Blog Archives - Fort Bend Museum

World War I: Codebreakers!

3/30/2020

By ALLISON HARRELL
Texian Time Machine & Outreach Coordinator

World War I saw the rise of the national agencies dedicated to breaking codes. While most nations had their own code systems and code breakers, a few Allied nations had notable agencies. The British had two code-breaking agencies: Ml 1 and Room 40. Room 40 had both highs and lows during the war. This naval code-breaking branch was responsible for deciphering the Zimmerman telegraph. This telegraph was sent from Germany to Mexico (though it was intercepted along the way) and it promised Mexico parts of the United States if Mexico would help Germany. The contents of this telegraph ultimately spurred the United States into entering World War I. Room 40's success with this telegraph was overshadowed by the naval mess that developed later between the German and British navy. The British were intercepting and decoding German orders, but the orders themselves were wrong (and the Germans were just as confused as the British). The British navy blamed the bad orders on Room 40, and didn't trust the code-breaking branch after that.

The American code-breaking agency was led by a man named Herbert Yardley (1889-1958), but his biggest inspiration actually came from the French. The French code-breaking agency employed a man named Georges Painvin. Before World War I, Painvin worked as a professor of geology and paleontology. After the war started, through a series of chance encounters and a few cases of just knowing the right people, Painvin ended up in the code-breaking agency. Painvin's claim to fame was cracking the German ADFGVX cipher.

Unlike the British, Painvin did not have the luxury of having a German code book on hand. He cracked the complex checkerboard code by hand and turned the tide on the German offensive against Paris. During the grueling process of deciphering this code, Painvin lost more than 30 pounds.

Code-Breakers: It's Your Turn!

'Optic Wonder' - Make Your Own Thaumatrope!

3/27/2020

The thaumatrope was at the cutting edge of science in 1824 — and is still a favorite hands-on activity for kids (and adults!) today. This simple historic toy was a precursor to modern animation. Part science, part history and part art, the thaumatrope works on the idea of “persistence of vision,” a flaw in the eye that causes an image to linger momentarily in the brain. Twisting the strings rapidly makes the two images appear to merge into one cohesive picture. Make your own thaumatrope today and then read below to discover science in the time of Texas' colonization!

Activity Directions

Download the PDF image by clicking here.
Color the image.
Cut out along the solid lines.
Fold the thaumatrope in half, aligning the tabs.
Use a hole punch to put holes through both tabs.
Thread yarn through the holes and tie securely.
Twist the yarn rapidly back and forth using the tips of your thumb and index finger.
Watch the two images merge into one!

Why Did One-Room Schools Not Focus on Science or History?

At that time of early Texas colonization, most of the events that we study today (like the American Revolution) had just happened. These events were so fresh on everyone’s mind that it wasn’t important to learn them in school -- especially when your father or grandfather might have participated in the war and could tell you more than any book.

Science in 1824

Science, on the other hand, was in a completely different place. Many of the tenets of science that we take for granted today had not even been thought of at the time. In 1824, the year the first legal land grant was issued in Texas, there were many scientific breakthroughs:

Franz von Gruithuisen explained the formation of craters on the Moon as a result of meteorite impacts
Reverend Professor William Buckland became the first person to describe a dinosaur in a scientific journal. It was the first non-avian dinosaur to be validly named.
- This was the only dinosaur at the time – which dinosaur do you think it was? (It was the Megalosaurus, which means “great lizard.”) A complete skeleton has never been found, so there are still many questions about this dinosaur.
- How many dinosaurs can you name? (Did you know that George Washington died in 1799 -- meaning that he never knew about a single dinosaur!)
Sadi Carnot scientifically analyzed the efficiency of steam engines and heat engines in general in his book Reflections on the Motive Power of Fire and on Machines Fitted to Develop that Power.
Thomas Say began publishing American Entomology which included the first description of the Colorado Potato Beetle (also known as the ten-stripe spearman).
15-year-old Louis Braille created the six-dot code that later became known as Braille.
Peter Mark Roget published a paper titled “Explanation of an optical deception in the appearance of the spokes of a wheel when seen through vertical apertures.”
- This paper dealt with persistence of vision – basically that the brain can’t comprehend too many images at one time, so it starts to overlap them.
- This principal was further illustrated by Dr. John Ayrton Paris, who demonstrated the first thaumatrope in front of the Royal College of Physicians in London in 1824.

