Today we went to the Old Florida Museum.  Our class went there in 1st grade, and I had a blast!  When we got there, we dropped off our lunch, and we walked to the archaeogical dig.

First we were told all about different kinds of bones, rocks, clay, and shells.  The guide told us how you can tell the difference between clay or shells, and bones.  Bones have many holes so blood can get into them.  The tools we used were a shovel, a bucket, and a screen box. I liked the dig!

Next, we went to the Spanish area.  We went into a house made of bamboo and cement.  Our guide told us that kids slept in the attic.  I wanted more info because I have no clue what is in my attic! I also had no idea dried corn was grinded to make flour!  I learned a lot from this section!

Lastly, we went to the pioneer life in the 1800s.  We went inside the school house and learned how to use a quill!  I knew kids in the school house were not the same age, but most were the same level.  Since it takes a long time to make a building, people used the school house for school, church etc.  When we were there we experienced lots of things in the 1800s such as planting, washing clothes, lassoing, and playing creative games kids in the 1800s thought up.  This station was my favorite!

Thanks for being a part of the 1800s! I hope it really came to life!

I liked everything because I learned something new, and I will tell what I learned at the archaeological dig, in the colonists’ homes, and at the pioneers’ homes. I think all of them were very fun.

First, we are in the present. at the archaeological dig. I learned how to tell the difference between a rock and a bone. You do this by checking if there are holes. Bones have tiny holes that blood cells went into. I also learned that an ecofact is something that was made by nature, and an artifact is something that was an ecofact that was altered by humans.

Next, we went back 500 years where the Spanish colonists lived. I learned that the youngest child had to empty the chamber pot, and they used a corn cob as toilet paper. (I’m glad I’m not the youngest.) I also learned how they made blankets and how they made candles. (You need to dip it in the hot wax about 35 times. Can you believe it?!) I learned how to play some games such as ring toss, pick up sticks, something similar to checkers, and something similar to bowling. I liked experiencing how to make a wall. They made there walls out of sugar cane and mud.

Then, we went back to 1835 when I got to experience what a pioneer’s life would be like. It was hard, but just because it was hard that doesn’t mean I didn’t have fun or learn something. I learned that the punishment for boys if they are bad is to dress up in a dress and walk up to the girl or boy and do a curtsy. A girl’s punishment for being bad is to put her hair in a ponytail, rap it around a nail, and stand on her tiptoes. If she got tired and stopped, her hair would be pulled by the nail.

I learned 2 more things. My 1^st one is that a schoolhouse was also used as a church, and my 2^nd one is that all different ages are in one schoolhouse. Finally, I got to not only see, but play 2 games. The 1^st game was checkers and the 2^nd game was a game that involved a lot of work to get it right. You needed a hula hoop, and a stick to keep the hula hoop rolling.

BY: Rebecca

When we went to the O.F.M. we did three subjects: archaeology, Spanish, and Pioneers. In archaeology we learned that bones have holes, because that was where the blood-flow comes in. We also learned that an ecofact is made by nature, and an artifact is altered by man.  In archaeology, we got to dig for artifacts and ecofacts.  The way we did this was by digging sand up and putting it in a bucket.  Then we poured the contents on a screenbox and shook it.  The sand fell out and we could see the artifacts and the ecofacts.

Next, we went to the Spanish.  We learned that houses were made from sugar cane and mud.  We also learned about how they had chamber pots instead of  toilets and how the youngest boy would throw the chamber pot out the window.  In the Spanish section, we also got to make candles.  The way we did that was by dipping a string into wax.

After that, we went to the Pioneers.  We learned that at school the boys’ punishment was to dress like a girl and the girls’ punishment was to be hung by their pigtails.  We also learned that it’s not fun to be the youngest because he/she has to bathe last; and in pioneer time you didn’t empty the bath tub until the last one got bathed.  (so it was pretty dirty)  We got to do different activities such as planting beans/corn, roping, washing dishes, and playing with games that the children had invented.

Archaeological Dig

The Archeological dig was very fun. I found a lot of stuff such as clay, pottery, and bones.  You can tell it’s a bone because bones have holes so the bones can breathe. We all documented the stuff we found.

Spanish

In the Spanish I learned that their houses were as big as your bedroom. Indians taught the Spanish how to grind corn. If you got an oyster cut they used herbs, leaches or in worst case they would do amputation. Fort Mose was the first free black settlement built to protect the slaves  but they had to be Catholic.

Pioneers

To go to school you must be rich. If not, you would have to stay home and help your family with the farming.  If you were bad in the school for boys you would have to dress up like a girl and curtsy at the person (boy or girl) and for girls, they would get hanged by their pony tail. The whole family used the same bath tub and the same water.

What a fabulous field trip for fourth and fifth graders!!  The students were able to enjoy hands-on activities while learning about archaeology, Spanish settlers, and the Pioneers.  Check out our pictures from our amazing day of learning.

More pictures to come from our Spanish experience and our Pioneer experience.