features ten permanent, outdoor exhibits comprised of original
and reconstructed farm buildings from West Africa, England, Ireland, Germany, and
Virginia. The exhibits are carefully researched and documented, and many of them are
original buildings that were dismantled and transported to the Museum for restoration
and reconstruction. They are staffed by costumed interpreters who demonstrate the daily
lives of people in the past through many interactive, hands-on activities.
The Museums exhibits serve as the settings for interpretative and educational programs
designed to increase public knowledge of the diverse Old World origins of early
immigrants to America, of how these immigrants lived in their homelands, how they
came to America, and how the way-of-life they created together on the early American
frontier has shaped the success of the United States. The Museums future plans include
the addition of a number of outdoor exhibits that will include a working grist mill and a
mid-1800s American village.
The education team at the Museum is prepared to work closely with you to accomplish
your learning goals. The Museum offers education programs to suit the needs of all ages,
from kindergarten to college and beyond. Each program is presented with age
appropriate hands-on activities and content. Every program is designed to complement

classroom learning and to support a range of Virginia Standards of Learning. Most

programs are presented at our outdoor exhibits, but several can be brought directly to your
school and classroom.
Hands-on activities vary with the seasons, and weather conditions can impact the availability
of some programs. Please allow a minimum of two hours of program time for your visit. If
planning to eat or visit the gift shop please allow for additional time. Our programs can be
self-guided, led by your staff around the Museum, or you can choose a specific program,
guided and conducted by Museum staff, and are found in the following pages.

Custom Programs
Should you not see a program in this catalog that meets your needs, please contact the
Museum and our staff will work with you to develop one that does. Please allow at least
two (2) weeks for the preparation of custom programs.

Your presentation is fabulous and the students

are able to see history that is alive and real.
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EXHIBITS
Please take a moment to look over a brief description of the Museums outdoor exhibits.
This will help you decide which program is right for you and your students. Please visit
our website for more complete descriptions.

West African Farm

English Farm

This exhibit represents a 1700s Igbo family

compound found in the tropical rainforest
of West Africa. The Igbo were one of the
many African peoples taken and forced
into the transatlantic slave trade.

The English Farm represents a 1600s

English family farmhouse in the county of
Worcestershire, England. Although a risky
venture, the younger sons of many English
farmers were attracted to the opportunities
found in the colony of Virginia.

Irish Farm & Forge

German Farm

The prospects of economic opportunity

and land ownership attracted many Irish
families to the American colonies. These
two exhibits represent life for Irish farmers
in 1700s Northern Ireland.

An exhibit representing a 1700s German

family farm in the Palatinate. The
prospects of economic opportunity and
land ownership attracted many German
families to the American colonies.

American Indian Hamlet

1740s American Farm

The American Indian Hamlet represents a

small 1700s American Indian community.
The Eastern Woodlands Indians traded
with early colonists and taught them how
to farm native plants for food.

The frontier of the English colonies was

being settled and worked by immigrants
from parts of Europe and Africa. This is
an exhibit representing a small 1740s
farming settlement on the frontier of the
English Colonies.

1820s American Farm

Early American Schoolhouse

The 1820s American Farm represents a

farming family with German origins. Built
in 1773 by a German immigrant, by the
1820s, one of the grandsons began to
exhibit more of a blended American
culture in all aspects of his familys life.

Schoolchildren in rural farming

communities still needed an education.
This small, one-room schoolhouse from
the Early American period would employ
a schoolmaster and his firm teaching
methods.

1850s American Farm

By the 1850s, cultures from all over Europe and
Africa had over generations begun to blend
together to form a distinct American frontier
culture. This exhibit represents a blending of all
of the cultures found at the Museum in a 1850s
American Farm.

ONSITE PROGRAMS
The Museums education programs are designed to include many hands-on activities.
All programs are available to all ages and include age appropriate activities and content.
The hands-on activities have themes of farming, cooking, tools, animals, chores, and
more. If you have specific activities in mind, please ask about availability.

