Grades K-2 $3.00/student

2 hours, 60 students max

Why were mills such as Hanford Mills central to communities in the late nineteenth century? Who lived in small, upstate New York towns in the nineteenth century and what jobs did they do? In this highly interactive program, students will learn about the importance of interdependence, the key aspects of neighborhood and community, and how communities change over time. Program activities include a Mill tour, a special interactive Community Game, a tour of the 1909 Hanford House, and an opportunity to play traditional parlor and lawn games.

New York State Learning Standards: Social Studies—1, 3, 4

Math, Science, Technology—4, 5 ELA—1, 4

COMMON CORE Standards: ELA—RI, RF, SL, L

To register for this program, contact Ryan Jones, Education Coordinator.

If you would like to find activities related to the Mill and its Community program and its themes, click the links below:

• Pre-Visit Activities to help prepare for your visit to Hanford Mills Museum:
  • What is a Community? (Pre-Visit)
  • The New Arrivals in Town
  • The Water Cycle Experiment
  • Understanding Trees

• Post-Visit Activities to expand your experience after a visit:
  • What is a Community? (Post-Visit)
  • Reading and Analyzing Photographs
  • The Elementary Water Cycle
  • Trees in Our Lives

• Extra Activities to extend your learning experience:
  • Reading and Analyzing Diaries
  • Writing and Acting Plays
  • Crop to Cornbread: What is a Gristmill?
  • Crop to Cornbread: Turning Grain into Bread

Try any of these activities even if you don’t plan a visit to Hanford Mills Museum. Used in your classroom or with your family, they are a great way to enhance your Hanford Mills Museum learning experience.