The Bedford Historical Society offers various educational programs which can be tailored to the needs, abilities and desires of its visitors.

Our most complete program was written specifically to augment the New York State fourth grade social studies curriculum and explores colonial life.

Description of the Program
During the pre-visit session at school, students explore primary source documents, such as the Hopp Ground Deed of 1680 and early maps to gain an understanding of how some early American towns originated and grew. Research has shown that students get much more out of field trips if they have some knowledge of what they are going to see before they get there.

During the on-site portion of the program, students assemble on the Village Green. When they come off the bus, the town crier beats a drum and explains that in colonial times, the residents would be called to a town meeting or religious service, or alerted to an attack by a drum beat.

After describing the original use of the Village Green or Town Common and pointing out the historic buildings and the graveyard, the students are divided into three groups of 15 to 20 students.

One group proceeds to the School House where, as the school bell rings, the students are separated and the girls enter single file through the front entrance followed by the boys who enter through the side door. All remain standing until the teacher enters and is seated. After pointing out the features of the School House such as the coal stove with the stovepipe running the length of the room for heat, the traveling library, the dunce’s cap, and the desk inkwells, the teacher involves the students by having them stand and read from a McGuffy reader. They also discuss the rules by which both the teacher and the students had to abide in a 19th century one-room school.

The second group walks to the Offices of the Historical Society where they participate in a session entitled "Artifacts through the Centuries." Students view and have an interactive discussion of Native American artifacts from the collection of William H. Lewis, representing life prior to colonization. Students then play a game of "Guess and Tell" where they are shown artifacts from the 18th and 19th centuries and guess what they are or what they were used for. The session concludes with an opportunity to sketch something of interest that the students have seen in the office.

The third group proceeds to the Court House where they receive a brief history of the 1787 Court House and its role in early life. They then have an opportunity to participate in two to three mock trials which are presided over by a Justice of the Peace who is played by a retired lawyer. Also present are a Constable and a Jailer. When the trials conclude, the students go upstairs to release one of their classmates who has been sentenced to time in jail, and one is always sentenced, whereupon they see the original jail cell and take a brief tour of the museum.

Each portion of the tour is given three times so that all students have an opportunity to participate in each part. At the conclusion, they board their buses and head back to school.

Back at school, students have an opportunity to work on a post-visit packet which furthers the learning that began on-site. This packet includes additional arithmetic problems and excerpts from the McGuffey reader, historical essays about the life of the early settlers and why Bedford remained a town while some areas grew into cities. Also included is a copy of the Town of Bedford seal and a template to enable each student to create his or her own personal seal.

In addition to this formal tour which is specifically geared towards fourth grade since colonial life is part of the New York State curriculum for that grade level, we are still able to amend the tour for other age groups.