DAILY LIFE PROGRAMS

Location: West African Farm, English Farm,

Irish Farm & Forge, and German Farm.
The following Virginia SOLs are supported
by this program: History and Social Science
K.2, K.6, K.7, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8 1.9, 1.12c, 2.7,
2.8, 2.9, 3.8, 3.9, 3.12, VS.4b, & d,
WHI.10d.

The Museum recommends the following

programs for a daily life focus.

Early to Rise: The Life of an Historic Farmer

Spend a day in the lives of seventeenth,
eighteenth, and nineteenth century farm
families and discover the importance of
livestock, field crops, and gardens to their
survival and success. Students perform
farm chores and learn how families and
communities were organized, and how
natural resources were used by both
consumers and producers. Choose a
combination of Old World or American
exhibits.
Location: Choose any two exhibits.
The following Virginia SOLs are supported
by this program:
History and Social ScienceK.2, K.6, K.7,
1.6, 1.7, 1.8 1.9, 1.12c, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 2.12b,
3.8. 3.9, 3.12, VS.1e-f, VS.2e, VS.4b & d-e,
USI.1b & i,USI.3b-c, USI.5b & c,
WHII.5d, VUS.2, VUS.3.

The Early American Experience

Visit a 1700s American Indian hamlet and
experience life beyond the edge of colonial
settlement. Help build a 1740s farm like
those of the first settlers west of the Blue
Ridge in the colonial Virginia backcountry.
Students use traditional tools and building
techniques, and cultivate the land with
hoes and other hand tools. They learn
about food ways, daily life, and survival on
the frontier. Students next move to the
1820s or 1850s American farms to see how
a farm became established and grew over
time. Students see various farm animals
and learn why farmers raised them and
how they were used. The tour ends with a
lesson at the Museums Early American
Schoolhouse. Students participate in the
lesson, delivered by an old-time
schoolmaster, and can compare school
today to school long ago. The teacher
selects four exhibits to experience.
Exhibits: 1700s American Indian Hamlet,
1740s, 1820s, 1850s American farm, and the
Early Schoolhouse. The following Virginia
SOLs are supported by this program:
History and Social Science K.2, K.6, K.7,
1.6, 1.7, 1.8 1.9, 1.12c, 2.7, 2.8, 2.9, 2.12b,
3.8, 3.9, 3.12 VS.1e-f, VS.2e, VS.4b, d-e,
USI.1b & I, USI.3b-c, WHII.5d, VUS.2,
VUS.3.

Life in the Old World

Step back into the lives of farmers and
families in Europe and West Africa to
discover the importance of livestock, field
crops, and gardens to their survival and
success. Students try farm chores, and learn
how families and communities were
organized and how natural resources
impacted the lives of both consumers and
producers. Hands-on activities vary by
exhibit and season. Groups will choose
three to four Old World exhibits.

The interpreters make the history come alive.

IMMIGRATION & WESTWARD
EXPANSION PROGRAMS

weavers from Irelands northernmost

province of Ulster leave their homes? Why
were West Africans forcefully taken from
their homeland and brought to the
American colonies? What could have
caused European farmers to risk their lives
and the lives of their families to cross the
Atlantic for the uncertain rewards of a new
life in an unfamiliar place? What did West
Africans endure on the transatlantic slave
trade? Your class will learn the answer to
these questions by understanding the daily
lives of these people and the reasons for
their immigration. Students will then
experience the new lives these immigrants
faced upon arrival in Early America.
Choose one of the following options.

The Museum recommends the following

programs for an immigration focus.

Westward Expansion

NEW
Why were Americans in the late
FOR 2014
18th Century and early to mid19th century looking to expand
into the United States newly acquired
western territories? This program will
examine the economic and geographic
factors that influenced settlers to uproot
their families and move west.
Location: American Exhibits. The following
Virginia SOLs are supported by this program:
VS.6c, USI.8a-b, USII.2a, VUS.6b & e.

From West Africa to

West of the Blue Ridge
Location: West African Farm & 1740s
American Farm The following Virginia
SOLs are supported by this program:
History and Social Science3.2, 3.4, 3.7,
3.8, 3.9, 3.12, VS.1e-f, VS.3e, VS.4a-b
&d-e, VS.6c, USI.1b & i, USI.4, USI.5,
WHII.4d-e, VUS.2, VUS.3.

