Hands-on Learning

Educational Programs at Howell Farm

Howell Farm’s educational programs engage families and students in the real, seasonal activities of a working farm, where hands-on learning experiences provide the answers to essential questions posed by the New Jersey and Pennsylvania State Standards for Social Studies, Language Arts, Science and the Next Generation Science Standards.

The farm’s classic, mixed crop and livestock operations accurately portray the era of pre-tractor systems, creating a unique and inspiring learning environment where history, technology, and science converge...and where the past and present meet. A visit to Howell Farm gives teachers a range of curriculum themes to explore:

• Continuity and change over time

• Technological development and its impact on agriculture in our region

• Identifying problems and using tools to make things work

• The basic needs of plants and animals

• The interdependence of animals, people, plants, and the ecosystem

• The life cycles of plants and animals

• The geography of our region

• Earth’s systems: climate, weather and the formation of soil

• Using observation and investigation to generate evidence and reach a logical conclusion

• The natural seasonality of our food

Field trips are designed for private, public, and homeschools—as well as individuals and families with a desire to learn about farm life at the turn of the twentieth century.  Whether planting wheat or corn, using simple machines to make work easier, helping with maple sugaring, or spinning wool into yarn, participants are immersed in actual farming operations and activities.