Program Spotlight: Harvest of History

Author: Sarah Pounders

Students exploring historic uses of plants make pounded flower prints.

"Where did your last meal come from? Who produced the food? How did it get to your plate? What happened to it along the way?" Few schoolchildren today can answer these questions, nor do they understand the importance of agriculture in American history. Harvest of History is designed to bridge these knowledge gaps via an interactive Web-based fourth-grade curriculum dedicated to agriculture and rural life. Lessons are supported by extensive video clips, pictures of historic artifacts, and original sources that help kids discover the rich legacy of farming and understand how the American agriculture industry has evolved into a global leader.

Created by The Farmers' Museum in Cooperstown, New York, in collaboration with the National Gardening Association, the site focuses on agriculture in New York, but the interdisciplinary lessons are applicable for schools across the country. Four modules — Where are We?, Who are We?, How Did We Get Here?, and Where are We Going? — contain teacher background materials and social studies and gardening activities. Teachers can use the flexible modules as a unit or incorporate them into existing lessons.

Harvest of History pilot teacher Cheyanne Hoffmann from Delaware Academy Elementary in Delhi, New York, is eager to share her classroom's experiences with the curriculum. To enhance hands-on learning, her class planted a Three Sisters Native American Garden. "We discussed what tools were available at the time. For example, there were no rototillers, so we dug our plot by hand." They also experimented with historic fertilizers — including fish. "It was way cool to be using Native American ideas on our Native American garden. We hoed the dirt for four hills, dug holes, put in three to five dead fish per hill, placed our corn seeds in the holes, and covered everything over. Then we transplanted our squash and beans around the corn seeds. When everything came up it did resemble the illustrations of a Native American garden, and the students were very pleased...so was I." They were especially intrigued with the root vegetables planted. "From one potato we got a dozen the same size as the original. From tiny withered onion sets we got good-sized onions. It was as much fun for me to see the kids' amazement as it was for them to experience it."

The classes of pilot teachers Linda Oesterle and Rachelle Francis from Eggert Elementary in Orchard Park, New York, also "loved" their Harvest of History experiences. They incorporated a number of plant-based activities to help history come alive:

• A guest speaker introduced students to herbs, and discussed their historical importance for both culinary and medicinal purposes.
• Students made natural dyes from fruits and vegetables to color muslin and wool. They used parsley, spinach, onion skins, beets, red cabbage, and blueberries, and created "spectacular" colors.
• Students pounded flowers to decorate the naturally dyed fabric. "A local florist donated spent blooms and the children hammered away. These fabrics then were folded in half, sewed into sachet bags, filled with lavender, and gifted on Mothers' Day!"

Harvest of History provides diverse experiences, from using real census data from the 1800's to discover who was working on the farm to creating experiments to demonstrate plant breeding techniques. By learning the history of agriculture, students develop a stronger understanding of its evolution, and gain an appreciation for the work behind the food they find in grocery stores and restaurants. As a unique feature of the online curriculum, students can also practice their communication skills by creating their own films using the video clips provided in the virtual village tour. Check out Harvest of History for ideas for your classroom!

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