Most of the items in the trunk have lessons associated with them. Feel free to get some ideas from our plans or make up your own.

Coloring Book Lessons (PDF | Word)

Objective: Students will be able to compare and contrast the lifestyles of wealthy families living in the late 1800’s with the lifestyles of people living today.

PA Standards:

Resources:Baker Mansion Coloring Book (coloring book)

Procedure: Each of the following numbered procedures corresponds to a page in the coloring book, beginning with the first page.

  1. The Baker family home was built in 1849. How long ago was that? The stone used to build this house is called limestone. It was formed from the shells of clams and other sea creatures. When you visit Baker Mansion, look closely at the stones and you will see some of the seashells. The Bakers’ home was made from the homes of thousands of sea animals! Does this house look like the ones we live in today? Name three things that are the same as houses today; name three things that are different from today’s homes. Why do you think the Baker home was called a mansion?
  2. When the Bakers lived, large homes often had an entrance hall where the family could greet visitors. With its polished wood floor, the hall might also have been used for dancing. The ceiling has very fancy, hand-made plaster work. Visitors would see all this decoration as soon as they entered the house. Mr. Baker hoped that right away his guests would be impressed with his wealth and good taste. Have you ever entered a fancy building? What was the first thing you noticed? What do you think the first thins is that people see when they enter your school or your house?
  3. The furniture was built or made to fit the parlors or living rooms of Baker Mansion. It took a long time for Mr. Baker to get his furniture. He ordered it in the 1850s but he didn’t get it all until after 1860. Can you name some of the furniture in the picture? This oak furniture was carved with many fanciful shapes such as dolphins, angels, and Indians. The furniture was made in the country of Belgium and shipped here by boat. Locate Belgium on a map of Europe.
  4. The Baker family piano was ornate or fancy. Anna Baker went to a boarding school in Lawrenceville, New Jersey when she was twelve years old. She took piano lessons there. During the 1800s, all young ladies from wealthy families learned to play the piano. This was one of the ways people were entertained. After dinner the family and guests would gather in the parlor to listen and sing with the piano. Do you take music lessons? What music lessons to boys and girls usually take today? Name five musical instruments other than a piano.
  5. The Baker family was wealthy and enjoyed spending time together in their sitting room or family room. Name some pieces of furniture that we find in a living room today. In the evening, Anna Baker would sit and read, sew, or play the piano for her family. What do you do with your family in your living room?
  6. At first, the Baker family had to make their own music on the piano or other instruments. When the phonograph was invented, can you imagine how excited the Bakers must have been to be able to hear music coming out of a machine? The Bakers enjoyed listening to their phonograph (record) player. They listened to music much like we listen to our tape player or CD player. This Edison phonograph was made in 1899. Instead of the round records or CDs we have today, it played wax cylinders. What kind of music do you like to listen to? Do you listen to music with your family like the Bakers? Name some songs you and your family listen to together.
  7. One piece of furniture the Bakers owned was a couch or sofa. Sylvester Baker liked to sit here and listen to music or read or listen to someone else read. Reading was hard for Sylvester because he had very poor eyesight. The cushions of the sofa were stuffed with horsehair. Do you think this made the couch soft to sit on? Horsehair was used because it was easy to get and not too expensive. We do not use horsehair today; we use cotton and foam. Name other furniture that might have been made from horsehair. What other ways can you think of that animals were used to help people live in the Bakers’ times?
  8. Special dishes were called China because many came from the country of China. These dishes were kept safe in a piece of furniture called a cupboard. The Bakers’ cupboard was built into a corner of the dining room to save space in the room. Baker Mansion was different from a lot of housed built in the 1800s because it had a lot of built-in storage places. Many other people kept their dishes in separate pieces of furniture. Do you think the Bakers had a lot of dishes? Why? Does your family have any special dishes? Where are the kept in your house?
