Education

For Teachers

Plan a Fieldtrip

Upcoming Events

Student Activities

Plan a Fieldtrip - Call: 954-524-4736 for reservations or further information

Children's Program (Group reservations)
"Stranahan House - Where it All Began"
Students tour the house while listening to stories about the Seminoles and Frank and Ivy's contributions to the City of Fort Lauderdale. The children will also participate in ringing the ferry bell and making butter. (By reservation $7.00 per student)

"Outreach Program"
Children learn about life in the late 1800's in South Florida. Our education specialist brings hats, bonnets, tools from the past, and makes butter illustrating the pioneer past. This program is appropriate for Kindergarten, First and Second Grades. $7.00 per person.

"Old South Florida Portrait"
Stranahan House and Bonnet House combine to present the importance, methods and examples of historic preservation, while incorporating local and Florida state history. $12.00 per student.

Upcoming Events - Call: 954-524-4736 for reservations or further information.

Student Activities

Math Computation:
	Frank Stranahan purchased 10.7 acres of land from the Brickell family for $10 an acre. What was the total amount he paid for the land?
	In the early 1800's, there were thousands of pirate ships off the coast of Florida. The average length of these ships was 57 feet. How many yards are there in 57 feet?
Math Application:
	Create a timeline that would place each of these events in chronological order: -Thousands of building are damaged in a powerful hurricane, 15 people are killed -The House of Refuge is built on the beach to aid shipwrecked sailors -The first Fort Lauderdale is built near the New River -The Stranahan House is built -The Cooley Family is attacked on their farm -Restoration begins on the historic Stranahan House -Florida is purchased from Spain and becomes a U.S. territory -Frank Stranahan arrives to operate the ferry for the Bay Biscayne Stage Line -Ivy Cromartie comes to the settlement to teach in the one-room schoolhouse -A devastating fire destroys many buildings in the town -Ivy Stranahan's home is converted to a restaurant
	Draw a map that would indicate where each of the 3 forts stood along the New River
Critical Thinking Activities:
	Distribute Mitchell's Magical Day With Frank and Ivy Stranahan. Select sample photographs and ask: “What do you think life was like in the New River Settlement one hundred years ago? Discuss the responses.
	Ask: “ What sort of things that we have today may not have been invented in 1901? Discuss the responses.
	Ask: “ What did people use for transportation here in 1901? Discuss the responses. Be sure to highlight the importance of travel on the New River and the changes brought about by Flagler's railroad which first arrived in 1896.
	Ask: “ Did children go to school in the New River Settlement? Discuss Ivy's one-room school house which is featured in a few of the photographs. Create a general discussion about ways in which our lives today are much different from the way families lived in 1901.
Group Activity: Button Button
Materials Needed: a large button or coin Approximate Time:10 minutes Objective: To allow students to experience games from the past
	Say to the students: “Let's pretend that we are back in 1901! We are going to play a game that was popular back then called Button-Button. All we need to play this game is a button, a coin or a shell.
	Have the students form a circle. Tell them to be very quiet and to hold their hands together out in front of them.
	Explain that you are going to walk to all of the children and pretend to slip the button between their hands. But, you WILL slip the button secretly to one child. When you have completed the circle, you will say: Button, button, who has the button?
	The children must guess who has the button.
	The child who guessed correctly becomes the leader for the next round.
	Play a few rounds as time permits and reinforce the idea that games were simple and used imagination and creativity.

For Students

Background Info

Fun Facts

We Want to Hear from You!

Background Info

Painting of Stranahan House as it appears today.

Stranahan House was the hone of Ivy Cromartie, the first teacher in the New River Settlement, which later became Ft. Lauderdale. Ivy came at the age of 18 from Lemon City, Florida (now North Miami) to teach nine children in a one room school house. Ivy only taught for one year. After her marriage to Frank Stranahan, she was no longer entitled to teach. Married women at the time were not allowed to hold a teaching job. It was felt that they would be taking the job away from a man or unmarried woman. Ivy continued to fulfill her passion for teaching by working with Seminole children on the wide porches of her riverfront home. Using picture books, she taught the young Seminoles basic words in English with hopes that they would one day be able to communicate with English speakers in the growing New River settlement. A replica of Ivy's one room school house stands today near the New River in the area of SW 2nd Avenue and SW 2nd Street.

Students On Tour

A picture of Ivy Julia Cromartie at the age of 18 when she came to teach at the New River settlement.

Stranahan House presents: Mysteries in History

BECON Distance Learning Program #1: Who is Edward Teach?

Send your answer to this month's question to:

stranahan1@aol.com

Blackbeard's Ghost-When Lieutenant Robert Maynard came face to face with Blackbeard a bloody battle pursued. Blackbeard was overtaken by Maynard and his men. His throat was cut and his body had several gunshot and knife wound. Just to make sure the pirate was really dead Lieutenant Maynard ordered Blackbeard's head to be cut off and hung from the front of the boat and his body was thrown overboard. It is said that when his body hit the water the head hanging from the front of the boat yelled, "Come on Edward" and the headless body swam around the boat three times before disappearing under water. Every now and then Blackbeard's ghost is seen in the area searching for his head.

