From: Susan M. Chase Date: Fri, 12 Jan 1996 14:07:28 EST Subject: Kids and Historical Artifacts In response to Noraleen Young's request for ideas for her GS project, one activity that might engage the girls' interest would be to undertake a project identified in an early handbook--I think most quickly of a cookery badge, that required certain foods or meals to be prepared. The girls could be encouraged to seek cookbooks of the period--from the library, family collections, older friends--and prepare a meal using the standards current at the time. They will find a 1920s lunch is not what they would expect in the 1990s. The same approach could be taken to other activities that were particularly encouraged in past decades--knitting, sewing, embroidery, crochet. A second activity that could engage girls in the history of their locality is an oral history project. They might put together a collection of interviews recording aspects of Scouting recalled by older women in the community or they could select a particular Scout troop from an earlier decade, track down the members, and record through interviews the history of the troop and what happened to its members as time passed. This could, I think, be of special interest to older Scouts, although I have seen some good interviewing done by middle schoolers who are well prepared. Certainly the handbooks and artifacts can be effectively used by the interviewers to prompt the memories of the women being interviewed. This leads to one last suggestion and that is that early "guidebooks" such as cookbooks, pattern books, decorating manuals, and etiquette books can be a valuable asset in your collection of resources. Good luck. I'd be interested to hear how your undertaking does. Susan Mulchahey Chase 923 Lovering Avenue Wilmington DE 19806 schase@Tower-Hill.pvt.k12.de.us