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Summary and Objective
In this comparative exercise students will be introduced to three famous local women named Mary: (1) Mary P. Wells Smith, a children's author from Greenfield, (2) Dr. Mary P. Dole, a physician from Shelburne and (3) Mary Lyon, an educator from Buckland. Utilizing artifacts from the digital collection, a map of Franklin County and the Mount Holyoke web site, students will learn about each of these women who lived in contiguous towns.
Teaching Plan
Step 1.
Utilizing the digital collection examine the photo of Mary P. Wells Smith and her most famous book, Boy Captive of Old Deerfield.
Step 2.
Briefly summarize the novel (or if possible read it!), and discuss what impact it had on children reading local historical fiction. There were 4 novels in the "Boy Captive" Series - identify the other 3 titles ("Boy Captive in Canada", "Boys and Girls of Seventy-Seven" and "Boys of the Border").
Step 3.
Examine the photo of Dr. Mary Dole and the medicine bottles she might have carried. Imagine what this heroine would have used for medical implements. Discuss what she would have worn and how she would have travelled.
Step 4.
Write a short paragraph describing her visit to a patient's home.
Step 5.
After looking at the photos of the One Room Schoolhouse and the New England Primer, discuss how Mary Lyon would have taught a roomful of 20 children of different abilities and age levels. How would they have kept warm? How could one person teach all subject areas?
Step 6.
Draw a picture or make a collage that depicts what a one room schoolhouse might have looked like. Go to the Mount Holyoke website to learn more about Mary Lyon, the dedicated educator who founded Mount Holyoke College for young women.
Step 7.
On a map of Franklin County locate Greenfield, Shelburne and Buckland. Do additional research to discover when these three women lived in their respective towns. List them and their accomplishments in chronological order on a poster beside the map.
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