People on the Move: Learn about the Early

Immigrants to America
Learn the conditions and factors that
caused people from the Old World to
migrate to Great Britains North American
colonies. Students learn about life in the
past and explore the challenges and
opportunities that confronted the people
who settled Americas colonial frontier by
visiting some or all of the Museums Old
World Exhibits. Location: Choose two, three
or four Old World farms (West African Farm,
English Farm, Irish Farm & Forge, and
German Farm). The following Virginia SOLs
are supported by this program: History and
Social Science3.8. 3.9, 3.12, VS.1e-f,
VS.3a, VS.4b&d, VS.6c, USI.1b & i, USI.5,
WHII.4d-e, VUS.2, VUS.3.

From Germany to
West of the Blue Ridge
Location: German Farm and 1820s
American Farm. The following Virginia
SOLs are supported by this program:
History and Social Science3.8. 3.9, 3.12,
VS.1e-f, VS.4b, VS.6c, USI.1b & i,
USI.5a-c, VUS.2, VUS.3.

From Ireland to West of the Blue Ridge

Location: Irish Farm & Irish Forge and
1740s American Farm
The following Virginia SOLs are
supported by this program:
History and Social Science3.8. 3.9, 3.12,
VS.1e-f, VS.4b, VS.6c, USI.1b & i,
USI.5a-c, VUS.2, VUS.3.

To West of the Blue Ridge

Why did English farmers leave their
homes to settle in Virginia in the 1600s?
Why did German-speaking farmers from
the southwestern states of the Holy Roman
Empire, and English-speaking farmer-

10

You have
enriched
our students
learning.
11

SPECIALTY PROGRAMS
The following programs cover a range of
themes. These include physical education,
holiday traditions, science, and more.

Empire of Mali Program

choose either 1820s American Farm or 1850s

American Farm. The following Virginia
SOLs are supported by this program:
History and Social ScienceK2, 1.12c, 2.3,
3.12, VS.4b, USI.1b.

School Days

NEW
FOR 2014

Have your students see what life

would have been like in the Mali
Empire using our one-of-a-kind West
African Exhibit. This program offers
students the opportunity to go inside a mud
house, hear the storytelling of Malis griots,
trade in an open-air market, listen to
traditional West African music, and take
part in an interactive geography lesson.
Location: West African Farm
The following Virginia SOLs are supported
by this program: 3.2, 3.4, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.12,
VS.4b & d, USI.4c, WHI.10d.

Plants & Animals

Discover the plants and animals living at
the Frontier Culture Museum. Students
are guided through the Museum to meet
and greet chickens, cows, goats, pigs and
sheep. Students are shown the difference
between baby animals and adult animals,
and are introduced to the crops grown at
the Museum. Students learn the many uses
of plants and animals in the past and in the
present. This program features plenty of
hands-on activity! This program or its
components can be incorporated into other
educational programs.
Location: Old World, America, or Both
The following Virginia SOLs are supported
by this program: ScienceK.6, K.8c, 1.5, 1.7,
1.8a & b, 2.4, 2.5a, 2.7a, 2.8, 3.4, 3.5, 3.8b,
3.10a, 4.4, 4.5, 4.8, LS.4, LS.5, LS.12a.

Holidays in History
Learn how Christmas was celebrated in the
Old World and early America, and how the
celebration has changed over time. Students
Wassail in England, Knock in Germany,
and Belsnickle in America. This program is
offered in the month of December.
Location: German Farm, English Farm and

Do you want your students to truly

appreciate how good they have it in your
classroom? A session at the Museums
Early American Schoolhouse is just what
they need. This program features a brief
history of education in early America and
invites students to compare life at their
school to that of the early nineteenth
century. Students also discover what farm
life was like for school aged children. The
program includes basic lessons from early
American textbooks led by the
schoolmaster. This program or its
components can be incorporated into other
educational programs.
Location: Schoolhouse and the 1820s or the
1850s American Farm. The following
Virginia SOLs are supported by this program:
History and Social ScienceK2, 1.12c, 2.3,
3.12, VS.4b, USI.1b.

