Field Trips
Historic Cahill School field trip recreates 1900s school day
School field trips are offered at Edina's Historic Cahill School and the adjacent Historic 1879 Minnehaha Grange Hall from September through May. Students travel back in time and, with the help of a historic costumed interpreter, experience a typical 1900 day in a one-room schoolhouse. Children experience history by living it – answering the call of the schoolmarm’s hand-rung bell, entering through either the boys’ or girls’ doors, hanging up outerwear in the cloak room, sitting in old wooden desks, using slate boards, looking through school books of the period and playing old-fashioned games.
Students in second grade and higher are able to comprehend and relish the role-playing of schoolmarms during the day. Typically, near the end of the school year, first-grade students have adequate focus to fully enjoy this historical experience. Some kindergarten classes have even successfully participated in a shortened day near the end of the school year. Home school groups routinely bring children of all ages (through the high school years) and rate the experiential historical day as both academically challenging and extremely enjoyable. Four hours of focused learning and fun in a new setting is ideal - and allows for travel time from another school. The scheduler will work with the visiting teacher to plan a time-frame that adapts to the needs of the guest class. The most popular visiting times are 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
A trip to Historic Cahill School also includes a visit to the adjacent Historic 1879 Minnehaha Grange Hall, where students eat lunch. Built in 1879, and restored to the year 1935, the Historic 1879 Minnehaha Grange Hall is where the Grange, a farming society, held their meetings. Also serving as a town hall, it hosted many community gatherings.
Only one school group is booked at a time, although double bookings for one school can be arranged. Historic Cahill School is an excellent field trip destination, popular with teachers and school leaders because they can easily supervise students in a controlled setting.
Students in second grade and higher are able to comprehend and relish the role-playing of schoolmarms during the day. Typically, near the end of the school year, first-grade students have adequate focus to fully enjoy this historical experience. Some kindergarten classes have even successfully participated in a shortened day near the end of the school year. Home school groups routinely bring children of all ages (through the high school years) and rate the experiential historical day as both academically challenging and extremely enjoyable. Four hours of focused learning and fun in a new setting is ideal - and allows for travel time from another school. The scheduler will work with the visiting teacher to plan a time-frame that adapts to the needs of the guest class. The most popular visiting times are 9:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. and 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
A trip to Historic Cahill School also includes a visit to the adjacent Historic 1879 Minnehaha Grange Hall, where students eat lunch. Built in 1879, and restored to the year 1935, the Historic 1879 Minnehaha Grange Hall is where the Grange, a farming society, held their meetings. Also serving as a town hall, it hosted many community gatherings.
Only one school group is booked at a time, although double bookings for one school can be arranged. Historic Cahill School is an excellent field trip destination, popular with teachers and school leaders because they can easily supervise students in a controlled setting.
Program Options
1888 Time Capsule (K-2nd grade)
Join us in exploring an authentic one-room schoolhouse and historic 19th century community building with our 1888 Time Capsule program for K-2nd grade students. You and your students will participate in four Minnesota Education Standards-based lessons which will be taught in two historic buildings -- the Historic Cahill School, built in 1864, and the Historic 1879 Minnehaha Grange Hall. Our 1888 Time Capsule program combines an authentic one-room schoolhouse experience with the added benefit of standards-based lessons designed to engage your students and reinforce educational standards in Social Studies, ELA, Science, Mathematics, Arts, Physical Education and Health, while telling the story of our Minnesota history.
School, Then and Now
Students will compare and contrast a typical 1888 school day with their own contemporary experience. They will use desks, slates, books and other artifacts that are appropriate for the period while participating in brief lessons from the 19th century.
It’s Chore Time
Students will perform a variety of chores from the 19th century, including stacking wood, carrying water and washing laundry. Students will also explore a number of historic artifacts as they discover ways in which modern utilities such as electricity, central heating, air conditioning and running water have changed the world they live in.
What’s Going on Here?
Using historic images from the Edina Historical Society collections, students will employ Visual Learning Strategies (What’s going on here? How can you tell? Tell me more.) to learn the stories of local Minnesotans, Sarah Baird and the Yancey family. Students will also gain an understanding of important historic events such as the Children’s Blizzard of 1888.
