Lyons Elementary School at the Lyons Redstone Museum

 

Each month during our Science and Leadership Days, one grade level ventures next door to visit the Lyons Redstone Museum (LRM).  At the former 1881 Schoolhouse, small groups of students engage in museum-based experiences, with follow-up activities at school.  The lessons are aligned with

• current grade-specific social studies, language arts, and science curricula;

• standards and guiding questions for the St. Vrain Valley School District; and

• concepts in the Boulder County E Movement Environmental Education Guidelines.

Using the LRM’s primary resources the experiences foster understanding of Lyons history, as well as observation, research, and critical thinking skills.  The following is a quick snapshot of the summary of the guiding questions, museum activity, and resources.

Kindergarten (1):  

Why is it important to ask questions about the past?

Museum Activity:  History detectives examine objects to see what they notice, think, and wonder trying to : can you guess what these objects are and how do we keep in touch (then/now)?

Kindergarten (2):

Why do we study historical characters?

Museum Activity:  Explore exhibits to find out what Mr. Edward Lyon might tell us about the past?. What do you want to be remembered for?

1st Grade:  

Why/how do we arrange events from the past in chronological order?

Museum Activity:  Lyons Schools, Then/Now.  Compare photographs of the buildings, classrooms, and playgrounds, and try out writing tools from long ago and today.

2nd Grade (1):  

How/why do we study and know about the history of birds in the Lyons area and their habitats?

Museum activity: Observing, identifying birds, and recording data using Jack Moomaw’s collection of specimens, D.W. King’s Lyons-area birding diaries, and current Boulder County Bird Lists.

2nd Grade (2):

How do communities change over time?

Museum activity: Lyons Community, Then/Now. Find an object or photograph that tells you something about the community in the past, then compare it to today.

3rd Grade(1):

How has sandstone affected the history and economy of Lyons?

Museum Activity:  Find historic objects, photographs, etc. that relate to sandstone and its place in Lyons’ history or economy  

3rd Grade (2):

What people, events, objects, & developments brought important changes to the St. Vrain Valley region?

Museum Activity:  Using as many different historical sources including artifacts, pictures, or documents find evidence related to a person, event, business, place, or object that is important to the history of the St. Vrain Valley. Describe why this is important to the history and development of the St. Vrain Valley.

4th Grade:  

How have natural, technological, and human resources shaped the development of Lyons/Colorado?

Museum Activity:  Find artifacts or photographs from Lyons past related to quarrying, ranching, farming, hunting, tourism, or transportation.  Write your object’s story telling about how the environmental features of the area and use of this object had an impact (positive or negative) on how Lyons has developed over time.

5th Grade Guiding Question:  

How is our local community influenced by physical and historical events related to water resources?   

Museum Activity:  Use historical and scientific primary sources related to the Coffintop Dam project to find pros and cons of dam building. From your evidence decide whether or not the Coffintop Dam should have been built in Lyons.