Physical Education Program

People in the past were far more active than
most Americans today. This program
addresses current health concerns by having
students engage in historic outdoor games
and work activities at the Museums exhibits.
It also connects a number of Physical
Education SOLs with games of the past.
Location: All Exhibits. The following
Virginia SOLs are supported by this program:
Physical Education K.1, K.2, K.3, K.4, 1.1,
1.2, 2.1, 3.1a-c, 3.2, 4.1a-b, 5.1a & c, 5.2ac, 6.1 6.2a & d, 6.4b-d, 6.5, 7.1a, b, & d,
7.2, 7.4, 8.1, 8.2a & c, 8.5.

Water and Wetlands

Your students can get a watershed
experience in one of the Museums
streams while they learn about its health
using the, Save Our Streams, protocol.
This program can be conducted by

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Museum staff or by you using a stream

study kit provided by the Museum.
Location: Creek behind Irish Farm and Forge
Exhibits. The following Virginia SOLs are
supported by this program: Science SOLsK.5,
K.6, 3.6a, 3.10b, 4.8a, 6.5g, 6.7, LS.7c,
LS.10b, ES.9.

Trees and Shrubs

The Museum is home to a variety of trees
and shrubs at accessible locations. Some of
these are European species such as English
Oak, Hedge Maple, or more exotic species
such as the Windmill Palm and bamboo.
The Museum landscape is also home to
trees and shrubs that are native to North
America such as Swam White Oak, Tulip

Poplar, and Black Gum. A tree and shrub

tour of the Museum provides you and your
students the opportunity to witness a part
of the effort to restore the legendary
American Chestnut tree, which was almost
completely wiped-out by blight during the
twentieth century, to its native habitat.
The Museum is privileged to be a part of
this effort as the site of several ceremonial
plantings of young blight resistant
American Chestnuts provided by the
American Chestnut Foundation.
Location: All Exhibits. The following
Virginia SOLs are supported by this program:
Science SOLsK.6, K.8b & c, 1.4, 1.7a,
2.4b, 2.7a, 3.6a, 3.8b, 4.4a, 4.8b, LS.5b.

SUMMER CAMPS
The Museum hosts two summer camps every year, one for ages 5-8, and another
for ages 9-12. Check our website for more information as summer approaches.

In the Good Old Summertime

Many exciting adventures are waiting for
your children at this years 5-8 year old
Summer Camps! Children will visit all of
the Museums exhibits and participate in
activities such as fishing, cooking in the
historic homes, a nature hike, games, a
lesson in the schoolhouse, puddling in
West Africa, crafts, and much more. Our
In the Good Old Summertime camp is an
excellent way to introduce history to your
children in a fun and educational way! The
camp is a weeklong day camp, with full day
or half day AM session options. We advise
campers to wear clothing that is appropriate
for messy and wet outdoor activities.
Ages: 5-8 years old
Full day or half day AM session, weeklong camp

Enhanced History Day Camp

The enhanced history day camp at the
Frontier Culture Museum is a chance for
campers to live in the past. A key
component of this camp is education and

promoting a better understanding of

history. Campers will wear period
costumes and be assigned to one of the
Museum exhibits. Each morning the camp
will begin with a 30 minute enhanced
lesson that focuses on the theme and farm
of the day. The activities, games, and living
history programs will relate to the theme.
The last two hours of each day campers
will work on their assigned farms with
Museum interpreters and have a chance to
demonstrate living in the past to Museum
visitors. Campers on Friday will help
prepare a mid-day feast for all to enjoy.
Some of the activities campers will do over
the week includes cooking over an open
hearth, garden work, flax processing,
spinning, harvesting grain crops, working
with farm animals, helping to make cheese,
weaving, helping to build period fences,
and much more. Our Enhanced History
Day Camp will truly make history come
alive for your child!
Ages: 9-12 years old
Full day camps, 1 or 2 week options

13

14

We had a great time and got a

lot of excellent hands on learning.

