PROGRAMS

 

 

 

 

Education Programs for Schools

 

How To Book a Program

Programs are available Monday-Friday, beginning at 9:30 a.m. To ensure the dates of your choice, we recommend scheduling as far in advance as possible. Contact the Hermitage Education Department at 201-445-8311, ext. 33 (Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.). 

All programs begin at the Hermitage Education & Conference Center. Please plan to arrive 10 minutes before the scheduled start time of your program to allow for disembarking from your bus and entering the building. The Hermitage does its best of accommodate late groups but reserves the right to adjust or shorten programs as circumstances demand. All changes are discussed with the visiting teachers. The Hermitage does not have indoor eating facilities; however, groups may picnic on the grounds.

 

On-Site Programs

Program length: 1.5 hours. Maximum group size: 50-100 (depending on season; call for information). Fee: $5/person. 

We offer education programs for pre-K - 12th grade on a wide variety of subjects that meet NJCCC Standards. Our most popular programs are listed below. For information about current offerings, please contact Education Coordinator Diane Knispel at 201-445-8311, ext. 33, or by e-mail at dknispel@thehermitage.org.

 

Colonial Life during the Revolutionary War

NJCCC Standards 6.1, 6.4

Students will explore Colonial America and the Revolutionary War by visiting The Hermitage and hearing the story of the resourceful Theodosia Prevost, the American wife of a British officer who entertained George Washington, Aaron Burr, the Marquis de Lafayette, and William Paterson at The Hermitage. Students will discuss Theodosia's life and decide whether she was a Patriot, a Loyalist, or just dedicated to her family.

In this program students will begin to compare and contrast life in Colonial America to modern-day life by touring parts of the historic Hermitage; viewing artifacts, textiles, and clothing from the Colonial period; and learning colonial skills through handcrafts and activities.

 

This program can be adapted to emphasize Colonial life or the Revolutionary War based on teachers’ and students’ needs.

 

A House Divided: The Civil War in New Jersey

NJCCC Standards 6.1, 6.4

Why were some New Jerseyans considered "Copperheads," and why did the Rosencrantz family have sympathy toward the South during the Civil War? Students will explore issues concerning the North and the South in the years of the U.S. Civil War, discussing how the establishment and abolition of slavery affected the Rosencrantz family (and New Jersey generally) in the 19th century, as well as Elijah Rosencrantz's cotton warp mill and the Industrial Revolution in Bergen County.

 

Machines, Mills, and Modernity

NJCCC Standards 6.1, 6.4

How did the Industrial Revolution affect the Rosencrantz family? Find out how they started a cotton mill and harnessed water power from Ho-Ho-Kus Brook, and why they permitted the railroad lines to go through their  property. Also, study how the mills gave the family money to redesign The Hermitage into the Gothic Revival Style that it is today and what modern conveniences they had when the house was finished

 

Local History/Life during the 19th Century

NJCCC Standards 6.1, 6.4  

Gain knowledge of what life was like for the Rosencrantz family during the 19th century by listening to stories of the children’s lives, the toys and games they played with, the clothes they wore, and more about The Hermitage during this time period .

 

Off-Site Programs

Program length: 1 hour. Maximum group size: 1 class. Fee: $70/class (plus travel, where applicable). 

Teachers must provide a large table at the front of the classroom for all programs. For PowerPoint presentations, please arrange for a screen to be set up in the room. Consecutive programs must be held in the same location.

For information about our current offerings, please contact Education Coordinator Diane Knispel at 201-445-8311, ext. 33, or dknispel@thehermitage.org

 

Programs for Teachers