School Programs

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In Her Shoes: An Interactive Exploration of Women’s Roles on Huguenot Street

Program Length: 3 hours
Grades: 7-12*

* “In Her Shoes” was designed with the curriculum and standards of 11th grade United States History in mind, but is suitable and engaging for all middle and high school students.

This program includes the following experiences and activities: 

  • Deyo-Brodhead House Tour: At the Deyo-Brodhead house, students will learn about the Progressive Era and its implications for women both nationally and locally. This topic will be explored primarily through the life of Gertrude Deyo-Brodhead, who lived in the home during the height of the American Progressive Era and was a socially prominent New Paltz citizen.

  • Suffrage Debate: When students step into the 1717 Replica French Church, they will take on the persona of a 1915 New Paltz resident attending a town meeting. At this town meeting, residents will debate whether or not the women of the town should be granted the right to vote in local elections. A pre-visit lesson is available to help students learn about their persona and shape their perspective on the matter ahead of time. Debate will be facilitated by museum staff.

  • Wigwam: Inside the wigwam, students will learn about the lives and culture of the Esopus Munsee Native Americans, who lived in what is now known as the Hudson Valley and New Paltz for thousands of years prior to European colonization. Students will focus primarily on the roles of indigenous women within the Esopus Munsee community, and how their roles and responsibilities differed from those of both colonial and twentieth-century women of New Paltz.  

  • Weaving Craft: During this hands-on activity, students will explore the topics of women's work, labor divisions, and textile production during the colonial period in America. They will learn about how women's work differed from that of men during this era, as well as how tasks were further divided between enslaved African women and free women of European descent, all while completing a small, woven textile of their own.

*Adaptations and modifications can be made for the needs of your class depending on age and ability.  

NYS Standards and Common Core Alignment:

CCSS Research to Build and Present Knowledge Standards 7 and 9
CCSS Comprehension and Collaboration Standards 1 and 3
CCSS Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas Standards 4 and 6
CCSS 11.1a
CCSS 11.5b