Deborah Peterson's Colonial School Programs



 

 

 

 

 

 

All text and images copyright Deborah Peterson 2002-8.

Website design and maintenance:
K L Martz

 

Deb's age-tailored programs give a living example of how life was conducted in the years of our country before and during the American War for Independence. Through discussion, demonstration and do-it-yourself methods, she shows that our ancestors were intelligent, creative, resourceful, thoughtful persons who in some ways were not so very different from us in today's world. Students learn what children did, how they played, how they contributed to the welfare of their family and home. They have fun learning how to make butter, weave, sew, make gingerbread. They'll learn the true stories of historic figures like Molly Pitcher, the beginnings of holidays like Thanksgiving, and how to card and spin wool in preparation for its being made into fabric.

Deb has been honored by the patronage of many home-school groups, public schools, child-centered civic and community organizations. Those children's parents' requests for their own programs has been the inspiration for Deb's adult series.

Discussion and experiential programs for students are available for the topics which follow. Suggestions and requests for other topics are always welcomed, and the list grows. Contact Deb with your thoughts and questions.


Lecture and Discussion programs

Clothing the Common Sort:
What did our laboring English colonial ancestors actually wear?
Colonial English Foodways in Sou
theastern Pennsylvania: What did they eat?
Early American Pastimes for Children: What did the children do all day?
Camp Followers: British or American points of view
Who
WAS Molly Pitcher?
The First Thanksgiving - Plimoth, 1621: Myths, Legends and Facts



Hands-on workshops

Butter Making

Print a Handkerchief (four-hour workshop)
Thread Button Making (two-hour workshop)
Weaving on a Tape Loom
Marbled Paper
Carding and Spinning Wool
Plain Sewing for Boys and Girls
Colonial Dyestuffs
The Story of Gingerbread (requires kitchen facilities)
Colonial Christmas Goodies (requires kitchen facilities)

Field trips for hearth cooking classes are also available.