Ripon Historical Society Traveling Trunk Program

1900-1920

Created by Jessica Fuoco, 2006 Ripon College Summer Intern

 

Welcome to the Ripon Historical Society Traveling Trunk Program!

 

The goal of the Society is “to interpret the past for the enlightenment of present and future generations and to serve as many people in the community as we can.” In order to better to do this, the society has decided to create a traveling trunk program.

The basic idea of the trunk is to fill it with artifacts from a specific time period or category (i.e. Civil War or Kitchenware). The trunk will then travel around the community to different classrooms. Students will be able to engage hands-on with these artifacts in order to fully appreciate and understand Ripon local history. The trunk will also enable students to connect the past to present in order to better understand and comprehend both.

This particular trunk can be used in all sorts of settings such as various grade levels and groups in the community such as women’s clubs and with senior citizens. The accompanying activities, however, are targeted at fourth grade classrooms. We feel that the traveling trunk program is especially appropriate for this grade level as Wisconsin’s Model Academic Performance Standard in History for Grade 4 is that “by the end of grade four students will: identify and examine various sources of information that are used for constructing an understanding of the past, such as artifacts, documents, letters, diaries, maps, textbooks, photos, paintings, architecture, oral presentations, graphs, and charts.” The trunk is very useful and helpful in achieving this academic standard.

The trunk can be used in conjunction with current classroom activities in order to better facilitate learning and comprehension of a particular time period or subject. The traveling trunk, however, does not need to be used just for history. It can also be applied to English and math activities. Included in this packet are possible ideas for application of the trunk to English, history, and mathematics.

A major function of the trunk is to allow hands-on experience. All of the items in the trunk are safe and able to be handled. However, please keep in mind that these artifacts are old and valuable. Take mind and please handle the artifacts with care.

We hope that you find this trunk enjoyable and useful in your classroom. Please feel free to contact the Ripon Historical Society with any tips for improvement on this current trunk or any ideas for future trunks.

 

Ideas for Use in the Classroom

 

Listed below are ideas for application of the traveling trunk in a classroom. They are listed by subject, although both the English and mathematics activities are interdisciplinary. The ideas listed below are purely for suggestion and to help teachers reduce planning time. The activities may be altered, changed, or combined in anyway and feel free to create your own activity.

 

History

1. Students can each be given an artifact* without any information. They can then go to the library and/or computer lab and given time to research the item. Students can then present before the class their items. Some questions they can consider while researching are

·        What do you think this artifact is?

·        Who do you think used this artifact? (Students can answer this question based upon gender, age, and/or class.)

·        What can you learn about history from this artifact?

·        What is most interesting to you about this artifact?

·        How do you think this artifact was useful in people’s lives of the time period?

·        Do we have something that looks like this today or that has the same function? If so, how has it changed through time?

 

2. This activity can be used as a second part to the first activity or on its own. If used on its own, students need to be provided with information about the artifacts. Students can each be given an artifact* and act out an impromptu scene in with they use the artifact in the way in which it was originally used.

 

English

1. This activity is interdisciplinary, containing both aspects of history and English. Students can each be given an artifact* with or without information. Once they obtain information on the item either teacher-given or independently researched, students can then write a journal entry one page in length, writing as if they were someone using this artifact (in the proper time period, of course).

2. Another interdisciplinary activity combining history and English would be to have each student be given an artifact* with or without information. They can then write a poem about the artifact and present it in front of the class. Make sure to have students include in their poem how the item was used, who would have used it, and how it relates to the time period as a whole.

 

Mathematics

1. This activity is interdisciplinary, containing both aspects of history and mathematics. Each artifact listed (with the exception of World War I items) contains the average price of it during the time period of 1900 to 1920. With these prices, a store could be set up so students can buy these items. This would deal with basics such as addition and subtraction of decimals. This activity would also apply a real world application of mathematics, creating better understanding for the students.

2. Another interdisciplinary activity combining history and mathematics would be to give each student an artifact* and have them guess the price of the items during the time period. A lesson on inflation can be linked to this activity.

*This trunk contains 28 items. If your classroom contains more than 28 students, you can double up students on item #s 4, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, 22, and 25. If your classroom contains less than 28 students, item #s 2, 6, 9, 15, 16, 18, 26, and 27 may be eliminated.

 

Items and Their Descriptions and Prices

 

1. World War I Pins

  • Dates from 1917 to 1918
  • Given to volunteers who were promoting the purchase of Liberty Loans
  • In order to raise money for the war, the government sold Liberty Loans. Citizens then bought these which was a way of lending money to the government. In a certain number of years, the government would then pay the money back to those who had bought the loans.
  • Price = Not Applicable

 

2. World War I Window Poster

  • Dates from 1917 to 1918
  • The top and bottom were wet with water, and it was placed in the window
  • Used to promote the purchase of bonds
  • Price = Not Applicable

 

3. World War I Questionnaire

  • Dates from 1917 to 1918
  • Used by the Ripon Government to find out how much a family made and how much it contributed to helping with the war
  • Price = Not Applicable

 

