Farm & Village Field Trip Programs
Hands-On Learning Opportunities
TEST PAGE!!!!!!
Stauffer-Will Farm Field Trip
Participants in this engaging program will rotate through a total of 5 stations at the historic Stauffer-Will Farm (c. 1870). At each station, a living history interpreter, dressed in period clothing, will teach curriculum which was developed by 4th grade teachers. During their presentation, participants will be encouraged to take part in a hands-on activity which will culminate in 5 completed projects they will take home. We welcome visitors and students who come to learn about farm life in the Aurora Colony through hands-on practical experience.
This program takes 3 hours to complete. A lunch break is built into the day and occurs after the 3rd station.
Barn Station 1: Use a buck saw to “buck” a piece of log. It will be just the right size for their candleholder.
Barn Station 2: Use a fro and mallet to split a cedar shake and their piece of log and then use a hand auger to drill a hole in their half-log. The hole will be just the right size for their candle.
Kitchen Station: Learn the science of making bread. During this presentation, students will knead their own piece of dough and drop it in the muffin tin. The aroma of fresh-baked bread permeates the kitchen as we bake their rolls.
House Station: Learn about the Stauffer family who lived in this home and discuss the living conditions, daily life and the uses of textiles. Using fabric squares, students will design a 9-patch quilt square.
Chicken Coop Station: Learn of animals on the farm and their purposes. Discussion is kept to a minimum so they can focus on their last task of dipping a candle!
Add-on Station: Extend your visit with a stop in the Cellar and opportunity to add to the farm by planting sunflowers. Students will also receive a seed packet (seeds may vary) to take home and plant on their own. Please allow an additional 30 minutes. Added cost of $2.50 per student / adult chaperone.
Cost for this program is $12.50 per student and adult chaperone. The optional addition of the Cellar / Sunflower Station is an added cost of $2.50 per student / adult chaperone. School staff are complimentary.
Book Your Field Trip
Our online scheduling tool allows you to check availability at any time, reserve your date, and process your nonrefundable deposit. For assistance with scheduling, please call 503-678-5754 or email farm@auroracolony.org. Your nonrefundable deposit of $100 is due with in 30 days of booking to confirm your field trip. The remainder will be invoiced with payment due in full 1 week prior to your field trip.
Please note that seats are limited to 60 students per field trip without prior authorization. Depending on number of students, two classes may be combined into one field trip. Field trip appointments with reduced capacity are listed with max number of students in parenthesis.
Resources for Teachers
A curriculum based teacher’s notebook will help you prepare your students for this portion of their Oregon history study. A video—incidentally starring children who are descendants of the Stauffer and Will families—helps get students in the mood for their visit.
Aurora Colony Village Field Trip - On Hold for 2023, Please check back in January 2023 for Availability
Located within the Old Aurora Colony Museum complex are four buildings, including a log cabin, wash house, 1860s home, and tie sheds which together give a sense of what life was like in this small pioneer Oregon town. Much like the Stauffer-Will Farm program, students rotate through 5 stations where a living history interpreter will share their curriculum and engage students in a hands-on project which will be taken home at the end of the day.
The projects for these two programs are virtually the same. One difference is that at the Village, instead of splitting a cedar shake, students will sit at the schnitzelbank and use a draw knife to carve a square stick into a rounded peg. The other difference relates to the location. Instead of discussions revolving around daily life on the farm, students will hear what it was like for children within the town.
This program takes 3 hours to complete. A lunch break is built into the day and occurs after the 3rd station. Cost for this program is $12.50 per student and adult chaperone. School staff are complimentary.
Resources for Teachers
A curriculum based teacher’s notebook will help you prepare your students for this portion of their Oregon history study. A video—incidentally starring children who are descendants of the Stauffer and Will families—helps get students in the mood for their visit.