School Days
(This exhibit was on display September 1 thru September 30, 2005)

With today’s hectic schedules centered on getting back to school, the Dacotah Prairie Museum offers a look back into the school experience of times past in a new exhibit entitled “School Days”. The exhibit includes artifacts, clothing, and pictures common to South Dakota’s one-room schools for a glimpse of school as it used to be. The exhibit will be open on 2nd floor of the Museum from September 1 until September 30, 2005.

Rural children attended one of the plentiful small schools dotting the countryside which provided instruction for the area’s children; often brothers, sisters, cousins and neighbors. The children focused their days on both individual and cooperative learning activities, emphasizing the community of learning. Another area stressed was that of memorization. Children often would “say their lessons” to the teacher and recite poetry, participate in spelling bees and read in front of the class, all of which reinforced their communication skills and memories. Without computers or even plentiful paper, pioneer children used slates and chalk to write both their lessons and their homework.

The exhibit will feature those slate boards and “slate pencils”, quills and dip pens, vintage school books, desks, globes, school clocks and many of the possessions associated with education long ago. Pictures of South Dakota’s one-room schools and Brown County 8th grade graduating classes will enhance the display.

Take a break from the hectic “back to school” rush and come to the Museum to enjoy “School Days”. Your students will enjoy it, too!

To view other past exhibits, please click here.