In this in-class program, students will learn about the Reher family, their immigration story, and the role their bakery played in the food traditions of their Kingston neighbors through images, oral histories, and reproduction artifacts. Students will listen to oral histories that recount food traditions cherished by a diverse range of Kingston residents. Then, students will create a questionnaire they can use to interview a loved one about a food tradition that matters to them!
Designed for 2nd grade, scalable for 2nd through 4th grade (1 hour)
In this field trip to the Reher Center, students will explore Historic Reher’s Bakery to learn the story of the Reher family and the Rondout neighborhood of Kingston. As they analyze a range of primary sources – from preserved historic spaces and artifacts, to photographs, to oral histories – students will practice their analytical skills as well as find parallels to experiences shared by contemporary immigrants to the Hudson Valley. Students will end their experience by beginning to draft a questionnaire they will use to conduct an oral history of their own!
Designed for 8th grade, scalable for 6th through 12th grade (1.5 hours)
The Guatemalan legend says, "Tell your worries to the worry dolls before you go to bed and put them under your pillow. In the morning, the dolls will have taken your worries away!"
In this program, learners will explore the story of Muñeca Quitapena, and get creative by making their own Worry Dolls to keep the legend alive!