School Project
HISTORY LESSONS OF AREND VAN CURLER.
The Foundation Nijkerk Schenectady wants to strengthen the relationship between Nijkerk and Schenectady. To achieve this, we started creating a curriculum for elementary school students so in their history lessons they will learn about the 17th century Arend van Curler from Nijkerk, the founder of the American city of Schenectady.
On November 15th the Nijkerk working group, who will develop the teaching materials, had a meeting. It is envisaged that from the 2012 -2013 school year all groups 7 and 8 of the primary schools in Nijkerk will work with the new material.
To achieve this there is cooperation between the Foundation of “Old Nijkerk” and the teachers of the Beatrix School and the Rehoboth School. Assistance is provided by staff from Edu-art, a state organization in the field of cultural education.
At the first meeting on November 15th Edith Terschegget, chairman of the foundation Nijkerk Schenectady, and Jan Cozijnsen, chairman of the Foundation of Old Nijkerk, signed the agreement for the development of teaching materials.
leerlingen van groep 7 van de Beatrixschool werken met het materiaal van de nieuwe serie lessen over Arend van Curler (foto Thijs Korving)
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New series of lessons about Arend van Curler and the link between Schenectady and Nijkerk.
Last year the Nijkerk working group, which started making a series of lessons on the history of Arend van Curler and the relation between Nijkerk and Schenectady, is ready. From September 2012, all groups 7 and 8 of the primary schools of Nijkerk can use the new materials specially made for this project.
In the first lesson the pupils will make acquaintance with Arend van Curler, the Nijkerker who travelled with the West India Company to New Netherlands in the 17th century. There he founded a settlement that grew into the present city of Schenectady.
In the second lesson, the children will walk or go by bike through Nijkerk to see what else recalls the days of Van Curler. In the third lesson, they will report what they have found and send this to students in Schenectady.
The material consists of a duffel bag with all kinds of objects that played a role in the 17th century, and a teacher’s guide with instructions, pictures and a movie. This includes a beautiful set of clothes for boys and girls, with which the children can make an image of themselves how they might look like in the 17th century.
Three primary schools piloted the new lessons. The responses to the pilot were very positive.
The program of the lessons was initiated by the Foundation Nijkerk-Schenectady, who sought cooperation with the Foundation Old Nijkerk. Teachers of the Beatrix School and the Rehoboth School have contributed to the development. The Working Group was advised by Edu-art, the provincial organization of knowledge in the field of cultural education.
Early September Schools will receive a letter in with information about the use of new materials. For more information and reservations: info@oudnijkerk.nl, Attn: Saskia van den Berg, curator.
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On 7 June, the Rehoboth School held the first lesson of the education program about Arend van Curler. It was a pleasure to see how Jan de Vries, a teacher at this school, made, with the objects from the duffel bag, visible the history of Arend van Curler. The children were very interested in the beaver hide and could not wait to put on the clothes that hung in class behind them. An outfit girls and boys from the time of Arend van Curler is not something you have every day.
This education package is specially designed for students in grades 7 and 8 of the primary schools in Nijkerk. The foundation tries to keep this cultural heritage alive and to enthuse the youth for the Nijkerk history and youth exchanges between Schenectady and Nijkerk