15

OUTREACH PROGRAMS
Think a field trip to the Frontier Culture Museum is impossible in tight fiscal times?
The Museum will come to you with quality programs! Our Education Outreach
Programs are available January through early March and can be presented in your
classroom setting or as an assembly. As with our on-site programs, students are able to
participate in hands-on activities. All programs are available to all grade levels and
include age appropriate activities and content.

Empire of Mali Outreach Program

NEW

FOR 2014
Have your students see what life
would have been like in the Mali
Empire as presented by our staff from the
West African Exhibit. This program also
offers students the opportunity to listen to
traditional West African music and hear the
storytelling of Malis griots.
Location: West African Farm
The following Virginia SOLs are supported by
this program: 3.2, 3.4, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.12,
VS.4b & d, USI.4c, WHI.10d.

Build-your-own-Outreach Program

NEW
FOR 2014

We encourage you to design an

outreach program based on your
students specific needs. Choose the exhibits
and themes you want your students to learn
about. Each chosen exhibit requires a
minimum of 30 minutes. Choose from the
following exhibits:
1700s West African Farm
1600s English Farm
1700s Irish Farm
1700s German Farm
1700s American Indian Hamlet
1740s American Farm
1820s American Farm
Early American Schoolhouse
1850s American Farm
And themes from the following or work with
the Museums Education Department to
develop your own:
Daily Life
Immigration (Old World Exhibits)
Settlement & Westward Expansion
(American Exhibits)
Plants & Animals
Physical Education
This program supports many Virginia SOLs.

Settling the Backcountry: Early Settlement

and Everyday Life in the Valley of Virginia
Learn about life in the Virginia
Backcountry. Your classroom will start by
learning about the lives of the Eastern
Woodlands Indians found in the Virginia
Backcountry. Students will then learn why
people settled the western Virginia frontier
in the 18th century. Everyone participates
in the daily life of American Indians and
early settlers and discovers whether they
have the skills to survive in the
backcountry. Your class is challenged to
understand the frontier experience and to
reach their own conclusions about
American Indians, settlers, and their lives.
The following Virginia SOLs are supported by
this program: History and Social Science
K.2, K.6, K.7, 1.6, 1.7, 1.8 1.9, 1.12c, 2.7,
2.8, 2.9, 2.12b, 3.8, 3.9, 3.12 VS.1e-f, VS.2e,
VS.4b, d-e, USI.1b & I, USI.3b-c, WHII.5d,
VUS.2, VUS.3. Program length is 45 minutes.

The Soundtrack to the Settling of America

Explore early Americas musical heritage
through live performance with the
Museums own musicians. Students and
teachers listen and learn as our musicians
reveal the wide-ranging cultural influences
that blended together to form the music of
early American. Students learn the songs
and dances of our ancestors and become
part of the performance. The following
Virginia SOLs are supported by this program:
MusicK4, 1.3, 2.3, 3.4, 3.11, 4.10, 5.4, 5.9,
5.11, HS.5. Program length is 45 minutes.

16

I have never seen them so excited

about learning about history.
Quest for the West:
Immigration to the Virginia Backcountry
Why did English farmers leave their homes to
settle in Virginia in the 1600s? Why did
German-speaking farmers from the
southwestern states of the Holy Roman
Empire, and English-speaking farmerweavers from Irelands northernmost province
of Ulster leave their homes? Why were West
Africans forcefully taken from their homeland
and brought to the American colonies in the
1700s? What could have caused European
farmers to risk their lives and the lives of their
families to cross the Atlantic for the uncertain
rewards of a new life in an unfamiliar place?
What did West Africans endure on the
transatlantic slave trade? Your class will
become part of the story and learn the answer
to these questions and more through
costumed role-playing.

From West Africa to West of the Blue Ridge

The following Virginia SOLs are
supported by this program: History and
Social Science3.2, 3.4, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.12,
VS.1e-f, VS.3e, VS.4a-b&d-e, VS.6c, USI.1b
& i, USI.4, USI.5, WHI.10d, WHII.4d-e,
VUS.2, VUS.3.

From Germany to West of the Blue Ridge

The following Virginia SOLs are
supported by this program: History and
Social Science3.8. 3.9, 3.12, VS.1e-f,
VS.4b, VS.6c, USI.1b & i, USI.5a-c,
VUS.2, VUS.3.