  9. At the Baker Mansion, the food was cooked in the basement kitchen and sent up to the first floor dining room by use of a dumb waiter. When the rope was pulled, the shelves loaded with cooked food came up the other side of the dumb waiter. The weight of one set of shelves going down helped pull the other set of shelves up. Having a dumb waiter meant the servants didn’t have to carry trays of food up the steep stairs from the kitchen. Look up the word dumb waiter in a dictionary. What does the word dumb mean in this word? Why would this way of moving food be a good one to move food from the basement to the first floor?
  10. Wealthy people like the Bakers ate all their meals in the dining room. Meals were very fancy with special dishes for nearly every type of food. They used bone dishes and saltcellars. What do you thing the saltcellars were for? The largest piece of furniture was the dining room table. It was in the middle of the room with space around it for the servants to serve the food. What other pieces of furniture are usually found in a dining room? Name some.
  11. Mr. Baker was a businessman and his office was in his home, just inside the back door. That way, people who had to do business with Mr. Baker just came to the back door. Mr. Baker had many people working for him and kept his important papers in his desk. What do you keep in your desk at school? Name some things Mr. Baker might need to have in his desk. His business was producing iron, so Mr. Baker liked to buy things for his home that were made out of iron. His desk chair was made of iron. If you visit Baker Mansion, you may also see his iron safe, a lamp with an iron base, and an iron clothes tree to hang coats and hats on. Do you have any things around your house that are made of iron?
  12. The iron furnace was at a location near to the Baker Mansion. Mr. Baker could walk from his house to check on his business. Iron ore was taken from the ground and brought to the furnace to be melted, so that the pure iron could be removed. The furnace was made of stone, and a very hot fire was built inside. The iron ore was dropped into the furnace from the buildings at the top. The melted iron came out of the furnace in the building at the bottom. It was hard work to be a worker at an iron furnace. Did you ever dig in the earth? Tell about it.
  13. The Bakers’ bed was very fancy. It had a high headboard with lots of carving. In the winter, servants would build a fire in the fireplace to warm the rooms. During the night, the fire would go out and the bedrooms would get cold. Hot coals from the fireplace were placed in a bed warmer under the bed so the Bakers could keep warm at night. They used the chamber pot at night so they didn’t have to go outside to the outhouse to go to the bathroom. Name some things you have in your bedroom that we would not find in Baker Mansion.
  14. When Baker Mansion was first built, the house did not have running water. The Bakers washed their hands and face using a pitcher and basin in the bedroom. Servants carried the ater up from the spring in the basement. But first, the servants had to heat the water over a fire. The Bakers would pour the water from the pitcher into the basin, or bowl, so they could wash their hands and face. Sylvester had water piped to the second floor bathroom in 1904. What do you do in the mornings to get ready for school?
  15. One thing that the Baker family enjoyed doing together was reading. They would spend much time together sitting and reading books. The lamp on the table used kerosene, a kind of fuel oil, to provide light enough to read. Servants would have to keep the lamps filled with kerosene. They also had to trim the wick so that it would burn properly. Baker Mansion did not electricity until 1905, and kerosene was used in the house along with candles for light. Do you have a favorite activity you like to do with your family? Name some things in your home that use electricity.
  16. In the 1830s, clothes were hand made and often were very fancy. Most women could not afford to buy a gown that they only wore on their wedding day. Their wedding gown usually became their best dress and they continued to wear it for special occasions after they were married. Elizabeth Bell’s gown is a fine example of a fancy gown. It is also special because people say that it is haunted and moves in the display case by itself. This gown is kept on the second floor. Have you ever attended a wedding? Can you name some of the people who are in a wedding party?
