Learn

Toys & Games

Filled with 20+ toy and game replicas inspired by the 1850s. Each toy comes with a brief history and step-by-step instructions (aimed at Grade 3's comprehension) for use. Designed to be used as different stations in your classroom so each student has the opportunity to experience games and toys of centuries before. This lesson has a heavy focus on the Art and Physical Education curriculum!

One Room Schoolhouse

Etiquette, rules, and more. This lesson explores life for settler children in a one-room schoolhouse. In terms of curriculum the lesson is focused on Social Science (2018). Transform your classroom into a one-room schoolhouse with 30 slates and pencils. The objective of the lesson is for students to analyze the developments made in teaching and learning over the century.

All About Wool

This lesson approaches the topic of wool and fibres and how settlers created natural solutions to their problems. The curriculum focus is heavily based in Science and Social Science. Many of the activities teach students to understand the difference between synthetic and natural fibres. Learn how to make your own thread by using one of the seventeen (17) drop spindles and lucets to create fabric like the settlers once did.

Quill Pen Writing

Want to know more about how settlers would have written letters and sent them? After finding out how quills and ink are made, students will get the chance to practice writing letters, folding letters and analyzing primary source letters from the time period. The lesson is cross-curricular, but has an emphasis on the Social Science curriculum.

Homesteading

Looking for an add-on lesson that focuses on science and math? This homesteading lesson comes with a complete lesson detailing how settlers made their farms, homes, and barns. Students are then asked to design a map of their own farm, and the lesson ends with creating a 3D settlement as a class. This material does not come with physical artifacts. 

Hygiene & Laundry

Water, we all need it - but how did settlers use it? Students will learn about the importance of water to our everyday life - where we get water, and where the settlers would have gotten their water. In this lesson students will have the opportunity to do laundry in the same way that Settlers would have. Students will also learn more about germs and how washing our hands, doing laundry, and staying clean is so important. Emphasis of the lesson is how did settlers hygiene, bathroom, and laundry practices differ from our own.

Soil & Farming

In this add-on lesson students will discover the importance of soil to farming, and the importance of worms to soil. Learn more about soil erosion, and the mistakes that farmers made that led to soil erosion. Additionally, they will learn more about how settlers farmed, versus how we farm now, and what settlers' farmed and why. Cross-curricular material, with an emphasis on the Grade 3 Science Curriculum.

Kitchen & Cooking

Pioneer Clothing

Immerse your classroom down to the last thread. This box includes 13 boys vests and 16 girls skirts and aprons, all in various sizes. Supplement this box by suggesting to your class to wear dress pants and blouses!

Book Your NEW & IMPROVED Backus Box Here

$25 for a two-week rental per Backus Box.
$10 for the Add On Lessons. These are complete lesson plans, with activities, rubrics, and worksheets - but they do not come with an artefacts.
Each box contains a set of historical tools, games or activities. It also comes with lessons, worksheets, maps, and more. All have been carefully curated to fulfill the Ontario Curriculum for Grade 3 classes. Each box fulfills cross curricular connections from the most recent Grade 3 Ontario curriculum, and they are outlined in the lesson. When applicable there are rubrics/mark schemes to allow for easy marking. Each lesson will likely take at least a full class time, if not longer, to complete.