Immersing your visitors in the story can make all the difference.
The Readington Museums
From 2002 through 2010, Hollander had her first experiences developing Living History Programs at the Readington Museums for approximately 1200 students annually, grades 1-5. Whether it was transporting first graders back to the sights, sounds and smells of an 18th century Dutch farmhouse, sharing the women’s role in the Revolutionary war to eager third graders, immersing fourth graders for a day in a one room schoolhouse, or educating fifth grade students about the 18th century tensions between the Dutch and English settlers, Hollander worked directly with the township teachers to develop immersive programs that tied directly to the state core curriculum requirements. Hollander designed each program for the audience it would be serving—incorporating educational tools that would fit the grade level of the students visiting and using primary documents as a basis for my characters.
The Museum Educator's challenge is to find pathways that forge connections between the past and present.
First Grade
The focus of this program was to compare and contrast the day to day to day lives of visiting students with that of an 18th century Dutch family. Hollander shared her experience and asked the students to in turn share theirs. This included topics such as cooking, plumbing, and electricity. The excitement came as the children struggled to convey modern amenities in a way which an 18th century woman could comprehend. In doing this they came to better understand the difference between their life and that of their ancestors.
Third Grade
The third grade program for instance, focused on the woman’s role during the Revolutionary War. Portraying Mistress Hall, the wife of a Revolutionary War soldier, Hollander used letter writing to connect the visiting students to the past. She read the students a letter from Mr. Hall about the hardships the soldiers faced as well as the instructions her husband offered on how she should run the household and the farm. Hollander offered commentary on how the war had changed roles and responsibilities. Then she asked the students’ help to write a return letter back to Mr. Hall, sharing the good and bad news about family and the community.
Fourth Grade
The fourth grade program was fully immersive, conducting in an historic one room school house, from 1828. Hollander portrayed the school mistress as the students spent a morning learning in the schoolhouse. Hollander instructed them in recitation, writing, and arithmetic. The students practiced penmanship with ink and quill. They recited memorized adages, the first seven presidents and the thirteen colonies. They did calculations on slate with chalk and played period games at recess.
Fifth Grade
Another favorite character that Hollander developed for the Readington Museums was that of Marya Bouman. Marya was developed to educate fifth grade students about the 18th century tensions between the Dutch and English settlers. As Marya, Hollander used objects in the house as a stimulus to take visiting students through the historic skirmishes between the Dutch and English. Hollander shared true stories of Marya’s grandparents and parents and ending with Marya’s husband’s participation with other church elders in a meeting to determine if an English speaking Dominie would be allowed to participate in the Dutch Reformed Readington Church.
These programs offered multiple points of view and included other characters such as: Robert Erskine, George Washington’s cartographer, who taught third graders how to survey a property line, and Colonel John Taylor, who recruited young fifth graders into the Continental Army.