From Ireland to West of the Blue Ridge

The following Virginia SOLs are
supported by this program: History and
Social Science3.8. 3.9, 3.12, VS.1e-f,
VS.4b, VS.6c, USI.1b & i, USI.5a-c,
VUS.2, VUS.3.

From England to West of the Blue Ridge

The following Virginia SOLs are

supported by this program: History and

Social Science3.8. 3.9, 3.12, VS.1e-f,
VS.3a, VS.4b, VS.6c, USI.1b & i, USI.5a-c,
WHII.4d-e, VUS.2, VUS.3.
The following Virginia SOLs are also
supported by this program:
Theater Arts - M.2, M.7, TI.1, TI.2, TI.3, TI.4,
TI.8 (1), TI.12.Program length is 45
minutes.

Classroom in the Past

Do you want your students to truly
appreciate how good they have it in your
classroom? A session with the Museums
old-time Schoolmaster is just what they
need. This program features a brief history
of education in early America and invites
students to compare life at their school to
that of the early nineteenth century.
Students also discover what farm life was
like for school-aged children. The program
includes basic lessons from early American
textbooks led by the Schoolmaster. This
program or its components can be
incorporated into other educational
programs. The following Virginia SOLs are
supported by this program: History and Social
ScienceK2, 1.12c, 2.3, 3.12, VS.4b, USI.1b.
Program length is 45 minutes.

Physical Education Program

Museum staff will come to your school and
teach you and your students historical games
and activities. This program addresses the
importance of physical activity to good health
and happiness, and links a range of Physical
Education SOLs with games of the past. The
following Virginia SOLs are supported by this
program: Physical Education K.1, K.2, K.3,
K.4, 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, 3.1a-c, 3.2, 4.1a-b, 5.1a & c,
5.2a, 6.1a, b, & c, 6.2a & d, 6.4b, c-d, 6.5, 7.1a, b,
& d, 7.2a-e, 7.4a, b, c, 8.1, 8.2a & c, 8.5a-c.
Program length is 45 minutes.

17

The museum matches the VA SOLS.

It is an authentic learning
experience for the children.

18

19

Preparing Your
Students

Prepare Your
Students

The Frontier Culture Museum offers a wide

variety of fascinating information and
history. Preparing your students prior to the
Museum visit enhances the learning
experience. We have included some
examples of pre-visit activities. The
Museum's educational programs are
centered on key Virginia Standards of
Learning. When choosing a program,
check to see if the program matches your
study and the VA SOL you are focusing on.
If you need assistance with this, please call
the Education Department at the Museum.

1.

Each of the programs offered has a theme

and objective that is supported by classroom
learning. Each program concentrates on
very specific areas of the Museum. During
these focused programs, students will have
the opportunity to touch, see, smell, and use
all their senses to be active learners. With
the proper preparation, a field trip to the
Frontier Culture Museum can be more than
fun, it can be meaningful.

Assess what your students know.

Create a chart in the classroom of
topics you covered that are relevant to
what they might learn at the
Museum.

2.

Research and Gather

Students can research different areas
of history that are covered at the
Museum. Encourage the students to
look for primary sources as well as the
Frontier Culture Museum website.

3.

What do the students want to learn

while visiting the museum?
Have the students create a list of
questions or topics to bring with
them during their tour. The students
are welcome to ask questions of the
interpreters to find more specific
answers.

Examples of Historical Themes

Represented at the Museum:

Questions to help you prepare

for your museum visit:
1. How will the Museum focus fit into my
classroom studies?
2. What do I want the students to learn
during the visit?
3. How will information be processed and
analyzed?

