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***NOTE: The best (AND ONLY) time to search for stage two of this cache is between the hours of 5-10 pm. (Stage one has no such limitation). The small window of time is part of the difficulty of this hide. Not adhering to these guidelines could cause the cache to be archived.
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...also....Please refrain from submitting "spoilers" into your log entries concerning this cache. I have put a lot of time and effort into this cache--and some log entries can inadvertently turn a #4 difficulty into a cache ‘n dash.I reserve the right to delete your log if I feel it gives away the location.
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...............................................One Room Schoolhouse.........................................
Ah....who doesn’t have fond (and not so fond) memories of their school days. This cache is dedicated to schools: and in particular, teachers who have through the years, worked tirelessly to instill an education into America’s youth. Hope you enjoy the history lesson. When the bell rings, you can go to your next class!
In the nineteenth century, the American classroom was sparsely decorated and furnished. School design was simple. Rural communities had few resources to expend on education. Often the school would be open only for a few months of the year--usually when children were not needed to work at home or on the farm.
In the one-room schoolhouse sat students of all ages and abilities. The teacher was usually an unmarried woman using only the most basic resources - slate, chalk, and a few books - teaching and learning consisted mainly of literacy, penmanship, arithmetic, and “good manners.”
The high value placed on education are evident in the shared efforts involved in maintaining the schools. Farmers supplied the wood or other fuel for the stove to keep the schoolroom warm in the winter. Parents built school desks and took turns cleaning and stocking the stable that housed the horses the children used to get to and from school each day. Teachers often lived with local families, rotating from household to household.
Discipline........
Throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, wooden canes were used to enforce discipline in the classroom. The leather strap was introduced in the 1850s, along with the hickory switch. By the 1890s the paddle was introduced and usually kept within sight behind the teacher's desk. The threat of these devices was used as a motivator for students to behave in school.
Pens, Ink, and Paper........
It was commonly believed that the appearance of one's script was more important than its accuracy. The quill pen was used for important writing tasks or for written work that would be exhibited. It was the teacher's job to whittle goose quills and make ink for the inkwells. In cities, the ink was made of ink powder mixed with water. In the country, the ink was made of lampblack or tannic acid from oak tree galls mixed with light oil or from swamp maple bark and copperas. Writing with ink could be messy, so students used blotting paper to absorb excess ink from the page when they were finished. By the 1870s mass-produced paper was inexpensive enough to be used in the classroom, bringing with it the opportunity to take work from school home to share with parents.
Slate and Slate Pencils........
In early schools, each child owned a book-sized writing slate encased in a wood frame. This was used for practicing script and it traveled to and from school with the student each day. Eventually, the slate pencil was replaced by soft chalk, making it easier to write. Students consequently, were not able to preserve any of their work. Memorization, therefore, was emphasized and achieved through collective recitation led by the teacher. A keen memory characterized a good student. After the Civil War, manufactured lead pencils similar to those used today were introduced.
Books.........
The religious and moral education of youth was a key element in early American schools. The first book in the classroom was the Bible. It was central to a child's education, not only for its content, but the way it was used to build skills. Students learned how to read using the Bible. Much of the school day was devoted to memorizing and reciting passages from it--and passages were copied to learn penmanship.
The first textbook was the New England Primer, used between 1760 and 1843. The most popular schoolbook in the nineteenth century was the McGuffey Reader, introduced in 1836. Based on landmarks of world literature, the set of six readers, which increased in difficulty, were the basis for teaching literacy, as well as basic values such as honesty and charity. In rural America the McGuffey Reader was often the only exposure people had to world literature.
Heating........
Most one-room schoolhouses had a potbelly stove. The benefit of this type of stove was that it burned many types of fuel - wood, coal, corncobs, straw, and cow chips. Farmers usually provided fuel for the stove. It was the teacher's responsibility to maintain the fire. Students sitting close to the stove were inevitably too warm and had a hard time staying focused on the lesson as they fought off drowsiness. Students in the corners or by the drafty windows were often cold, and would have to wear many layers of clothing and maybe even a hat.
Technology........
The stereoscope was introduced in the 1870s. The hand-held viewing instrument created three-dimensional images of landscapes, plants and animals.
The abacus was used in schools in the nineteenth century. This early calculator was made of a wood frame with parallel wire rods, each with wooden disks that glided on the rods. Usually there was only one abacus per classroom.
Radio was introduced to schools in New York City, in 1923. Soon after, school districts in other major cities established radio instruction on subjects such as penmanship, accounting, arithmetic, and history.
Television was first introduced in the classroom in Los Angeles in 1939. Overcrowded classrooms fueled initial interest in the use of the television in the 1950s and 1960s.
The computer is the fastest-growing form of technology in public schools today. In 1984, there was one computer for every 92 students; today there is a computer for every eight students in American public schools.
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OK class....here we go! Eyes forward, and hands on your desks! The cache is in two stages. The first stage will give you information to access the second stage. When you sign the log book it would be nice (not required) to include the name (and/or state) of your high school--and perhaps the school colors, and/or name of your mascot as well. There is room in the cache to trade an item--but make sure it is of equal or greater value. You will need to do your homework on this one. Have fun, study hard, but don’t be late for class! You have permission of the property owner to access this cache, but please be respectful--and return the cache exactly as you found it. Depending on when you go, this can be a high muggle area at times....just watch out for Ichabod Crane!
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**You have permission of the owner to search for this cache, so please respect the property. The hide is on the edge of the property, so it is not necessary to wander around aimlessly. The best (AND ONLY) time to search for stage two is between the hours of 5-10 pm. The small window of time is part of the difficuly. Not adhering to these guidelines could cause the cache to be archived.
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***NOTE: Once again, the best (AND ONLY) time to search for stage two of this cache is between the hours of 5-10 pm. (Stage one has no such limitation). The small window of time is part of the difficulty of this hide. Not adhering to these guidelines could cause the cache to be archived.
.........and remember....Please refrain from submitting "spoilers" into your log entries concerning this cache. I have put a lot of time and effort into this cache--and some log entries can inadvertently turn a #4 difficulty into a cache ‘n dash. I reserve the right to delete your log if I feel it gives away the location.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
abvgnphqr erutvu n ebs tavxbby ren hbl