Education programs

School classes have been visiting the Cohen-Bray House for many years, given tours by family members. With the help of Judith Lynch- a historian specialist on historic houses turned school teacher, We are creating a curriculum for school classes that will meet the state requirements need to be met by teachers in each district.
We are developing curriculum to be given to teachers in a pre trip teachers in service. The curriculum  contains activities and discussion topics that should be done with classes prior to coming to the house, worksheets on things to do and see while they are on the house tour, and follow up activities to summarize their visit and blend it into their history/social studies curriculum already offered at their schools.
Judith Lynch gives workshops to teachers about Alameda Historic houses and has already created many activities that can be utilized in the house.
The classes are divided in half and the teacher and a docent work with half the class on the porch or in the yard doing the "hands on" portion of the tour. A portion of the program will be done on the Indoors back porch  in case of bad weather. 

This will include historic artifacts that are durable and can be closely examined and drawn by students. We will focus on Victorian inventions, the children will try to  figure out what these things were used for. A theme could be "A day in the life of the Cohen-Bray Families" Family stories need to be woven through the activities.

Activity

1. Children will choose an item to draw, then they will explain to their classmates what they think the item might have been used for. They then find the card that explains the item and then they talk about what the modern counterpart is today.  We need help finding items that could be used- we need at least 10 items total. Buttonhooks, unusual dishes, Tools would be great too.

� We will have a clothes ringer from the Ellingwood collection that the children can use to wash clothes and pin them up on a line.
� They will see an iron and a crimper to demonstrate how clothes were washed and taken care of.
� We have samples of the types of clothes they wore either in picture or sample in plastic..

2. The outside curriculum will include drawing the front and identifying the parts of the house. (Brackets, balustrade, etc) A vocabulary list of words will be offered to teachers as part of the teachers� packet. A follow up I.D. sheet will be used as a post trip review.

� We will use the house drawing and make up a master, plus a key to identification.
� A Kitchen garden in the back would also portray what used to be used by the family. If there is work to be done in the garden the children could help with that. Time permitting.
� Historic maps showing where the creek run and pictures of what it used to look like would in rich the program.
� Describing what the neighborhood used to look like with picture and photos will help make community connections.

A docent with the help of two parents will take the other half of the class. The inside program will tour  through the parlor, library, dining room, redwood room, breakfast room, upstairs into the front bedroom and into Emelita's room. incorporating  information about each room.

� The presentation style will include asking questions about colors, shapes and patterns. Which one are repeated through out the house.
� Family history about what they did in each room will be integrated into the tour. (xmas then and now) What happens today with the family is important to see traditions.
� The 1906 Earthquake and changes in the house will be included

The groups will then switch.

Special tours for interested groups including school children are welcomed and can be arranged by calling in advance to arrange reservations, times, fees.  (510) 527-5209.