17th and 18th C. European History

i.e. Great Britain and Germany
17th and 18th C. European
Architecture
18th and 19th C. Early American
Architecture
18th C. West African History and
Architecture
Daily lives of 17th and 18th C.
European, West African, American
Indians
and Early Americans
Historic Woodworking
Settlement west of the Blue Ridge
Mountains
Fiber processing
Old World Immigration to Early
America
Historic Foodways

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Pre-Visit
Classroom Discussion
Making Predictions
Why do you think the people from
Germany, Ireland, England and West Africa
were emigrating, and why do you think they
were going to America? Was it for
economic, political, or social reasons? After
investigating the agriculture, social history
and geography of the areas, what are your
predictions? The time periods were:
Germany - early 18th century
Ireland - early 18th century
England - 17th century
West Africa 18th century

Making Choices!
You are leaving for a new country. You do
not know what your life will be like in this
new country. It is likely you will never see
your family and old friends again. You will
be traveling on a crowded ship across the
Atlantic Ocean for at least 14 weeks before
you reach your destination. Choose three
items to take with you to your new home
and explain the importance of each item.
Choose carefully, as you cannot return to
your home for more items!

Our House Is A Very Fine House

Draw a picture of your house. Next to
your picture make a list of what your house
is built from. Take your picture and list
with you when you come to the Museum
and discover how houses were built and
why they were built that way! See if there
is a difference from houses today!

Post-Visit
Classroom Discussion
Whats Old is New Again!
Do you remember the tools on the farm
site? Draw three or four of these old tools
in one column and in the other column
draw what they look like today! What
difference do you see? Why do you think
our tools today are different?

Mail a Postcard
On a large index card, draw a picture of
your favorite thing from the Museum. On
the back side write to a friend or family
member about some of the things you saw
on your field trip and what you learned!
When you are all finished, mail your
postcard to them.

Write a Short Story

Howd They Do That?
Farming in the 19th century was a tough
job. Think about all the tools you would
need to be a successful farmer and make a
list. Compare that list to what todays
farmers use. Do you think it would be
easier being a farmer today or then? Give
differing examples.

Imagine that you had to leave behind your

family, and you would never be able to see
them again. Early American immigrants
experienced this loss in order to create a
better future for themselves and their
family. Write a short story using examples
and information you received during your
Museum visit to create a short story.

Hey Mom, Whats For Dinner?

Lights Camera Action!

The early frontier settlers worked very

hard, so they needed to eat much more
than we do today. Think about where
these people might have gotten their food
and what types of food they ate. Do you
think we eat the same food today? What
do you think is different and why?

Using what you saw and learned from your

museum visit, create a play that depicts a
day in the life of _______. To make it
manageable, choose one location such as
the American Farm Site, English Farm
Site etc. Have members of you class act
out the parts!

21

Planning a Field Trip to the Museum

Visit the Museum
We recommend that you visit the Museum beforehand to help you decide
what you want your students to see and learn as well as get a feel for the
time.

Group Leaders
Group Leaders are responsible for students behavior and must remain
with their students at all times. Please keep in mind that other schools
may be at the Museum at the same time you are.

Chaperones
The Museum recommends 1 chaperone per 5 pre K-2nd and 1 chaperone
for every 10 students above 3rd grade. This is to ensure safety and
accessibility to small exhibits.

Dress
The Frontier Culture Museum is an outdoor living history Museum;
therefore it is important that students dress for the current weather.

Arrival
Please plan on arriving at least 15 minutes prior to your tour. This will
give you time to check-in, organize your groups/chaperones and allow for a
restroom break.

Museum Store
The Museum has a wonderful store with great gift ideas and a childrens
section. If your group plans to shop, please allow 20 minutes and
chaperone them in small groups. Teachers will find great resources and
reference books at the Store. Students will enjoy affordable toys, games,
souvenirs, etc. Funds from the Museum Store support educational
programming and field trips to the Museum.

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Contact & Reservations

Museum Hours
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (Closed New Years
Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas)

Location
We are located near the intersection of I81 and I-64 in Staunton, Virginia. I-81,
Exit 222, Route 250 West will find us.
The Museum is 1/2 mile on the left.

Reservations
Reservations are required for all school
programs. You can call 540-332-7850 or
go on-line at www.frontiermuseum.org

Please have the following information

ready when you call:

Date and Time of Field Trip

School Address and Phone Number
Email Address
Program of Choice
Number of Students
Students Ages or Grade Level
Number of Teachers
Number of Adult Chaperones
Number of Lunches or Gift Bags (if
applicable)

Program Rates
Call the Museum at 540-332-7850 for our
fee schedule.

