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Plan
a Fieldtrip
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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.
"Storytelling at Stranahan House"
Learn the history of Frank and Ivy Stranahan through
Mitchell's Magic Binoculars, plus a
mini tour. $7.00 per student
"Stranahan House Assembly" (150 Children)
Miss Ivy comes to your school and speaks to students about school days and
life in the 1800's. Students will be asked to participate as the original 9
students in the 1899 one room schoolhouse. This program is suitable
for 3rd, 4th and 5th grades. $200.00.
Upcoming Events - Call: 954-524-4736 for reservations or further information.
Storytelling with Miss Pink
Mini tour, storytelling by Miss Pink and activity. Suitable for preschool,
1st and 2nd grades. $7.00 per student, reservations required.
| Math Computation: | ||
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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? | |
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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? | |
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Draw a map that
would indicate where each of the 3 forts stood along the New River |
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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. |
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Ask: Discuss the responses. |
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Ask: 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. |
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Ask:
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. |
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Group
Activity: Button Button
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Needed: a large button or coin Approximate Time:10 minutes Objective: To allow students to experience games from the past |
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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. |
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Have the students form a circle. Tell them to be very quiet and to hold their hands together out in front of them. | |
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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:
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The children must guess who has the button. | |
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The child who guessed correctly becomes the leader for the next round. | |
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Play a few rounds as time permits and reinforce the idea that games were simple and used imagination and creativity. | |
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. |
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Students On Tour |
 A picture of Ivy Julia Cromartie at the age of 18 when she came to teach at the New River settlement. |
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Stranahan House presents: Mysteries in History BECON Distance Learning Program #1: Who is Edward Teach? Send your answer to this month's question to:
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.
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BECON Distance Learning Program #2:
What Instrument did the pioneers use to predict the weather? Send you answer to this months question to: |
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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. |
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 Cat
SuperstitionsIf 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. |
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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. |
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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 |
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| 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.
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| 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. | |||||
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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. |
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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.
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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: 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. |
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Stranahan House
335 S.E. 6th Avenue at Las Olas Blvd.
Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33301
Telephone (954) 524-4736
Fax (954) 525-2838
E-Mail: Stranahan1@aol.com
Copyright © 2004 Stranahan House