  17. Anna Baker played with toys much like boys and girls do today. But when she was a little girl, they didn’t have plastic or rubber to make toys. One of her favorite toys was a china doll. She was very careful with her doll because it could easily break. She took her doll for a walk in a carriage. Anna had lots of nice toys to play with. The children of poor people often had to go to work when they were very young. They didn’t have many toys. Do you have any special toys? Name some of your favorite ones.
  18. Anna enjoyed playing with her doll and its cradle. Most children in Anna’s time had few toys and they played all day with just these toys. Girls learned to sew by making clothes for their dolls. Quilts were pieced together from scraps of cloth. Many times, children’s toys were miniatures of adult things. This cradle could have been used for a real baby. The cradle has rockers to rock the baby to sleep. Why do you thing this cradle has a hood? Do you have a favorite toy? Tell about how you play with it.
  19. People who lived when the Bakers did made most of their clothes because there were to large stores to shop in. Before the sewing machine was invented, everything had to be stitched by hand. The Bakers had a person, called a seamstress, who sewed for them and made their clothes. Sometimes the seamstress would re-make older dresses so that they would be like new. In those days, people did not hae4 a lot of different clothes. This sewing machine was powered by moving your foot back and forth on a pedal near the floor. Do you think it cost a lot of money to have seamstress make your clothes? Do you like to go shopping? Name some of your favorite stores where your family shops.
  20. The Baker family paid someone to take care of washing the clothes. The servant had to carry water from the spring, heat the water in the fireplace or on a stove, and then put it in the washer. This strange-looking wooden machine actually washed clothes clean by the use of a rocking action by the servant. There is a hole at the bottom with a plug so that the servant could empty the dirty water into a bucket and then carry is outside to dump it. After the clothes were washed, they had to be rinsed and then hung out to dry. It took all day to do the laundry. What do you think was the hardest part of laundry day? Some people today either have a washing machine in their home or they travel to a Laundromat to wash their clothes. Do you think people in the time of Baker Mansion had many changes of clothes? Have you ever helped with the laundry? Tell about it.
  21. The servants’ kitchen was directly under the Baker dining room. Before the servants could eat their meals, they had to cook and serve the Baker family’s meals. When the Bakers were finished, they send the dirty dished down to the kitchen. How do you think the dished got back to the basement kitchen? The dished had to be washed and dried and put away before the servants could eat their meal. The basement kitchen did not have the fancy furniture and dished found in the Baker dining room. The cupboard against the wall was brought with the Bakers when they moved from Lancaster County. It was painted with buttermilk paint and is a brown-red. Does your family eat in a dining room or a kitchen? Tell about a family meal at your house. What is your favorite food to eat at home?
  22. Food was cooked for the Baker family in the fireplace in the basement kitchen, then sent upstairs using the dumbwaiter. Pots were hung over the fire and some even put in the hot coals of the fireplace. The fireplace burned wood, which the servants kept nearby. Name three different kinds of cooking tools you see in the picture. The cook was one of the servants who lived in the mansion. She would get up early, build the fire, and have breakfast ready for the family by 7 o’clock. In 1851, Mr. Baker bought an iron stove. The cook liked the new addition to the kitchen because it made her job of preparing meals easier. What ways to we cook our food today? What is your favorite food to eat?
  23. The Baker family used different kitchen tools than we do today. Can you find the cake pan and the rolling pin? There are lunch pails on the bottom shelf. What are three things you see in the Bakers’ pantry that you might see in your kitchen? Can you unscramble the words below? Use the word box to help you.

