Educational Programs – School Tours
Graeme Park offers guided tours and educational activities for primary through middle school students.
PRIMARY GRADES—COLONIAL LIFE
GOALS-Compare and contrast Colonial life with the present
ACTIVITIES-
- Tour of the Keith House and the summer kitchen
- Colonial games demonstration and making a buzz toy to take home
- A circuit of Colonial chores
INTERMEDIATE GRADES–COLONIAL PENNSYLVANIA HISTORY THEME
GOALS- Explain and interpret the social, political, and economic life of Colonial Pennsylvania
AM Program ACTIVITIES-
- A Tour of the Keith House and summer kitchen with an emphasis on how the socioeconomic status of its residents influenced their clothing, roles and educational opportunities.
- An interactive skit to explain the history of Graeme Park
- A hands-on bartering activity that emphasizes the role of money and trade in Colonial times
PM Program ACTIVITIES-
- Militia demonstration and drill
- Colonial games
- Quill writing//gift shop
MIDDLE SCHOOL—REVOLUTIONARY ERA THEME
GOALS-Interpret how the Revolutionary War affected the families and communities of the Delaware Valley
AM Program ACTIVITIES-
- A tour of the Keith House that will focus on famous Revolutionary War era personalities who visited Graeme Park.
- An interactive skit to explain the history of Graeme Park
- A hands-on bartering activity that emphasizes the role of money and trade in Colonial times
PM Program ACTIVITIES-
1) Militia demonstration and drill 2) Quill writing or “Battle of Crooked Billet” play 3) Colonial games
Educational Programs – Projects
INDIVIDUALIZED GROUP PROJECTS
Several of the volunteers at Graeme Park have backgrounds in education and are available to work with teachers to create unique half-day, daylong, and multi-day learning opportunities for students of all ages focused on a specific topic or theme. Here are a few of the possibilities:
- Archaeology
- Women in Colonial America
- Colonial Family Life
- Colonial Crafts: Woodworking, Tin Punching, Spinning and Weaving
- Colonial Medicine
- Colonial Gardens: Herb and physic gardens, vegetable gardens, farming
- Colonial Money and Trade
- Colonial Clothing and Dress
- Colonial Hearth Cooking
- Race, Religion, Social and Economic Class in the Colonies
- A Soldier’s Story: Life in Washington’s Army
INDEPENDENT RESEARCH PROJECTS
Graeme Park has extensive files and other resources that trace the history of the site and the people who lived on the property. Graeme Park volunteers are willing to assist with individualized, independent research projects on a variety of subjects. Here are a few of the possibilities,
- History-Using resources in the Graeme Park collection, students can research the history of Graeme Park, and its inhabitants during the Colonial periodand War of Independence.
- Nature and Science-The grounds and flora and fauna of Graeme Park are perfect for studying nature and environmental issues.
- Sociology, Economics, and Politics-Created by Sir William Keith, Colonial governor of Pennsylvania, as a farm and manufacturing site, Graeme Park’s inhabitants included wealthy Pennsylvanians, paid workers, indentured servants, and enslaved people. Inhabitants included wealthy Pennsylvanians, paid workers, indentured servants, and enslaved people.
Email our School Tour Coordinator at gpschooltours@gmail.com.
