Over a year ago, Emmaus Heritage Alliance in conjunction with the East Penn School District began work on the Heritage Alliance Third Grade Program.

The Alliance is comprised of one representative from each of the eight member organizations: the Emmaus Historical Society, Shelter House Society, Knauss Homestead Preservation Society, 1803 House, Emmaus Public Library, Emmaus Moravian Church, Emmaus Main Street Partners and Emmaus Remembrance Garden. Alliance members Alan Hawman, Robin Kertis, and Dr. Mike Waddell spearheaded the project designed to promote appreciation of local history among the approximately 125 participating third graders.

Storyteller Corrine Durdock and Jeanne Harakal of the Emmaus Historical Society initiated the project by visiting the children in their classrooms. Durdock and Harakal combined storytelling and a PowerPoint presentation to guide students through the history of Emmaus. Teachers received a borough map identifying the four sites to be visited. They incorporated this information into their lessons as appropriate.

While at the various sites, the children participated in theme based activities. The focus at the Shelter House was the theme “Before a Community was Built.” To connect with life before even a village existed, the children created a “broadside” (an early newspaper) and corn cob figures.

At God’s Acre, student volunteers walked out and marked a 20 by 40 foot area to demonstrate the size of the original church.

The children also constructed a model log cabin and learned about early Emmaus residents by completing a graveyard scavenger hunt, activities designed to highlight the theme “The Beginning of Emmaus.”

For those interested in domestic arts, the 1803 House theme stressed hearth cooking. Students tried their hands at butter churning and creating a dessert from scratch. Students also discovered the medicinal and culinary uses of herbs.

At the Knauss Homestead, the presenters emphasized the concept of time period chores. Writing a diary entry on parchment paper with charcoal as a writing utensil, planting seeds and discovering the importance of the property’s stream and barn provided the third graders with insight into the lives of colonial children.

The Heritage Alliance Third Grade Program is designed to not only employ community resources for educational purposes but also to inspire an appreciation of local history and to instill community pride. More effective than unsupported textbook study or high stakes testing, experiential learning brings subjects to life. When questioned as to why she became involved in this project, Robin Kertis stated, “I’m just a big fan of education.”

The Emmaus Heritage Alliance hopes the success of this year’s pilot program will encourage the volunteers to expand their efforts and give more students the opportunity to experience the history that surrounds them.