4. World War I Red Cross Head Scarf

  • Dates from 1917 to 1918
  • Worn by Red Cross nurses
  • See page 9 for a picture on how this was used
  • Price = Not Applicable

 

5. Paper Doll

  • Dates to the very early 1900s
  • Would have come with several outfits
  • Generally included clothes from the time period in which it was made
  • Price = 5˘ with paper clothing

 

6. Cake Pan

  • Dates to early 1900s
  • Made of tin
  • Came as a set with other kitchen utensils
  • Taught female children to be like their mothers
  • Price = 65˘ a set with other tin kitchen items

 

7. Rolling Pin

  • Dates to early 1900s
  • Came with a bowl in a pastry set
  • Taught female children to be like their mothers
  • Price = 1˘ with bowl

 

8. Razor Strop

  • Dates from 1900 to 1920
  • Made of leather
  • Used to sharpen shaving razors
  • See page 10 for a picture of a straight razor that the strop would have sharpened
  • Price = 78˘

 

9. Razor Hone

  • Dates from 1900 to 1920
  • Used to sharpen shaving razors
  • See page 10 for a picture of a straight razor that the hone would have sharpened
  • Price = 85˘

 

10. Safety Razor

  • Dates from 1908-1920
  • The first Gillette brand razor (company started in 1908)
  • Made so it was harder to cut oneself while shaving in comparison to a straight razor
  • Price = $1.36

 

11. Hair Clippers

  • This one dates from 1900 to 1920, but they were used past 1920.
  • Used to cut hair either at home or in the barber shop
  • Price = $1.77

 

12. Pants Hanger

  • Dates from 1902 to about 1920
  • Used to hang pants while stretching them out and smoothing them
  • Allowed pants to not be ironed
  • Price = 11˘

 

13. Men’s Garters

  • Dates to the very early 1900s
  • Used to hold up men’s stockings
  • Went out of common use with elastic socks but still used today with non-elastic socks
  • Price = 13˘

 

14. Button Hook

  • Dates from 1900 to 1920
  • Used to button hard-to-button items such as gloves and shoes (such as the ones in this trunk)
  • Made of rosewood
  • Is a slightly higher quality and costs more than others
  • Price = 3˘

 

15. Button Hook

  • Dates from 1900 to 1920
  • Used to button hard-to-button items such as gloves and shoes (such as the ones in this trunk)
  • Made of steel
  • Is made of a cheaper material and costs less than others
  • Was probably given away with purchase of shoes
  • Price = 2˘ a dozen

 

16. Mirror

  • Dates from 1908-1920
  • Made from wood and thick glass
  • A shiny material is put on the back of the glass in order to make it reflective.
  • Price = 40˘

 

17. Woman’s Black Button-up Shoe

  • Dates from 1900 to 1919
  • This type of high button-up shoe was gone by 1919 when shoes for women were generally ankle-height.
  • Price = $2.72

 

18. Woman’s Black Petticoat

  • Dates from 1900 to 1917
  • Widowed women were considered in mourning and might have worn all black clothing, including their petticoat.
  • Disappeared about 1917 with thinner skirts
  • Price = $1.27

 

19. Woman’s White Underskirt

  • Dates from 1900 to 1920
  • Worn underneath a skirt to keep the skirt clean since people of this time period bathed less often than we do today
  • For warmer weather use since it is lightweight
  • Price = $1.09

 

20. White Bonnet

  • Dates to the very early 1900s
  • Worn to keep head cool and eyes and skin shaded while working outside
  • Women protected skin while outside since light skin was desired.
  • Price = 18˘

 

21. Woman’s Tan Stocking

  • Dates from 1900 to 1920
  • Worn by women
  • Made of cotton: stockings were made of cotton or silk because nylon was not yet invented
  • Price = 67˘ a pair

 

22. Overgaiters

  • Dates from 1900 to 1920
  • Worn by men and women over shoes in colder and inclement weather
  • Price = 58˘

 

23. Woman’s White Chemise (“SHIM-ease”)

  • Dates from 1909-1920
  • Worn underneath a dress and corset to keep them clean since people of this time period bathed less often than we do today
  • Price = 67˘

 

24. Girl’s White Dress

  • Dates from 1909-1920
  • Worn by girls aged 6-14 years
  • Worn during the summer as it is lightweight
  • Girls wore knee length dresses (such as this one) until about 14
  • Price = 76˘

 

25. Girl’s White Slip

  • Dates from 1900 to 1917
  • Worn underneath a dress by female children about 2 years old
  • Female children often wore full length dresses until about 4 years old.
  • Price = 24˘

 

26. Girl’s Yellow Flannel Slip

  • Dates from 1904-1920
  • Worn underneath a dress by female children about 2 years old
  • Worn during the winter time since made of heavier warmer material
  • Female children often wore full length dresses until about 4 years old.
  • Price = 16˘

 

27. Infant’s White Undershirt

  • Dates from 1900 to 1920
  • Worn underneath clothing by a baby
  • Price = 11˘

 

28. Girl’s White Nightgown

  • Dates from 1908 to 1920
  • Worn by girls aged 2-8 years to bed
  • Girls’ day dresses went to their knees while nightgowns went to the floor.
  • Price = 53˘