Goals:  to understand the historic perspective of the school, to identify historical facts and interpretations of those facts, to master procedures for orally sharing observations through simple speech activities.

Procedures:

• Once the teacher rings the small hand bell all students must be seated silently, their feet flat on the floor, backs straight in the seats, and hands folded neatly on top of their desks.
• Next the teacher asks the students to rise for the Pledge of Allegiance (to the forty-four star flag.)
• During the pledge, the teacher and adult volunteers deliberately omit the words "under God" which were added in the 1950's.
• When students are again seated the teacher can lead a short history discussion using some of these sample questions:
  • Why are there only forty-four stars in this flag?
  • Which states were still territories in 1901?
  • How old was the Pledge of Allegiance in 1901?
  • When were the words "under God" added to the pledge?
  • What other patriotic symbols do you see in the room?
  • How is this schoolroom different from the one where you normally attend class? Why?
  • What items in the cloakroom do you see that we no longer use in schools today? Why?
  • What purpose did the water bucket serve?
  • Why do we not share drinking cups in modern schools?

Recitation and Evaluation:

When responding, the student must raise his or her hand and wait to be recognized. Then he will stand, address the teacher as "M'am" or "Sir" as appropriate, and finally give his oral response. This method is to be used throughout the school day, as it was a century ago

Closure:

In the original one-room classroom, students and teacher would end with a patriotic song such as "America" or "The Star Spangled Banner." The day then would follow the assignments on the chalkboard or written in the individual student's copybook the afternoon before.