Welcome to our Educational Resources page. You will find pictures of artifacts from our museum as well as information that relates directly to curriculum expectations for Social Studies. Our Grade Two page looks at the traditions of the local fair in days gone by. The Grade Three page compares life in the past to the present.The Grade Six page traces the history of Maple syrup making in Canada. We hope you find this resource useful. Material found on our Kid's Corner pages provide supplementary information and activities. Be sure to check it out.
Communities in Canada: Past and Present History of Maple Syrup Making Through the Centuries
birch bark mokuks used for maple sugar storage
The Middleville and District Museum has an exciting new project to help make connections between the Museum and local schools located in Lanark County. After receiving a grant of $4200.00 from the Perth and District CommunityFoundation in early 2022, the Museum has been able to hire 2 part time students to work on this project.
The Project will see five vintage suitcases stocked with materials that can be reserved and borrowed by local classrooms. Each case will offer a different theme. When the project is complete, local teachers from schools in Lanark County, will be able to bring some fun activities based on Museum content to their students right in their own classrooms.
Emily and Madeleine packing materials into the vintage suitcase for the History in a Suitcase Project
The Middleville and District Museum is eager to connect with classrooms around Lanark County. The project made possible with funding from The Perth and District Community Foundation has been underway in 2022. Vintage suitcases are being packed with information and activities that reflect different themes that connect to the Museum Collection.
The Postal Suitcase The history of postal services in Lanark County at the turn of the century will be included along with letter writing activities and custom made Middleville and District Museum postage ‘stamps’ featuring vintage automobiles from the Museum. Students will learn about how mail delivery has changed over time and the way people communicated before e-mail. When students and teachers open the suitcase, they will discover the materials for writing and sending postcards. The postcards are made using the Museum’s photo collections inspired by the common practice of turning personal photos into postcards in the past. Lesson plan ideas include letter writing templates and materials.
postcards made with vintage pictures in the Museum's Collection
The Weaving Suitcase Another suitcase will include a class set of specially designed wooden looms that can be used for weaving a bookmark. A supply of yarn will get these projects started. Students will learn weaving terms like warp and weft. This activity will lend itself well to teaching patterning while learning about how textiles were made in the early days of the County. The story of the Museum’s travelling barn loom will add some historical knowledge. Teacher information will provide instructions for the weaving project. Materials are provided for a small take home weaving project as a follow up activity for families to complete at home.
individual weaving looms
The General Store Suitcase Another case will focus on the traditional General Store with activities using measurement and money.
The School Room Suitcase Materials to practice the art of calligraphy will introduce students to cursive writing and how students completed their lessons in the one room schoolhouse.
The Environmental Suitcase A case with environmental activities will provide an opportunity to learn about animal tracks and the historical relationship between humans and their surroundings and how they depended on the land for their everyday survival.
The Postal Suitcase and the Weaving Suitcase will be available for borrowing in early 2023. More suitcases will become available throughout the school year.
School Visit Opportunities The Middleville and District Museum is happy to welcome school visits to the Museum. Visits can be booked for the months of September, October, May and June.
Museum volunteers, dressed in period clothes, are happy to provide a full program of activities for students to give them a taste of local history. In the Schoolroom, they learn what lessons were like in the 1800's. A visit to the 1830’s cabin reveals how settlers lived their lives without indoor plumbing or electricity. Other activities include the opportunity to do some weaving and learn about the settlers’ journey from the old country. A guided tour gives the students a chance to see and learn about the Museum’s many, many artifacts. Of course, no visit to an 1860’s Schoolhouse would be complete without some traditional outdoor games on the schoolyard where children have played for over a century. Games like The Graces, sack races and musical stumps show today’s students how children got exercise and had fun with simple, everyday items at hand. A beautiful spring day in the countryside provides a perfect chance for a picnic lunch under the shade trees in the ideal setting. The Museum volunteers are eager to welcome more visitors to take a step back in time.
Miss Jo and Miss Sarah
Miss Mary, Miss Emily and Miss Catherine
Miss Vera
Sharon and Mrs. B
Miss Edith and Miss Sarah
Miss Madeleine and Auntie Em
If you wish to enquire about booking a group visit, please contact us. Fill out the form below or give us a call at 613-259-5462