Monroe County Local History Room & Museum











News

NEW Fort McCoy Pictorial History Book
Interested in Fort McCoy history? Have any relatives that worked or trained there? The new book “Images of America: Fort McCoy” features 128 pages of Fort McCoy photos, maps, and illustrations documenting the important military landmark for nearly a century...
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Recipe Book Sales Fund Microfilm Workstation
The Local History Room is excited to announce a new opportunity to update library equipment...
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Monroe County Local History Room & Museum


"A Travel Through Time: A Day in the Life of a Kid in 1880"
Suggested Grade Level: 1-5

"Then & Now: Learning History From Old Things"
Suggested Grade Level: 2-6

"Pack Your Trunk: Immigration to Monroe County"
Suggested Grade Level: 3-6

"Discover Your Roots: An Introduction to Genealogy"
Suggested Grade Level: 5-8


Title: "A Travel Through Time: A Day in the Life of a Kid in 1880"

Topics: Childhood; Rural Life; Social History
Suggested Grade Level: 1-5
Required Time: 45-90 minutes

Description: Students will place themselves into the life of a kid living in rural Monroe County in 1880. Through hands-on activities, students experience childhood of the past by performing chores, going to school, playing games, and engaging in other 19th century-appropriate activities.

Goals:

  • Compare and contrast students' lives today with the lives of children in 1880
  • Identify technological and cultural differences in 1880 from today through photographs, objects, discussions, and activities
  • Relate to rural life in Monroe County during the late 19th century
Wisconsin Model Academic Standards
Social Studies Performance Standards Related to the Program
Grade 4

B.4.1. Identify and examine various sources of information that are used for constructing an understanding of the past, such as artifacts, documents, letters, diaries, maps, textbooks, photos, paintings, architecture, oral presentations, graphs and charts

B.4.4 Compare and contrast changes in contemporary life with life in the past by looking at social, economic, political, and cultural roles played by individuals and groups

B.4.8 Compare past and present technologies related to energy, transportation, and communications and describe the effects of technological change, either beneficial or harmful, on people and the environment

B.4.9 Describe examples of cooperation and interdependence among individuals, groups, and nations

C.4.3 Explain how families, schools, and other groups develop, enforce, and change rules of behavior and explain how various behaviors promote or hinder cooperation

Click HERE to book your school group at LHR or to ask a question


Title: "Then & Now: Learning History From Old Things"

Topic: Historic Preservation; Social History
Suggested Grade Level: 2-6
Required Time: 30-45 minutes
Description: Students learn how history museums preserve the past by examining the materials commonly collected by museums. In addition, students participate in a game, "guess the artifact," in which they have the opportunity to determine the purpose of historical artifacts that today are unfamiliar to most observers. Hands-on activities give the students the opportunity to connect with the artifacts and examine the historical context in which they were originally used.

Goals:

  • Explain the importance of preserving items from the past for future generations
  • Learn how historical artifacts preserve memory and relate stories of past human experiences.
  • Appreciate what life was like in the past so students can better contemplate their lives today
  • Analyze the change and development of certain familiar items over time, such as those commonly found in the home.
  • Gain an awareness of the role of History Museums in sharing and protecting the items and stories of those who came before us
Wisconsin Model Academic Standards
History Performance Standards Related to the Program
Grade 4

B.4.1 Identify and examine various sources of information that are used for constructing an understanding of the past, such as artifacts, documents, letters, diaries, maps, textbooks, photos, paintings, architecture, oral presentations, graphs, and charts

B.4.8 Compare past and present technologies related to energy, transportation, and communications and describe the effects of technological change, either beneficial or harmful, on people and the environment

Click HERE to book your school group at LHR or to ask a question


Topics: Immigration; Pioneer Life; Social History

Suggested Grade Level: 3-6
Time Required: 45-90 minutes

Description: Students learn about the experience of being an immigrant, from deciding to leave the home country to establishing a new home in Monroe County. Students will experience the immigrants' challenges of packing for the journey, traveling great distances, and establishing a new home on the frontier.

Goals:

  • Personalize the immigrant experience for each student
  • Broaden understanding of who settled Monroe County
  • Experience choices facing an immigrant that require problem-solving skills on the part of the student
  • Investigate materials that tell about the past, creating a concrete expression for the abstract concept of "the immigration experience"
Wisconsin Model Academic Standards
History Performance Standards Related to the Program
Grade 4

B.4.1 Identify and examine various sources of information that are used for constructing an understanding of the past, such as artifacts, documents, letters, diaries, maps, textbooks, photos, paintings, architecture, oral presentations, graphs, and charts

B.4.4 Compare and contrast changes in contemporary life with life in the past by looking at social, economic, political, and cultural roles played by individuals and groups

B.4.8 Compare past and present technologies related to energy, transportation, and communications and describe the effects of technological change, either beneficial or harmful, on people and the environment

B.4.9 Describe examples of cooperation and interdependence among individuals, groups, and nations

Click HERE to book your school group at LHR or to ask a question


Title: "Discover Your Roots: An Introduction to Genealogy"

Topic: Genealogy; Research Methodology
Suggested Grade Level: 5-8
Required Time: 30-45 minutes

Description: Students learn how to research basic information about people who lived in the past through examining primary sources and research aids (indexes). Sources to be examined include: birth, death, and marriage records, Federal and State Census records, old newspapers, court records, plat books, cemetery records and more. Students will learn the historic research process by piecing together bits of personal information extracted from a variety of sources regarding an otherwise unknown person from the past, and weave that information together to produce a short "history" of that individual. Students will then be encouraged to research their own family history using the knowledge, sources, and methodologies learned in this program.

Goals:

  • Understand the types of resources available to the public for use in genealogy and researching individuals from the past.
  • Examine various public records to extract useful personal data for an individual living in the past.
  • Synthesize historical data to create a large picture of an event (such as a person's life)
  • Gain an appreciation for family history, and when possible, open a new avenue for communication with an older generation.
  • Acquire the knowledge of researching one's own family history to begin an engrossing lifelong project of research and exploration.
Wisconsin Model Academic Standards
History Performance Standards Related to the Program
Grade 8

B.8.1 Interpret the past using a variety of sources, such as biographies, diaries, journals, artifacts, eyewitness interviews, and other primary source materials, and evaluate the credibility of sources used

B.8.12 Describe how history can be organized and analyzed using various criteria to group people and events chronologically, geographically, thematically, topically, and by issues

Click HERE to book your school group at LHR or to ask a question


Monroe County Local History Room & Museum | 200 W. Main St., Sparta, WI 54656 | Phone: (608)269-8680 | Fax: (608)269-8921 | Email: MCLHR@centurytel.net
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