Goodrich students go back in time, for a day

Students from Goodrich Middle School visited the Homestead National Monument in Beatrice. This year is the 150th anniversary of the Homestead Act of 1862 and the first time all four pages of the document have been on display outside of our nation's capital. Through the after-school EdVenture program and the eighth-grade US History class, students prepared diligently for our visit. 

Once arrived, students worked in groups to analyze claim files. They used magnifying classes and teamwork to investigate names and filing fees, which were hard to read because of the cursive handwriting and authenticity of older paper documents.

Then they learned about the chores kids would do back then. They cut sod, fixed fence, planted seeds and harvested corn to use for fuel. Then they watched a video on the preparations the Homestead Act had to go through to travel from Washington DC to Nebraska and then had a picnic lunch outside. The group photo will be displayed on site.

The students and staff at Goodrich are appreciative of the National Park Service, the Americorps Volunteers and Goodrich administration for support to attend this field trip.

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Published: May 25, 2012
Updated: May 25, 2012