Learning Card and Center Directions The General Store

LONG AGO MAIL MAY NOT HAVE COME TO YOUR HOUSE OR A POST OFFICE. IF YOU LIVED IN A SMALL TOWN, THE MAIL WOULD BE DELIVERED TO THE GENERAL STORE. YOU WOULD VISIT THE STORE EACH WEEK TO GET YOUR SUPPLIES AND MAIL. THE STORE OWNER WAS ALSO THE POSTMASTER. THERE WERE WOODEN CUBBIES FOR EACH FAMILY IN THE TOWN. LOOK AT THE PICTURE OF THE WOODEN CUBBIES AT THE BERRY LINCOLN STORE. THE STORE HAD A POST OFFICE. IN 1860, A LITTLE GIRL NAMED GRACE BEDELL WROTE A LETTER TO MR. LINCOLN. GRACE THOUGHT HE WOULD LOOK BETTER IN WHISKERS. MR. LINCOLN WROTE BACK TO GRACE AND GREW WHISKERS ON HIS FACE. THERE IS A COPY OF THE LETTER IN YOUR STUDENT LEARNING PACKET. THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE PRESIDENT TODAY. USE THE WRITE A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT PAPER IN YOUR STUDENT LEARNING PACKET TO WRITE A LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT. WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED, YOU MAY READ MR. LINCOLN’S WHISKERS BY KAREN WINNICK OR GRACE’S LETTER TO LINCOLN BY PETER AND CONNIE ROOP. Learning Card and Center Directions for: Center 1 -A Letter to the President

LONG AGO GOING TO THE STORE WAS VERY SPECIAL. IT WAS HARD TO TRAVEL AND MANY TIMES ONLY THE FATHER WOULD MAKE THE TRIP. PRETEND THAT YOU ARE GOING TO THE GENERAL STORE FOR THE FIRST TIME. WHILE YOU ARE THERE, YOU ARE GOING TO LOOK AT EVERY ITEM. SEE IF YOU CAN REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAW. DRAW AND LABEL EVERY ITEM THAT YOU SEE AT THE STORE. YOU CAN SHARE YOUR DRAWING WITH YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS AT HOME. SINCE WE CAN’T REALLY VISIT A STORE FROM THE PAST, WE HAVE PICTURES AND BOOKS TO HELP US KNOW WHAT IT MUST HAVE LOOKED LIKE. TAKE A LOOK AT THE PICTURES OF MR. LINCOLN’S STORE BEFORE HE WAS PRESIDENT. THERE ARE ALSO 2 BOOKS THAT HAVE LOTS OF GREAT PICTURES: THE GENERAL STORE BY BOBBIE KALMAN AND GOING TO TOWN BY LAURA INGALLS WILDER. USE YOUR SPACE WISELY, REMEMBER NOT EVERYTHING WAS ON A SHELF! Learning Card and Center Directions for: Center 2-Fill the Shelves Photo credit: Galen Frysinger (

LONG AGO, MANY OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE FOUND IN THE GENERAL STORE WERE MADE OR GROWN FROM SOMEONE IN THE TOWN. A COUPLE OF TIMES A YEAR THE STORE OWNER WOULD TRAVEL TO A LARGER CITY TO GET NEW ITEMS FOR THE STORE. SOME OF THE ITEMS CAME FROM PLACES OTHER THAN THE UNITED STATES. PEOPLE WERE VERY EXCITED TO SEE THESE ITEMS IN THE STORE. WE KNOW THAT THESE ITEMS WERE IN THE STORES FROM THE LEDGERS THAT WERE KEPT EVERY DAY AT THE STORE. A LEDGER IS A RECORD BOOK. THE STORE OWNER WOULD WRITE DOWN EVERYTHING THEY BOUGHT AND THE PRICE. A LEDGER IS A GREAT RECORD OF HISTORY. CUT OUT THE ITEMS FROM THE WHERE DID IT COME FROM? WORKSHEET. USE THE WORLD MAP TO PLACE THE ITEMS ON THE CORRECT CONTINENT OR COUNTRY. ON THE BOTTOM OF YOUR WORKSHEET, WRITE A SENTENCE ABOUT HOW YOU THINK THE ITEMS GOT TO THE GENERAL STORE IN NEXT LOOK AT THE LEDGER SHEETS FROM THE STONY POINT GENERAL STORE. SEE IF YOU CAN FIND ANY OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE IN YOUR PICTURES. Learning Card and Center Directions for: Center 3-Where Did it Come From?

