On May 4, 2021, the vision for the newly renovated country school to function again, became

reality. The classroom inside Antelope County District #70 One-Room Schoolhouse was bursting

at the seams with 25 energetic third graders from Plainview Elementary. With their teacher,

Mrs. Meuret, the class participated in the day long curriculum that was facilitated by instructors

Gloria Christiansen and Sharon Kinnan. Activities focused on lessons from the past – with

emphasis on the time periods important to District 70’s history - 1885 when the district was

formed, 1915 when this schoolhouse building was built, and the period 1940s - 80s when

consolidation and closing of country schools in Nebraska began.

The day started with opening exercises:

Ring the Bell, raise the flag, recite the Pledge of Allegiance, sing “America,” listen to a verse

from the Bible, and perform the Hygiene inspection. Classroom rules and discipline for bad

behavior, such as wearing a dunce hat and getting swatted with a ferula, were reviewed. In

pioneer times, standards were stricter, and teachers were expected to enforce the rules to

keep order.

The third graders explored why it is important to learn about their past. Conversation was

generated from the “identify Personal Heritage” activity they had completed before they

arrived. Discussion was generated around Heritage - a person’s birthright – what he or she is

born into, and what our ancestors and other people have sacrificed and worked for to give the

next generation opportunities. We examined if we (our generation) are preparing the way for

those who follow. Are we pioneers?

Penmanship, the first subject of the day, included push/pull and oval exercises. Students

completed orthography (Spelling) lessons and wrote with quill pens made from turkey feathers.

Ink was made from raspberries. During arithmetic class, answers to oral story problems were

written on slate boards using chalk. Each child recited a paragraph about the history of

Nebraska. The class then debated the question, “In Nebraska, is a prairie fire more dangerous

than a blizzard?”

At noon, the students grabbed their lunch pails and headed outdoors to enjoy eating on the

grass beside the schoolhouse. Recess games included “Stretch the Handkerchief” and “Steal

Sticks.” After lunch recess, the students relaxed while watching a filmstrip, Lollipop Dragon and

Mother’s Day.

To celebrate Arbor Day, everyone sang, “There Once Was a Tree,” and learned that on January

4, 1872, J. Sterling Morton first proposed a tree planting holiday – Arbor Day- at a meeting of

Nebraska State Board of Agriculture. Morton’s wife, Carolyn Joy Morton and their sons, did

much of the planting and caring for trees at Arbor Lodge.

In art, the students made a teapot with a tea bag attached to give their mother, grandma, or

someone special on Mother’s Day.



The day concluded with taking down and correctly folding the American flag while learning

what each fold stands for.

“The building was given life again, and it felt so right. We hope more schools will want to learn

about the past and make an appointment to spend the day.” Gloria Christiansen and Antelope

County Historical Society 5/6/2021