Life at the Gibbons House – Grade K-3
The Gibbons House was the home of the foremen or the Hagley powder yards and their families in the 19th century. In this program, students step back in time and into the daily lives of the Gibbons family, when cast iron stoves were used for baking and clothes were wrung through a wringer.
Students will participate in daily activities of 19th century life to build understandings of and personal connections to the experiences of children in the past. Historic buildings on Workers’ Hill—Hagley’s restored workers community—are filled with “teaching collections,” authentic historical objects that are part of students’ hands-on learning.
• Time: 2 to 2.5 hours
• Group Size: 20-50
• $11 per student
• Curriculum Standards:
DE: History 1, 3, & 4
PA: History 8.1 & 8.3
MD: Social Studies 5: History
NJ: Social Studies 6.1: US History
For a longer program, or to accommodate a larger group, combine Life at the Gibbons House with the Factory System Workshop (below).
Nineteenth Century Day – Grades 4-5
Immerse your students in the daily life of a 19th century mill community. Through hands-on activities students connect with people from the past as they take on the roles of children, women, teachers, and powder yard workers who lived and labored along the Brandywine.
Students will compare and contrast life in the 21st century with life more than a hundred years ago to build empathy with and appreciation for the experiences of people during the Industrial Revolution. Activities are centered on Hagley’s Workers’ Hill community and in the historic powder yards.
• Time: 4 hours, including lunch
• Group Size: 25-100
• $11 per student
• Curriculum Standards:
DE: History 1, 2, 3, & 4
PA: History 8.1 & 8.3
MD: Social Studies 5: History
NJ: Social Studies 6.1: US History
The Factory System Workshop – Grades 2-5
During this hands-on workshop, students learn about the development of the factory system during the Industrial Revolution. Every student gets a job on the production line as they learn about industry, the distribution of labor, and the power of teamwork.
• Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
• Group Size: 12-60
• $9 per student
• Curriculum Standards:
DE: History 1, 2, & 4, Economics 3
PA: Technology and Engineering Education 3.4, History 8.1 & 8.3
MD: Social Studies 4: Economics, Social Studies 5: History
NJ: Social Studies 6.1: US History
Book your students’ field trip now by clicking the button above. Questions? Contact Bonnie Wirth, Group Tour Manager, at BWirth@hagley.org or calling us at 302-658-2400 x 259.
To find out more about education programs at Hagley, contact Education Program Coordinator Jeff Durst at (302) 658-2400, ext. 285 or jdurst@hagley.org.