    rkof                                         delnac kamre
    leacs                                        natnerl
    nip lrlogni                          della
    top cfeofe                          esrngiuam pcu
    patrlte                                      iprdpe

    WORD BANK
    candle maker                          lantern
    scale                                        fork
    coffee grinder                        ladle
    coffee pot                               measuring cup
    weights                                    platter
    rolling pin                               dipper
    crock
  24. The Bakers did not have a refrigerator, but they kept food cold in an ice box. Large blocks of ice were put in the top of the icebox, and the ice kept the food cold and fresh. The ice block was replaced when it melted. Has your family ever used ice to keep food cold at a picnic or in your car? Do you have refrigerator at home? Name some food that is kept in it. Check and see how cold your refrigerator is. Does your refrigerator have an area that freezes food? How cold must it be to freeze food?
  25. The Bakers used their icebox to keep some of their food cold, but the icebox was not very big. Also the ice in the icebox would melt quickly and have to be replaced. They also used a water spring that flowed through the mansion basement to keep some food cold. This spring kept food cold even in the summer time. What could happen if the spring went dry? Have you ever felt spring water? How would you describe the temperature of spring water? The hole in the wall is a drain from the ice room. The ice room was packed 15 feet high with ice that workers cut from the tops of rivers and ponds in the winter. They hauled the ice to Baker Mansion in wagons pulled by horses. The ice was packed with straw or sawdust to help it last through the summer. This ice helped to keep food cold.
  26. Another job of the servants was to turn the handle of a butter churn to change cream from milk into butter. This task took a long time, but the Baker family had fresh butter for their bread and vegetables when they needed it. Have you tasted fresh butter? From what animal do we usually get butter? Name some other things that you can put on bread other than butter. The Bakers owned over 3,000 acres of ground. Some of the ground was covered with trees. There were also iron mines and farms on the Baker property. Mr. Baker rented the farms to farmers. The farmers would send some of their milk, eggs, and crops to Baker Mansion.
  27.  The workers at the iron furnace lived nearby in log cabins that Mr. Baker provided. They could live there free as long as they worked for him. The cabins were close to the furnace so that the men could walk to work. Most families that lived here had their own gardens. They grew their own vegetables. Perhaps they had chickens for eggs and a cow for milk. Mr. Baker also provided a store for the workers where they could purchase other things they needed for their daily lives. Today we live in different kinds of places. Some people live in houses and others may live in apartments. Draw a picture of where you live and tell about it.

Evaluation: Successful completion of the activities presented.

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Toy and Game Lessons

Due to the formatting of these lessons, please select either the PDF or Word version of each lesson.

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Video Lesson (PDF | Word)

Objective: Students will be able to visualize life in the 19th century within the Elias Baker family of Blair County.

PA Standards:

Resources:A Day in the Life of Baker Mansion (DVD); period clothing and games (optional)

Procedure:

  1. View the video A Day in the Life of Baker Mansion in segments as determined after teacher preview.
  2. Have students each prepare one question for class discussion after viewing each segment.
  3. Students may dress in clothing from the trunk as depicted in the video and even write original scripts to be acted out by costumed students.
  4. Games may be incorporated in this lesson as well.

Evaluation: Student participation in the activities.

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A Confederate Girl Visits Pennsylvania (PDF | Word)

Objective: Students will be able to use a first-person narrative to learn about life in the Baker family during the mid-1800’s.

PA Standards:

Resources:A Confederate Girl Visits Pennsylvania: July – September 1863 (book)

Procedure:

  1. Read excerpts from A Confederate Girl Visits Pennsylvania: July – September 1863 to students.
  2. Discuss modes of travel, dress, games/activities, food preparation and dining in the 19th century.
  3. This reading can be done daily before class begins or student can take turns reading from the diary.

Evaluation: Discussion of the way of life in the 19th century.

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Costume Lesson (PDF | Word)

Objective: Students will be able to visualize life and attire in the 19th century within the timeframe of Elias Baker’s family’s life in of Blair County.

PA Standards:

Resources: Costumes

Procedure:

  1. Refer to the video A Day in the Life of Baker Mansion in segments as determined the manner of dress appropriate to the time.
  2. Have students examine the costumes in the trunk.
  3. Students may dress in clothing from the trunk as depicted in the video and even write original scripts to be acted out by costumed students.
  4. Teachers should review terms.

Girls:

Long stockings, shoes, drawers (under pants), vest (under shirt), petticoat, hoop, dress, apron, pinafore (an apron that is pinned to the front of the bodice of the dress with straight pins), coat, shawl (a square of wool that was used around the shoulders for a coat), bonnet, sun bonnet (a large brimmed hat with a ruffle in the back to protect the skin from the sun).

Boys:

Pumps (dress shoes), shoes (“straights no right or left foot), long stockings, under shirt, pantaloons (under drawers), shirt (some times called a blouse), waistcoat (vest), jacket, knee pants, keppie (hat), straw hat.

5. Students understand that age is related to the type of dress boys & girls wear.

Girls’ dresses were upper calf length until they were 12 years of age. Then moved to lower calf length. At 16 they became women and the length went to the floor.

Boys wore the same style of clothing as girls until they were “breached” at the age of five or six. Long pants were not usually worn until the age of 12.