Confirmation
You will receive a confirmation by mail
stating the approximate cost and schedule
for your planned visit. Please review this
carefully and contact the Museum to make
any necessary changes before arrival.
Please bring this with you, along with any
last minute changes, at check-in.

Payment, Rescheduling, and Cancellations

Payments are made on the day of the field
trip upon check-in at the Visitor Center.

Education Programs are held rain or shine.

The Museum kindly asks that in the event
of the need to reschedule, please call 24
hours before the scheduled tour. Also, in
the event of a cancellation, call 24 hours
before your scheduled tour to avoid a 20%
cancellation fee.

Choose a Program
Your Field Trip at the Frontier Culture
Museum can either be Self-Guided or
Guided. Your visit should be an extension
of the classroom. Decide carefully which
of the many programs best supports your
classroom curriculum. If time permits, you
may choose more than one.

Accessibility
The Frontier Culture Museum makes
every effort to provide a quality
educational program to all students.
When booking a field trip, please notify
the reservations office of any participants
with disabilities.

Food & Gift Bags

The Museum Store will kindly arrange a
lunch at a reasonable price for your school
group. Gift bags are also available.
Advanced reservations are required. Please
include this information when you
schedule your field trip.

Parking
Free parking is available for cars,
motorcoaches, and school buses.

Lunch Locations
Picnic tables are available on a first come,
first serve basis beside the Gift Shop and
parking lot. Other locations may be
available upon request and availability.
Food and drinks are not allowed inside the
Museums exhibits.

23

Grant Information
The Frontier Culture Museum is pleased to make grant money available to qualified
education groups.

What are the American Frontier Culture Foundations funding criteria?

The Grant Committee will review all applications, and based on the grant money
available, will award grants based on the following criteria:
How the field trip meets the specific needs of the class
The clarity of the goals and objectives for a field trip to the Museum
What the teacher will bring to the classroom in preparation of the field trip
What the teacher will bring to the classroom in follow-up activities after the field trip

What are the responsibilities of the grant recipients?

Teacher to complete and submit an evaluation form within 30 days of the trip
Teacher to submit pre and post lesson plans for Museum Teacher Resources
Students to write/draw thank you notes for their filed trip that we can send to the
organization providing the grant funding

What may be funded?

Transportation
Lunch

Admission
Gift bags

What will not be funded?

Grant funds are not intended to replace or relieve the existing responsibility for public
funding of school programs, nor are they intended to substitute for items funded by the
PTOs or included in the regular school budget. Transportation funds will be awarded
only to schools more than 75 miles away from the Museum.
If you would like more information about this program, kindly contact the Museum.

24

The Frontier Culture Museum

1290 Richmond Road
Staunton, Virginia 24401
540.332.7850

FROM RICHMOND
Take I-64 West towards Charlottesville/Staunton.
Take exit 87 to I-81 N then exit at 222 to Route 250 West,
Richmond Road. Entrance to the Museum is 1/2 mile on left.

FROM HARRISONBURG
I-81 South to exit 222 to Route 250 West, Richmond Road.
Entrance to Museum is 1/2 mile on left.

25

KEY

1700s Germany
SH

Shuttle

PK

Parking

PN

Picnic

VC

Welcome Center

RR

Restrooms

MS

Museum Store

AD

Administration

CP

on
Cochran Pavilion

DA

theatre
Dod Amphitheatre

WA

mphitheatre
Wooded Amphitheatre

LH

Lecture Halll

OB

Octagonal Barn

1740s American
merican SSettlement
ettl

d
Paved Road
lking Trail
Tr
Walking
RR
R

1850s American Farm

1820s American
ic Farm
SH

Schoolhouse

26

DA

1700s Ireland

17 0s Iri
1700
IIrish
isshh FForge
RR
R

11700s England
gl
LH

SH
S
H

CP

PK
K

RR
R
WC R
WC
MS
MS

1700s GANATAS
GGANATASTWI
TWI
D
AD

11700
7700s Westt Africa

PN
P
PK

OB
RR

WA
W

www.frontiermuseum.org
useum org

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