Learn what children use to study in the 1920’s, and how subjects like geography and reading have changed.  See what types of books kids used in school, learn how they brought their lunch and ask the ‘school marm’ about what jobs the students had to keep the school running.

Before Your Visit:

• Visit the Kansas One Room School House Project to see photos and learn about one room schools across Kansas.
• Read the Rules for Teachers in 1872 from One Room Schoolhouses  - ask your kids if they think they could have followed these rules.

Explore Lanesfield School:

• Get the chance to write on a chalkboard or even ask the teacher to try a quill pen. 
• Learn about some of the subjects that kids studied at the one-room school - which ones do you still have in school?
• Try out some of the responsiblities students had to do to keep the school running (and you thought your chores were hard!), and find out where the restrooms are located.
• See some of the items inside the visitors center like old books, lunch pails, school supplies and outfits.
• Talk to your kids about the conveniences they have at their school, and what things were not possible in the one room school house (like eating hot lunches, watching movies or using computers).
• Kids will like to browse gift shop, which carries items that kids use to have during the times of one-room schools such as penny candy, small china dolls and twig pencils.

More Fun With One-Room Schools:

• Here's a few fun books to read:

Room One: A Mystery or Two by Andrew Clements – a modern-day novel about Ted, a 6th grader, attending a one-room school in a small, rural town.

The Secret School by Avi - historical fiction, set in 1925, highlights a 14-year-old girl who secretly takes over as teacher at her one-room schoolhouse.

Discover More:

Other one-room schoolhouses in Kansas City:

• Helen’s Country Schoolhouse at Deanna Rose Farmstead in Overland Park

• Historic Oxford School in Leawood 

Visit the only museum dedicated to the history of World War I in the United States.  Learn how soldiers would fight from the trenches, see what would happen if a howitzer shell hit a house, and use a light table to create your own memorial.

Before Your Visit:

• By this age, most kids will have had some mention or discussion of wars at school.  Ask your child what they may have learned, and what they may be interested in seeing at the museum.

• If you want to visit the Observation Tower, call the museum to make sure it's going to be open (it closes in inclimate weather).

• The Family Guide, found on the Museum's website, has a scavenger hunt for kids, along with puzzles.

• View some videos that explain the events of WWI. (Remember, some of these are war videos and may contain graphic images – please preview if you are unsure of content).

 Explore the WWI Museum:

• At the entrance of the museum, you will pass over a field of flowers (they are poppies). There are 9,000 of them and each one represents 1000 people who died in combat during the war, for a total of nine million.

• One of the most impressive exhibits at the museum are the trenches – you are able to view and listen to different war scenes that soldiers may have encountered during battle.

• Read the “Peanuts” comics featuring Snoopy and the Red Baron. Many kids won’t realize that the Red Baron is based on a real person(s). Also, talk to kids about how Schultz’s comics helped during the war.

• Many kids will want to try the interactive light tables that allow you to create your own war poster, see the inside of a machine gun and learn about how camouflage can be used.

• The museum houses a walk-through crater that shows what happened when a house was struck by a howitzer shell. Ask your kids what they feel like when they stand in the crater.

• Watch the movie “A World on Edge” to learn more about the events that lead up to WWI.

• Memory Hall has a series of murals and maps. There is also a bronze tablet that lists the 441 Kansas Citians who died in WWI, making the memorial a very personal experience.

Learn More:

• Visit a website dedicated to a carrier pigeon, Cher Ami, who saved more than 200 lives during the war. (This site has some music with it, so turn down your computer volume before searching).
• Visit the Document Archive for World War I - A wonderful resource that includes photos of WWI, and also an amazing section which connects to diaries and personal accounts  about the war and the soldiers’ lives. I highly recommend reading some of the diary entries and first person accounts.
• The First World War webiste has some great sections that include “Photos”, “Posters” and “Who’s Who” for WWI. The posters and photos are great ways to show kids what was happening at that time in history.
• Some good reads that involve WWI include:

View National World War I Museum in a larger map