Grange Drill
Junior Grange was organized in 1888 and remains an important youth organization in Minnesota today. Students will learn the history of the Historic 1879 Minnehaha Grange Hall and explore ways in which the organization benefited children of the 19th century while they learn the elements of traditional Junior Grange drills (choreographed marches). They will then work in small teams to create their own drills, set to 19th century music.
Join us in exploring an authentic one-room schoolhouse and historic 19th century community building with our 1888 Time Capsule program for K-2nd grade students. You and your students will participate in four Minnesota Education Standards-based lessons which will be taught in two historic buildings -- the Historic Cahill School, built in 1864, and the Historic 1879 Minnehaha Grange Hall. Our 1888 Time Capsule program combines an authentic one-room schoolhouse experience with the added benefit of standards-based lessons designed to engage your students and reinforce educational standards in Social Studies, ELA, Science, Mathematics, Arts, Physical Education and Health, while telling the story of our Minnesota history.
School, Then and Now
Students will compare and contrast a typical 1888 school day with their own contemporary experience. They will use desks, slates, books and other artifacts that are appropriate for the period while participating in brief lessons from the 19th century.
It’s Chore Time
Students will perform a variety of chores from the 19th century, including stacking wood, carrying water and washing laundry. Students will also explore a number of historic artifacts as they discover ways in which modern utilities such as electricity, central heating, air conditioning and running water have changed the world they live in.
What’s Going on Here?
Using historic images from the Edina Historical Society collections, students will employ Visual Learning Strategies (What’s going on here? How can you tell? Tell me more.) to learn the stories of local Minnesotans, Sarah Baird and the Yancey family. Students will also gain an understanding of important historic events such as the Children’s Blizzard of 1888.
Grange Drill
Junior Grange was organized in 1888 and remains an important youth organization in Minnesota today. Students will learn the history of the Historic 1879 Minnehaha Grange Hall and explore ways in which the organization benefited children of the 19th century while they learn the elements of traditional Junior Grange drills (choreographed marches). They will then work in small teams to create their own drills, set to 19th century music.
Reservations
Reserve your field trip now! Email or call 612-928-4577. We serve public and private schools, church schools, charter schools and home-school organizations. Preference is given to returning schools, then on a first-come, first-served basis.
Fees and Registration
- Fees: $180 for a class of up to 30 students for field trips from September through May. An additional $5 will be charged for each additional student. Note: A special booking rate of $170 is available for field trips in January and February.
- Double bookings: Some schools save on transportation costs by booking two classes on one day. Tuition is $360 ($340 in January and February), and includes two historic interpreters teaching. The classes switch between two historic buildings — Historic Cahill School and the Historic 1879 Minnehaha Grange Hall — and so get to experience both settings.
- Payment: Send checks payable to the Edina Historical Society at least one week prior to your scheduled visit. Mail to Edina Historical Society, Historic Cahill School, 4711 West 70th Street, Edina, MN 55435.
Clothing
To enhance their experience, students and teachers are encouraged to dress in pioneer clothing.
- Boys: shirts with collars and cuffs, patched pants, bib overalls, lightweight caps, thick socks, boots, bandana neckerchiefs, and/or knickers (socks rolled over trouser legs).
- Girls: dresses, petticoats, bloomers, long white or black stockings, large hair ribbons, scarves wrapped like shawls over the shoulders, aprons, high laced boots, and bonnets.
- Everyone: Each student should wear a NAME TAG WITH LARGE PRINT that can be easily read by the schoolmarm from the front of the classroom.
Lunches
Students are encouraged to bring a 1900-style lunch in a pail, pie tin or basket. Containers are covered with a cloth knotted at four corners. The cloth serves as a place mat. Typical lunch fare in 1900 included cheese chunks, dried meat, hard-boiled eggs, sandwiches, fresh fruit and raw vegetables. IMPORTANT: Because so many children have serious nut or fish allergies, please do not pack nuts of any kind, peanut butter, seafood or fish.
