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Students step back into pioneer history By Mary Stupart Life for Waterloo County pioneers was often a daily battle for survival as they struggled to _ make the basic food staples necessary for daily existence with primitive tools and impleâ€" ments. Butter wasn‘t purchased at the corner store. It was the fruit of hours of labour with a primitive, wooden butter churn. Candles and soap weren‘t the fragrant. cellophaneâ€"wrapped _ items we know today. They were functional items made of beef tallow, grease and lye. These are a few of the things elementary school students from the region are learning as they step back into history during pioneer days at Laurel Creek â€" outdoor â€" education centre in Waterloo. For the next two months, students who visit the cenâ€" tre will participate in a pioneer â€" crafts program that lets them spin wool. make soap and dip candles the way their ancestors did. The pioneer program is the brainchild of two outâ€" door education consultants, Dave Litwiller from the Waterloo County Board of Education and Brent Dysart from the Waterloo County Separate School Board. The two men have comâ€" bined their teaching knowâ€" ledge, time and class room facilities to offer the pioneer program to both separate and public school students in November and December . It‘s the first time the two local school boards have cooperated so extensively on a program that will be used by both their students Equipment for the program was purchased jointly by the school boards and the two teachers have worked together planning the pioâ€" neer program, constructing replicas of pioneer tools Page 14 â€" Waterioo Chronicle, Wednesday, November 12, 1975 528 Victoria St N_ Kitchener (Reside Weston Bakeries) 745â€"6136 After hours 578â€"7154 Large Indoor Showrooms SUPERIOR MEMORIALS FOR PREâ€"WINTER INSTALLATION YOUR MEMORIAL SHOULD BE ORDERED NOW Kingsway Auto Haus Ltd. 2256 KINGSWAY DR. KITCHENER ONT. Honpa CIUVIC 744â€"4119 and writing course outlines for teachers. The two men will} jointly teach the program to alâ€" ternating classes of students from the two boards. ‘"One of the interesting things is that it‘s the only place in the province that the two boards are working so closely together, as far as I know," said Brent Dyâ€" sart. "It‘s a completely coâ€" operative venture that is going to have to come in the rest of the province. One of the most exciting things is that we‘re leading the way in it." This new facility would combine the outdoor educaâ€" tion programs of both boards within the same building. The two outdoor educaâ€" tion consultants presently work out of two portable class rooms only 75 feet apart on land owned by the Grand River Conservation Authority at Laurel Creek in Waterloo. If the new outdoor educaâ€" tion centre is constructed the pioneer program will be the first of many cooperâ€" ative ventures. They first joined forces last year on a maple sugar project that used the hardâ€" wood maple forests surâ€" rounding the outdoor centre. They hope this cooperation will become a permanent link when plans for a new outdoor â€" education â€" centre at Laurel Creek conservaâ€" tion area are approved by the two boards. The aim of the pioneer program is to teach the students how difficult daily existence was for the pionâ€" eers. ‘‘This will give them a working experience with the tools the pioneers used. At Pioneer Village near Doon they can‘t get in and actually do the crafts. Here they will have an opportunâ€" ity to get out and see that it‘s not as easy as it apâ€" pears in a book."" said Dave Litwiller. ‘‘*We‘ll be showing them the whole process from the raw wool of the sheep to making _ twoâ€"ply _ wool, said Mr. Litwiller. The students will learn how to card and spin wool. how to dye yarn and how to weave material. The students will even have to scavenge in the woods to find herbs and wild plants to produce the necessary dyes for the wool. Wild onion,. apple leaves. walnut shells, and goldenâ€" rod are some of the plants Ask About Our Unlimited Mileage Warranty Regional news and views $3070.00 the pioneers used to proâ€" duce soft hues of yellow and brown. ‘‘*We‘ll be using any natâ€" ural material we can find that produces a colour, said Mr. Litwiller. Shingleâ€"making, using pioneers tools such as frows and maules, will also take place. Mr. Litwiller and Mr. Dysart have constructâ€" ed replica whittling benches, called schnitzelbanks, where the students will finish the rough edges of the shingles. Another project the stuâ€" dents will undertake is makâ€" ing apple cider. They will have to gather wild apples from the woods, cut them up and put them through an apple press. *‘That‘s one of the more boring jobs," said Mr. Dyâ€" sart. ‘"*But boring jobs are part of the experience. There were a lot of jobs that the pioneers had to do that were boring." After making butter and buttermilk the hard way with a churn, the students will _ bake _ oldâ€"fashioned apple cake with the ingrediâ€" ents. **They use everything they have produced as ingredâ€" ients for other products ... We are trying to show them how one thing depends on everything _ else," _ said Mr. Litwiller. Saverkrautâ€"making _ with special sauerkraut cutters will complete the cooking part of the program. The students will be makâ€" ing two types of candles, dipped and moulded. Soap will be made from a modiâ€" Outdoor education teacher Dave Litwiller shows a student from Linwood how to card wool during pioneer days at Laurel Creek outdoor education centre in Waterloo. Jeff Gascho of Wellesley pours schnitzed apples into a replica apple press to make apple cider. fied recipe the outdoor eduâ€" _ make the experience more Dysart. cation teachers have conâ€" _ realistic. ‘‘The day here is only one cocted that takes less time ‘‘We‘re hoping some of small aspect of the students than pioneer soap. the students will come Study. Classes have done a x C m Nes pan S on a N oo L tamane Ne The students are encourâ€" aged to dress up in pioneer costumes for the day to ‘‘We‘re hoping some of the students will come dressed up. It adds a little more to the atmosphere and the experience," said Mr. ‘‘The day here is only one small aspect of the students‘ study. Classes have done a fair leadâ€"up to pioneer life studies before they come here," said Mr. Litwiller.