LONG AGO, WE DIDN’T HAVE TELEVISIONS AND RADIOS TO LET PEOPLE KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THEIR TOWN. IF SOMEONE NEEDED SOMETHING OR WANTED TO LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT SOMETHING SPECIAL, THEY WOULD CREATE A BROADSIDE. A BROADSIDE IS LIKE A POSTER. IT WAS PRINTED ON ONE SIDE OF THE PAGE. THEY WERE USUALLY EASY AND QUICK TO READ. LOOK AT THE BROADSIDES AT YOUR CENTER. THESE ARE BROADSIDES THAT YOU MIGHT FIND AT THE GENERAL STORE IN YOUR TOWN. USE THE DESIGN A BROADSIDE WORKSHEET TO CREATE A BROADSIDE OF SOMETHING SPECIAL THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN YOUR SCHOOL. MAKE SURE TO MAKE IT EASY TO READ, NEAT, AND APPEALING TO THE EYE! WHEN YOU ARE FINISHED, ASK YOUR NEIGHBOR TO CHECK IT FOR YOU. Learning Card and Center Directions for: Center 4-Create a Broadside

PRICES OF ITEMS AT THE GENERAL STORE SEEM VERY CHEAP TO US TODAY. BUT IN 1800’S, FAMILIES MUST PICK ITEMS VERY CAREFULLY. IF YOU HAD $2.00 TO SPEND AT THE GENERAL STORE, WHAT WOULD YOU SELECT? USE THE PRICE LIST FROM MADISON, WISCONSIN: 1861 TO SELECT YOUR ITEMS. THEN LIST THE ITEMS THAT YOU WOULD NEED FOR YOUR FAMILY ON A LIST FOR THE GENERAL STORE WORKSHEET. SEE HOW CLOSE TO $2.00 YOU CAN GET. WHEN THE STORE OWNER GOT IN NEW ITEMS FOR THE STORE, HE WOULD NEED TO PUT A PRICE ON THE ITEM. HE DID NOT ALWAYS WANT THE CUSTOMER TO KNOW THE PRICE OF THE ITEM, SO HE WOULD USE A CODE. DIFFERENT STORE OWNERS WOULD USE DIFFERENT CODES SO THAT THE CUSTOMERS COULD NOT FIGURE THEM OUT. TAKE A LOOK AT THE WHAT IS THE REAL PRICE? WORKSHEET. USING THE CODE :MY RED WAGON, SEE IF YOU CAN FIGURE OUT EACH PRICE. WHEN YOU FINISH, TURN YOUR PAPER OVER AND DRAW SOME ITEMS THAT YOU MIGHT FIND IN THE GENERAL STORE. GIVE THEM A PRICE WITH A CODE. TRADE YOUR PAPER WITH A FRIEND TO SEE IF THEY CAN CRACK YOUR CODE. Learning Card and Center Directions for: Center 5-How Much Can I Buy?

THE GENERAL STORE WAS OFTEN LOCATED NEAR A WATERWAY, RAILROAD, OR A MAIN ROAD OR INTERSECTION. THIS MADE IT EASY FOR THE STORE OWNER TO TAKE GOODS TO AND FROM THE STORE. THE LOCATION OF THE STORE WAS VERY IMPORTANT. USING THE WHERE CAN I FIND THE GENERAL STORE? WORKSHEET, CREATE A TOWN MAP WITH A GOOD LOCATION FOR THE GENERAL STORE. MAKE SURE YOU USE THE MAP LEGEND AND INCLUDE A COMPASS ROSE. ON THE BACK OF YOUR PAPER, WRITE A GOOD SENTENCE THAT TELLS WHY THE LOCATION OF YOUR STORE WAS A GOOD CHOICE. Learning Card and Center Directions for : Center 6- Where Can I Find the General Store?