Life on the Briny

The only person that had a good nights sleep on the ship was the captain. He was the only one that had a bunk or a bed. The crew had to search for a dry spot to sleep. If they were lucky they might find a sack of grain to sleep on.

Pirates were allowed one quart of water a day. It did not take long for water to go bad on a voyage. That is why so much beer and rum were put on board. Rum was added to water making it taste better and it helped kill disease.

A pirates food consisted on dried meat and hard tack, which was a hard cracker, made of flour, water and lard.

Pirate Talk

What do these phrases mean: "Ahoy me Matey." "Gangway Matey." "Fairwinds Bucko." "Handsomely lad get to the crow's nest."

Ahoy- "Hello" Briny deep-the ocean Shanty-a sea song Me-my Prow-nose of the boat

Gangway-Get out of my way Bucko-friend Shiver me timbers-expression of surprise

Fairwinds-goodbye, good luck Matey-cheerful address to a friend Avast-hey or stop and

pay attention Crows nest-small platform at the top of the mast Lad, Lass, Lassie-way to

address someone younger than you.

Pirate Superstitions

Porpoises swimming around a ship is good luck.

Never put your left foot down first when boarding a ship.

Black cats are lucky and bring sailors safely home from the sea.

Stranahan House presents: Mysteries in History

I

BECON Distance Learning Program #2:

What Instrument did the pioneers use to predict the weather?

Send you answer to this months question to:

stranahan1@aol.com

Hurricanes

If you had lived in South Florida in 1928 you would have experienced one of the worst hurricanes to hit this area. The National Hurricane Center did not exist, telephones were not in every home because of the cost, TV had not been invented, and there was only one radio station in S. Florida and very few people could afford a radio.

The only instrument that people would have access to was a barometer which measured atmospheric pressure. Many people depended on animal superstitions to predict the weather.

Cat Superstitions

If a cat washes behind its ear it will rain, but if he washes his face it is a sign of good weather.

If a cat sneezes once it is a sure sign of rain

If the cat claws the carpet there will be high winds.

A restless cat means a storm is brewing.

Did you know...............

The U.S. Weather Bureau started using female names in 1953. In 1979, the National weather Service switched to a list with both male and female names.

Hurricane-like storms are called by different names in the different regions of the world. The name "hurricane" is given to systems that develop over the Atlantic or the eastern Pacific Oceans. In the western North Pacific and the Philippines, these systems are called "Typhoons" while in the Indian and South Pacific Ocean, they are called "Cyclones."

Storms with winds of 74 mph or higher are classified as hurricanes.

Stranahan House presents: Mysteries in History

BECON Distance Learning Program #3:

Who is the Father of Ft. Lauderdale?

Send your answer to this month's question to

stranahan1@aol.com

The Good Old Days?

It took a special kind of person to come to the wilderness of South Florida 100 years ago. The pioneers in this area faced wild animals, swampland, poisonous snakes loneliness, many hardships, critters such as ants, roaches, fleas, and the dreaded mosquitoes. Mosquitoes plagued the settlers more than anything else and were seen as the only serious drawback to South Florida. All beds had to have netting to keep this pest out so you could sleep. Cheese cloth was tacked over windows and this did not let much air in.

A device was created called a smudge that burned palmetto roots and when wet moss or wet grass was added it emitted smoke which kept the mosquitoes away. Of course it made the people choke and cough, eyes teared and your clothes would smell but this was preferred over the bite of the mosquito.

Long sleeves, high necks, long dresses for women, pants tucked into high boots for men a and hats and caps were all armor against mosquitoes.

These early settlers were always thinking of ways to improve their life style. It was through creativity that the pioneer families were able to survive.

Some examples of their creativity:

Rags were used for rugs.

Kitchens were not attached to the house because of the heat and possibility of a fire.

Each family had their own vegetable garden.

Hunting and fishing provided food for the family.

A stick was kept on the porch and used to scare away any nearby snakes when going for a walk.

1800's Inventions

1824 Professor Michael Faraday made the first rubber balloon. He used them for his experiments with hydrogen.

1849 Walter Hunt invented the safety pin.

1880 Peanut Butter was invented by George Washington Carver

1888 Drinking Straw was invented by Marvin Stone.

1891 James Naismith invented and named basketball.

Stranahan House presents Mysteries in History

BECON Distance Learning Program #4:

How many plums are in the plum pudding?

Send your answer to this month's question to:

Stranahan1@aol.com

Victorian Holiday

The outside of the Stranahan House is decorated the same way the Victorians would have decorated their homes. Wreaths would have been hung on the doors and evergreen branches tied to the railings.

The Victorian decorations are also in the Stranahan House. The christmas tree is guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit. All the rooms are tastefully decorated by Flowers and Found Objects.

Contest

Stranahan House is having a contest. Send in your answer to this months Mystery: How many plums are in the plum pudding? Win a free tour for yourself and a two for one coupon for your parents.

Ingredients for Plum Pudding

sugar butter milk eggs molasses salt baking soda baking powder flour raisins nuts candied orange apples cinnamon cloves nutmeg nutmeg sauce water

Holiday Humor

What did Jack Frost say to Frosty the Snowman? Have an ice day!

What did one angel say to the other angel? Halo there!

What do elves learn in school? The Elf-bet.

What did Santa say when his toys misbehaved? Toys will be toys.