On April 15, we traveled to the Selu Conservancy in Radford, Virginia, to learn about life in Appalachia during the 1930's. Pre-service teachers from Radford University were on hand to take our children through each room of the farmhouse and teach them using historic artifacts.
We learned about the importance of corn for the family and the animals on the farm. The kids were even able to use the machinery to take the kernels off the cob and then grind them into cornmeal. Cornbread muffins anyone?
We learned how families entertained themselves without internet and television! We listened to the radio and Mr. Cox played beautiful music for us on the banjo, guitar and fiddle!
They even had dolls that connected to the musician's hand by string and danced while they played the guitar. Highly entertaining! The children gained an understanding of how little money families had and how they made their own clothes and toys and grew their own food to get by.