State Historical Society of Iowa

Iowa Public Television's "One-Room Schoolhouse," 1979

"One-Room Schoolhouse," Iowa Country Schools - Iowa Public Television, 1979

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Description

This video shows the function of a one-room schoolhouse in Iowa. There were no grade levels in Iowa country schools, and one teacher taught up to 15 students of varying ages. But some had as few as two. When a student passed one lesson, he or she moved on to the next. Such a setup kept the teacher busy finding a different activity for each child. While one group of children read from their books, another practiced penmanship. In this reenactment video, actors are seen wearing clothing similar to the time period, in a one-room schoolhouse exhibit, and completing lessons in the style that children learned in long ago.

Source Dependent Questions

  • What does one-room schoolhouse mean?
  • How is a one-room schoolhouse similar to your school? How are they different?

Citation Information

"One-Room Schoolhouse," Iowa Country Schools - Iowa Public Television, 1979. Courtesy of Iowa Public Television Courtesy of Library of Congress