Dr. Morse’s Pills and home teaching
A group of bloggers at 451 Press is busy looking at each others blogs and getting to know each other. We thought it was a good idea. My blog-to-look-at this week is Mom is Teaching and it has provided an unexpected bonus.
Yesterday I promised you a recipe from Dr Morse and I promise I will give you one, but Summer’s latest post has reminded me why I started collecting ephemera (technical term for leaflets and pamphlets and stuff) in the first place: leaflets and pamphlets and stuff are exceptionally good for teaching. I often add a leaflet or something to my briefcase for class and plan a lesson that will include hands-on contact with the past. I especially do this when I teach subjects such as family history, because it really helps bring the history alive.
In Summer’s case - looking for activities for home schoolers - this gives her an eleventh way of keeping homeschooled children busy.
Pieces of paper have words. Words have meaning. Extracting the meaning from an old leaflet is a wonderful way for children to discover the past and to interact with it. If they’re very lucky, they might try out some recipes from a page entitled “Biliousness” and discover why layout really does affect how we read a text. Lessons in publishing, in the past and in people. What more could you want? Apart from a recipe, of course.
Raisin Pie
Two cupfuls of seeded raisins, one cupful and a half of boiling water, half a cupful of sugar, two tablespoons of cornstarch, two tablespoonfuls of grated lemon rind, juice of one orange, one tablespoon of grated orange rind, one cupful of chopped walnuts. Cook raisins in boiling water for five minutes, pour into it sugar and corn sarch, which have been mixed. Cook until thick, remove from fire, and add other ingredients. Bake btween two crusts. Walnuts may be omitted, if desired. All measurements for this recipe are level.
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