|
-
An old
lockkeeper's house
- A
mysterious ring
- An
abandoned lock
- and
. . . a pesky little brother . . .
- all add
up to an unforgettable trip into the past!
-
When
the Iron Horse stampeded across the untamed
reaches of a brash young America, another
era faded away as quickly as it had bloomed.
It was the age of canals, when workers
migrated to the Great Black Swamp to toil
for 30 cents a day to dig the “Big Ditch.” Young
adult readers will keep the pages turning as
they join cousins Tessa, Will and Patrick
and venture back to the rollicking days of
the Ohio canals through the historical
mystery: Secret of the Lockkeeper's
House!
-
The study of
canals is an Ohio social studies curriculum
requirement, and after I wrote my first
novel, A Heritage of the Heart, schools began inviting
me to talk with students about writing and
canal history. In response to this need I
wrote a new book, Secret of the
Lockkeeper’s House, to be an
entertaining cross-curriculum partner for
use in Ohio upper elementary and middle
schools. The plot and characters
present a lively and
in-depth look at canal days, encouraging young minds
to
imagine life during that important era. Also
available is the new Secret of the
Lockkeeper's House Teaching Companion
- stuffed full of all sorts of reading and social
studies activities, maps and further
information to enhance and support teaching Ohio
canal studies.
- If
you want to know more about canals - be sure
to check out the "links" page for
more places to learn about the fascinating
Ohio Canal Era!
 Excerpt from Secret of the Lockkeeper’s
House
The water level in the lock
was rising. Rising rapidly. Caught in a
small whirlpool, the
Mist began turning in
what, at first, was an easy circle. The
children froze to their seats as the boat
began to spin faster and faster. The only
sound was rushing water as it lifted the
Marvelous Miami Mist higher and higher
and whirled the boat around and around,
faster and faster.
The water rose higher
and higher, climbing steadily up the walls
of the lock. As is from a very long
distance, they heard a faint, sad sound,
like the moan of a horn. Hooo-ooot . . .
And another sound — a
man’s voice, singing musically up and down,
chimed in with the horn.
“Hey . . .
Lo-o-ock . .
.”
-
Secret
of the Lockkeeper's House . . . $11.95
- Click
Here to Order:
- (Scroll
to the bottom of the Bookshelf
Page)
-
Secret
of the Lockkeeper's House Teaching Companion
-
- In
conjunction with Secret of the
Lockkeeper's House, The Secret
of the Lockkeeper's House Teaching
Companion is now available. It is
a comprehensive collection of
activities that further enhances
characters Tessa, Will and Patrick's
canal experience. Included are
crossword, word search and other
puzzles, fill-in-the-blanks, and many
more reading and social studies
activities, plus further research and
reading resources, and a full-color diagram that explains in simple
terms how a lock works.
- Coil
bound and all pages are
reproducible.
-
Secret
of the Lockkeeper's House Teaching Companion
. . . $22.95
-
- Click
Here to Order:
- (Scroll
to the bottom of the Bookshelf
Page)
A Heritage of the Heart, for
the older and adult reader, is a
heartwarming novel about nurse Elizabeth
Hudson’s discovery of life on the Miami and
Erie Canal.
Excerpt from A Heritage of the Heart
A
horn blared and fine
tenor voice sang out, “Hey-ey-ey! Lo-o-ock!”
Staggering at the impact,
Elizabeth stared as the long rope attached
to the mules that had just passed by dipped
into the canal briefly, then rose again. Her
eyes followed the rope to the amazing sight
of a boat, a canal boat!
She stared as it drew even and glided slowly
by. The long, low-riding vessel was
constructed of wood and painted white with
red trim. Curtains fluttered from windows
replete with green shutters. A man in
soiled, old-fashioned clothing, stood atop
the little house at the rear. He leaned
slightly on a large pole that was the water line. The steersman politely
touched his hat to Elizabeth as the craft
passed so closely she could have touched it
with an outstretched hand.
A
Heritage of the Heart . . . $10.95
- Click
Here to Order:
- (Scroll
to the bottom of the Bookshelf Page)
Comments and
Recommendations:
-
 Suddenly the lazy summer is transformed for Tessa and her cousin Will as
they are transported back to 1850 during the
time of the
Ohio
canals. Kohart has an excellent ear for
adolescent conversation and also an
excellent command of the history of the
Miami and Erie Canal, which she interweaves
into a compelling story for young readers.
- Kate
Templeton Fox, Ohioana Review
-
-
So
rich in historical facts, it’s eloquently
designed, intertwining historical data with
a rich vocabulary. Kohart’s book also draws
attention to how people used verbs and
adjectives differently in their speech.
-
Jill Hatcher, Middle School
Accelerated Reading Program, Curriculum
Committee, Paulding Exempted Schools
-
“Mrs. Kohart captures her
audience and keeps them rapt with interesting anecdotes and the
sometimes harsh realities of life along the
canal.
-
Susan Hill, MSL, Director,
Paulding County Carnegie Library, & Editor,
Rural Libraries Newsletter
-
- Thank
you for coming to our school. I
enjoyed hearing your stories. I loved
your presentation. Thank you!
-
A Fulton County (Ohio) Fourth Grade
Student
Please contact Georgia for more information
about the complete Canal Days School Package
and school and group discounts.
Email:
heritageheartfarm@roadrunner.com or call
419-785-4146
- The
Ohio Canal Era Presentation
-
-
Students will hold the past in their
hands through Mrs. Kohart's Ohio Canal
presentation with hands-on exploration
of artifacts, they'll see and
hear a lock horn, travel via
PowerPoint down the Miami and Erie
Canal, hear an exciting excerpt from
Secret of the Lockkeeper's House, get
a chance to "show what they
know" through a lively question
and answer period and take home a
"Hug-A-Mule" sticker. With
every school visit, each school
receives a complimentary copy of Secret
of the Lockkeeper's House, A Heritage
of the Heart and The Secret of
the Lockkeeper's House Teaching
Companion.
- Mrs. Kohart
blocks out about three to four hours for
each school visit. The fee is $500,
plus expenses, if her visit requires
an overnight stay. How that time is
spent is flexible and tailored to each
school. Some prefer one large
assembly, followed by multiple classroom
visits or break-out activity sessions.
We work together to create the program
that best fits your students, staff
and facility. Some schools begin their
study of canals with the Ohio Canal
Era Presentation, while others
conclude the unit with it. The reading
level of Secret of the Lockkeeper's
House and Mrs. Kohart's
presentation is best appreciated by
grades four through six, however if
third graders are studying the canals
and have the book read to them, they
are usually very enthusiastic about
the topic and ask pertinent questions.
- Mrs. Kohart
also addresses reading and writing
advocacy, telling students about how
she became a writer, what inspires her
to write and encourages students to
think of good writing skills as a tool
for future success, no matter what
career path they choose.
- Please
don't hesitate to call with questions
- we'll be more than happy to discuss
a possible Ohio Canals visit with
you!
-
- Heritage Heart
Farm - Books from the Heartland
- 419-785-4146
-
heritageheartfarm@roadrunner.com
|
