Living on a Farm (Using Secondary Sources)

Key question: What was life like for women living on a farm at this time?

Guiding Questions:

• What opportunities did they have?
• What difficulties did they face?

You have learned what a primary source is and have learned about Malenda's life on a farm. You will now be using secondary sources to learn more.

Part A

• You will work in small groups.
• Read the information from the website: All Work and a Little Play: Children in Rural New England
• Answer the questions on the Question Sheet for All Work and a Little Play: Children in Rural New England.

Part B

• Your class will be divided into six groups.
• You will read a paragraph from You Must Work Quite Too Hard which describes one of the following tasks:
  1. Morning Buttery Chores (paragraph 4)
  2. Baking Day (paragraph 5)
  3. Tending the Oven (paragraph 7)
  4. Working in the garden (paragraph 8)
  5. Dairying (paragraph 9)
  6. Afternoon Milking (paragraph 10)
• Make a list of what the task involved.
• Share with your class what you learned about the task.

Part C

• Read through the Introduction again. Pretend you are 16 year old Abigail. Write a letter to your friend Sarah who works in the mills or write a journal entry in your diary. You must tell what your life is like on the farm. Include things you learned from your readings and from the book, The Ox Cart Man.

Use this rubric as a guide to your writing.

Student Web-Guided Exploration

Teacher page