The term "Indian", even though inaccurate, has been used for so many centuries that the native people and the general public have come to accept it. The Indians who formerly lived in the lower half of Lenapehoking called themselves "Lenape", meaning 'common' or 'ordinary' people. The term Lenni Lenape is redundant, as if to say 'the common, ordinary people'. Lenape does not mean 'original people', as is so often stated.

Originally, the people of Lenapehoking had no tribal structure. They lived in small bands in which men and boys hunted, fished and did the heavy work while women and children gathered wild plant foods and gardened.

In the late Woodland Period (c: A.D. 900 - 1650), important changes in the culture, such as horticulture or garden farming was added to traditional hunting, fishing and gathering economy. This tied them to the land, so they began to build more durable houses; children and old people ate better, received more care and lived longer; families increased in size. Household implements such as pottery bowls, mortars and pestles became more abundant.

This program emphasizes the daily life of the Woodland people. Folklore and customs are explored, while artifacts are passed amongst the participants. Crafts might include story skins, stick games, and clay Mesingaw medallions.

The issue of slavery was important in Bucks County politics until the Civil War. The early settlers of the County, particularly the pacifist sects, believed in civil and religious liberty. From the earliest days of the colony, the Quakers urged the abolition of slavery and they routinely freed their slaves. Pennsylvania was the first state to pass an abolition law in 1780. Southeastern Pennsylvania gained a reputation for being sympathetic toward fugitive slaves despite the severe penalties of the Fugitive Slave Laws. Many slaves escaped from the South via the Underground Railroad, and the Bucks County routes, though ill defined, had many supporters. Among the communities best know for their support of the escaping slaves were Bensalem, Langhorne, Yardley, Solebury, Buckingham, Doylestown, Plumstead and Quakertown.

The reality of slave life and the difficulties the slaves encountered as they tried to find their way to freedom are illustrated through storytelling and reproductions of slave quilts. Specific Bucks County sites of the underground railroad are also discussed. This program features creative activities related to the country of Ghana.

Did you know footprints of T Rex's cousin were found nearby, in Limerick? On November 9, 1981, William Pfeiffer, an operating engineer for 24 years, was lifting sections of rock that had been blasted from the walls of an area known as the "spray pond" on the Limerick construction site. He said" I thought that I saw some horse prints on one of the sections of rock, but I knew that this rock was millions of years old and that there weren't any shoed horses at that time, so I called the site geologist. He recognized them as some sort of fossil footprints and directed their removal and preservation".**

A fossil is a remnant, impression, or trace of an organism of past geologic ages that has been preserved in the earth's crust.

This program incorporates fossil study in conjunction with the study of dinosaurs. Clue gathering and reconstruction are among the topics of discussion. Creative activities allow participants to create models of dinosaurs and to handle and explore various fossils.

** Information courtesy of PECO Energy

The diverse building styles that surround our area are the focus of this popular program. Each presentation is developed in collaboration with the recipient teacher or group leader. Activities are designed to highlight basic architectural principles and styles, accomplished through building crafts and games.

Architectural Fun & Games units contain elements of the following:

Vocabulary

As topics in built environment education are so varied, there is a great potential for vocabulary development. This unit provides an illustrated glossary of basic architectural terms. Activities would include identifying these terms in pictures, slides, and the "real" world.

Design

The focus is on general design principles without using any specialized vocabulary. Activities would include geometric shapes, color, texture and scale.

Materials

The materials used in the built environment are important enough to merit a separate unit of study. Activities would include utilizing easily available materials (i.e. paper, sandpaper, hair curlers) to study their inherent properties as well as for building model projects.

Structures

This unit is designed to give insight into essential principles of building construction. Activities could include comparison of natural structures, which have a counterpart to human structures, as well as exploration of particulars of buildings such as beams, columns and cantilever's. Models would be created.

Home

The home is a student's most intimate contact with the built environment. Activities could include drawing their home from memory, through designing a "dream" house or a "dream" bedroom.

Interiors

This will help students understand the working methods of the professional architect's work. Activities could include development of floor plans, elevations and sections for simply constructed objects, through developing plans for a scale model.

Exteriors

Students look more closely at a variety of facade elements and their functions, as well as architectural clues to a building's function. Activities could include creating facade designs.

Neighborhoods and Streets

How the interwoven systems directly impact on residents. Activities could include neighborhood walks and mapping to study the "living" neighborhood.

Cities

The technical designation of the word "city" depends upon political organization rather than concrete rule of size or population. Therefore, distinctions will be made between the words rural, suburban and urban. Elements include zoning and model communities. Activities could include creation of street grids, and contour or topographic maps.

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