Field Trip Information for Parents

Chapter 1 History Close to Home

About the Field Trip:

This chapter focuses on defining what history is, how it is collected and presented, and the role museums and historical societies have as caretakers of our history. We have chosen the Cadman-White-Handy House, located at 202 Hix Bridge Road, as our local site visit for this chapter.

Before Students Visit:

Your child’s teacher will prepare him/her for the field trip by discussing life in Massachusetts during the time of 1730 prior to the day of the field trip.

Through lessons and activities, your child will experience Westport during that time period on their field trip to the Handy House. Please help him/her step back in time by doing the following:

For Boys:

• We would like boys to wear plain pants with white shirts.
• Boys are also asked to wear tube socks or similar knee socks so that their pants legs can be placed inside their socks to replicate the colonial breeches that boys and men wore at that time. Teachers may explain this in class before the site visit, or wait for WHS staff and docents to do so on site.

For Girls:

• We would like girls to wear long solid-color skirts and plain white blouses.
• If their hair is long, please ask them to tie it back in a ponytail or braids.

For Students, Teachers, & Chaperones:

• Chaperones and teachers are also welcome to dress in this manner.
• Students, teachers, and chaperones must wear sturdy, closed-toe shoes for safety.
• The use of sunscreen is also recommended.

Lunches:  We encourage students to bring their lunch in a pail or a napkin tied at the corners, just as a child might have in 1730. Drinks are allowed, but, it is preferable that they be in re-usable containers. Any garbage generated from lunches must be taken off premises by the teachers. Lunches will be eaten out on the lawn and/or in one of the fields, so a sweater or light jacket may be appropriate, depending on the season. A port-a-john is available for use by students and adults.