Resources from
The Delaware County Historical Society
Curriculum Support Committee
Dear Parents, Teachers, Homeschoolers,
During this time of the pandemic, the Historical Society wants to extend a helping hand to all those who are working with students at home. We have created a series of activities for you to do with your at-home child or student. Feel free to use any of the following activities that we have prepared. Donations are happily accepted now or at a later date.
When school resumes, we hope you will contact us for the many hands-on artifact activities, Meeker and Nash house museums, and field trip experiences that we provide. Visit our School Programs page on the Delaware County Historical Society website for more information.
Check out some of these ideas and activities:
“Virtual” Summer Camp:
“Who Came Down That Road?”
Bicycle Scavenger Hunt
There are 5 activities this month and plans are in progress to add 5 more activities on July 15 and August 15. These activities provide a variety of ways to participate: walking, bike riding, or indoor activities.
Keep that love of local history alive by getting involved in some of these fun projects designed for adventures indoors and outside!
Fun Nights Tuesday, 7:30-8:30pm
on Facebook Live
from the Ohio Council of Social Studies
Local History Experiences from Home
Grades 1,2,3 – Artifact Experiences
We have two Artifact Experiences for students in Grades 1,2,3 and 7.
“What is an Artifact?” a movie based on a hands-on experience we use with students to think about artifacts and how they are used. Find it on YouTube: Artifact Experience Video
“Artifacts … Learn at Home” a slideshow of various artifacts found at the Delaware County Historical Society. Read the description and think about “What is IT?” and how each artifact was used. Find it at Artifact Slide Show
Parents/Teachers/Homeschoolers:
Read the lesson plans based on Grades 1,2,3:
Grade 1 Lesson Plan Grade 2 Lesson Plan Grade 3 Lesson Plan
Use these guidelines to look at artifacts with your children.
Further information can be found at The National Archives: Resources of At Home Learning
Grade 3. Local Family History Presentation by T.K. Cellar
Through a slide presentation done at Olentangy Schools, T.K. tells the story of his ancestors coming to Delaware County and settling in Liberty Township.
All Grades. Brent Carson: The Flood of 1913
All Grades. Columbus Neighborhoods: Ghost Walk with Jeff Darbee and Brent Carson
Grades 3-8. Take a Walk through Oak Grove Cemetery
Before you visit Oak Grove Cemetery, download The Scavenger Hunt.
Parents – Walk around Oak Grove Cemetery with your children.
Using the map that comes with the Scavenger Hunt, answer the questions as you look closely at the gravesites and headstones.
Other Cemetery Activities:
Make a Gravestone Rubbing. Be gentle and careful during this activity.
How to Make a Gravestone Rubbing (Wiki How)
History Reading at Home
Grades K-2. Reading Recommendation
Who Came Down That Road? by George Ella Lyon.
“The road is just a trace through the woods, but folks have been traveling it thousands of years. Each turn of the page reveals who and what preceded a young boy and his mother walking there, his questions and her answers leading them back through grandparents, Indians, buffalo, woolly mammoths, and fish, to the sea itself. “
As you read this story, think about Stratford Road Road as it goes north from the junction of U.S. 23 & OH 315 along the Olentangy River.
Included in all the 3rd grade Teacher Tote Bags.
Available:
- Check-out at the Delaware County District Library
- Order at Bean Bag Books
- Purchase on Amazon
GRADES 3-8. Reading Recommendation
The Cabin on Trouble Creek novel by Jean Van Leeuen.
“After clearing enough forest to build a log cabin for their new home (in Delaware County near Radnor, known then as Delhi), Pa returns east to fetch the rest of the family, while young brothers Daniel and Will stay behind to watch the land. Pa had planned to return within six weeks . . . but something must have gone wrong. Now the boys must survive the winter with only a few supplies and their ability to invent and improvise. But are they alone in the woods?”
Jean Van Leeuwen’s engrossing novel of pioneer survival is based on a true incident in Delaware County history.
Included in all the 3rd grade Teacher Tote Bags.
Available:
- Check-out at the Delaware County District Library
- Order at Bean Bag Books
- Purchase on Amazon
The Underground Railroad
Grades 4-8. Underground Railroad Driving Tour
Pick a sunny day and drive around the county looking at just a few of the Underground Railroad sites that are still visible. Keep in mind these are private homes so get a glimpse from outside and imagine what times were like during the early 1800s as fugitive slaves stayed in the area.
Download the Driving Tour of UGRR Sites in Delaware County
Teachers/Home School Programs: Use the Teacher’s Guide that includes more UGRR activities.
Other online resources on the UGRR we recommend:
- National Park Service UGRR Kids & Education
- Underground Railroad Webquest Grades 4-6
- Journey to Freedom National Geographic Grades 5-8
- PBS: Underground Railroad; The William Still Story Grades 6-8
Includes short videos
From the State and National Homefront:
WOSU: Ken Burns – In The Classroom
Ohio History Connection:
- Learn At Home Resources
- Sites & Museum Locator
Map of Ohio 1814
Historical Online Maps
Maps of Ohio, Delaware County & City accessible online with direct links to each map.
Ohio Council for the Social Studies: K-12 Lesson Plans, Activities, Resources
The Delaware County Historical Society Curriculum Support Committee
The Delaware County Historical Society is a nonprofit institution. Our mission is to promote and sustain interest in the history of Delaware County, Ohio through historical preservation and education.
The Education Curriculum Support Committee collaborates with the schools of Delaware and Delaware County to enrich their curriculum with the resources of our historical collections, exhibits, and programming.
We welcome the opportunity to work with every school in the county