Intro to Rochelle History: Students will be given an introduction to Rochelle history, including the founding and early days of the town, using the museum's collection. The artifacts of historic Rochellians will be used to tell the story of the community, including both everyday people and community leaders. Students will tour the museum not just as a museum but also as the first town hall, which included the town vault, courthouse, and jail.
Turn of the Century Life and School: Students will be immersed in life at the turn of the century, the year 1900. They will be introduced to life with no electricity or running water, contrasting their lives today with those of children at the turn of the century. The school day of 1900s Rochelle school kids will be highlighted using our schoolroom display. Students will get to work with some photos from our archives. They will also get to try recess games from the period.
Transportation and Making a Living: Come learn about how historic Rochellians made a living and got around! Explore the role of agriculture in the community and compare it to agriculture and other jobs today. Learn how crops were transported to market using wagons, carts, and railroads. The role of Lincoln Highway will be highlighted. Students will make a time line of transportation through the ages.
Quill Pen: Learn to write with a quill pen and dip ink wells, just as children used in the 1900s. Cost: $1.00 per student.
Time: Half an hour.
Walking Tour of Rochelle: This tour helps students discover local history, historic preservation, and architecture through a walking tour of Rochelle. A separate guidebook with additional tour stops is available for $1. In cases of inclement weather, a slide version of the tour is also available.
Cost: $1.00 per student.
Time: 1 hour.
Presentations in the class room: We will send a docent and objects to give a presentation to your class. We will need from you a topic or set of topics, so we can prepare something suitable. The more time we have to plan, the better off we are. If we could get a short list of broad topics, we can start tailoring presentations now, and have them canned and ready to go when you need them.
Independent field trips: If you'd like to send your students to the museum on their own, the staff here will be happy to sign a sheet for their attendance and hand out worksheets/materials that you provide. We'd also be happy to develop a worksheet or project for them to complete while they are here.
Volunteer and intern opportunities: Students who are interested in volunteering at the museum will find plenty of things to do. The museum is always looking for individuals interested in exhibit design, collection research and management as well as community outreach.
We are always adding new programs so check out this page and our website every semester!