HARRISBURG — Flowerfield School at the Banner County Museum has once again opened its doors to fourth grade students from across western Nebraska, giving them an eye-opening glimpse of what life was like for children on the frontier. Students from Lincoln Heights Elementary were among those to make the trip to Harrisburg this week, where they got a chance to see what school life was like for kids their age around 150 years ago. Flowerfield teacher Pamela Mooney — known as Miss Mooney while playing the part of an 1880s educator — provided instruction on subjects like reading, handwriting and orthography (which is more commonly called "spelling" today).
While these are still crucial areas of education familiar to all students, things are done quite a bit differently at Flowerfield. Reading lessons utilize old McGuffey Readers, which teach language and morality side-by-side. Students practice their handwriting with quills and ink.
the spelling of old-fashioned words and terms is practiced on slates with chalk and wiped clean with rags. Flowerfield teaches more than its simple curriculum. During and between lessons, students are given insight into the life of their ancestors on the frontier and expected to behave in accordance with the time period, which makes the experience both educational and immersive.
"Silence is golden," may be the most spoken phrase at Flowerfield, as students are not to speak unless spoken to. Miss Mooney took every opportunity to involve the studen.