Educational Programs

The Newark Valley Historical Society is proud to offer an educational program designed specifically for school tours and community groups.  Our volunteers work hard to preserve the area's history and invite your organization to participate.  Contact us to get started.

Farmstead Living History Museum (Grades 2-6) - approximately 2.5 hours long

Agriculture has played an essential role in the formation of this community. At the Bement-Billings Farmstead students explore their connection to the farm through interactive communications with trained museum guides, the study of 19th century artifacts and five selected hands-on activities. These activities may include: churning butter in a real pre-Civil War kitchen, learning lessons in a one-room school, carding and spinning wool into yarn, visiting a woodworking shop, learning about the uses of herbs and wild foods, designing a quilt square and watching a blacksmith work at the forge. Our program satisfies the New York State Learning Standards for Social Studies I, 2, 3, 4, 5; English/Language Arts 1, 4.

Availability

The Bement-Billings Farmstead offers this program to school groups weekdays during May, June, September, and through mid-October. We welcome community groups May through mid-October. Reservations can be made by calling the business office at (607) 642-9516. Groups visiting the Farmstead may extend their stay to include a lunch period. Please inform our staff if you choose this option.

Program Cost

The cost of our program is $5.00 per student. We prefer payment in the form of a check presented on the day of the tour. Checks should be made payable to Newark Valley Historical Society. Teachers scheduling through the BOCES program may use the procedures set forth in the BOCES brochure.

Hints for making the most of your visit:

• Students should be dressed for outdoor activities, including warm, water proof-footwear.
• You may wish to bring moist towelettes for hand washing, a simple first-aid kit, and a cell phone. If any students require prescription medications, these need to be carried as well.
• Students should be assigned to smaller groups of 10-15 before they arrive at the Farmstead. Color coded name tags or stickers are useful for identifying groups.
• We suggest that one adult chaperone accompany each group of students.
• If a scheduled lunch period will be part of the field trip experience, students should bring labeled “brown bag” lunches which include beverages. (Include a few lunches to spare for those who forgot.) We appreciate efforts to carry out trash.
• Students are welcome to photograph their day at the farmstead.
• Chewing gum and candy are not allowed inside any of our historic structures.

Pre-visit Activities

Pre-visit activity sheets which include puzzles are available on this Website. These activities are intended to serve as an introduction to some of the concepts and vocabulary that will be used during the field trip. You are welcome to copy and distribute these activity sheets to your students before field trip day. You can download Adobe Acrobat Reader free, if needed.

• Word Search for 2nd and 3rd Grade
• Word Search for 4th and 5th Grade
• Vocabulary Matching for 4th and 5th Grade

Suggested Field Trip Follow-up Activities (appropriate for all grades)

Create a class scrap book of your field trip. Each student can prepare one page which may include a poem, short story, or essay. Photographs, drawings, and captions will enhance the project. Encourage your students to use imagination and creativity.

P.O. Box 222, Newark Valley, NY 13811 ♦ (607) 642-9516 ♦ webmaster@nvhistory.org