Texas in 1832

In 1832, the first rumblings of what would become the Texas Revolution was starting in Anahuac. Juan Davis Bradburn was trying to keep the peace and maintain the law, and was being thwarted at every turn by the increasingly resistant Anglo settlers. He later arresting the ever-popular William Barrett Travis.

Science in 1832

Thomas Hodgkin first describes what would later become know as Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
Dr. Thomas Bell publishes “A Monograph of the Testudinata” – the first comprehensive study of the world’s turtles.
Pierre Jean Robiquet isolates the pain killer codeine.
Louis Albert Necker publishes his optical illusion known as the “Necker Cube.”
Michael Faraday works on electrolysis and is awarded the Copley Medal.
- Faraday (1791-1867) came from humble beginnings (his father was a blacksmith). He was ignored by some of the prominent scientists of the day because he was not a member of the upper class. Eventually, though, his results and ideas about electricity could no longer be ignored and he was elected to the Royal Society in 1824.
- He wrote a paper called “On a Peculiar Class of Optical Deceptions” in 1830.
Two different people independently develop the phenakistoscope.
- Joseph Antoine Ferdinand Plateau (1801-1883) was a Belgium physicist with an interest in vision.
  - In 1832, working with Michael Faraday, he came up with the idea of a phenakistoscope – the first device to give the illusion of a moving image.
- Simon von Stampfer (1790/1792–1864) was an Austrian mathematician and inventor.
  - He used the same 1830 paper by Michael Faraday to create what he called the Stampfer Disc (or stroboscopic disc).

This blog post is adapted from a lecture by Allison Harrell called “Science in the Time of Texas Colonization.” To contact her about giving this lecture for your group or organization, email aharrell@fortbendmuseum.org.

Make-At-Home: The Revolving Serpent

3/25/2020

By JESSICA AVERY
Programs Coordinator

Photo of the Long-Smith Cottage: Visit Sugar Land

In the 1860s, Thomas Jefferson Smith, his wife Julia, and their children called the Long-Smith Cottage home. During that time, people made do without many modern conveniences such as running water, air conditioning and electricity.

To help them see in the dark, many people depended on candles and kerosene, an oily, petroleum fuel, for their light source. Kerosene became an affordable and popular choice throughout the country because it provided three times the brightness of a candle flame.

While kerosene and candles provided light, the smoke they generated posed a unique challenge, as it would leave black marks on ceilings. Thus, many people created special devices like the "revolving serpent" that would fan away the smoke and "smoke bells" that would collect the soot.

Now you can create you own spinning serpent and watch it spin around and around. But, just to be on the safe side, we suggest holding it over a lightbulb instead of a flame!

The Science Behind the Spin
So what makes the serpent spin? Well, that’s science! When air is heated, it expands as its molecules begin to spread out and away from each other. In turn, the hot air begins to rise and the cooler air sinks; however, once the cooler air reaches the heat source, the process will begin again. The warm moving air spins the spiral serpent around and around. The cycle of moving air is called a convection current and these currents are all around us. They play a part in our weather, ocean temperatures and are even used to cook food in our ovens.

Make It Yourself

Materials

Pencil
Printable Snake or Paper (Here are two examples we found online that will work well to start with: Option #1 and Option #2)
Scissors
Thread, any color
Ruler
Needle
Crayons or markers
Glue
Lamp (preferably with the shade off)

Photo: https://www.scribd.com/doc/30016429/Toy-Box

Directions

Print out the revolving serpent or draw your own on a piece of paper.
Color and decorate your serpent.
Cut out the serpent. When you finished you will have a spiral.
Cut a 1-foot piece of thread and thread the needle. Tie a knot at the end of the thread.
Use the needle to make a hole through the serpent’s tail, and then pull the thread through until the knot stops it.
Take your thread off the needle and hold the snake up by the piece of thread. It should be hanging with the head pointing down.
You can use extra scraps of paper to make eyes and a slithery tongue.
Turn on the lamp and hold the serpent a few inches above the electric light bulb. Be very careful that the serpent does not touch the lightbulb. The heat from the bulb will make the serpent slowly spin around.

The Timeline Game

3/23/2020

By ALLISON HARRELL
Texian Time Machine & Outreach Coordinator

We've got a new history game for you today! The instructions are pretty simple:

Click here to download a set of history cards. Every person in the deck was pulled from the 2nd through 5th grade TEKS list.
Cut out the cards along the lines, then give them a good shuffle.
Using the lifetime years as a hint, your task is to arrange the cards in timeline order by what the person is best known for. (For example, what came first? Alexander Graham Bell's first practical telephone or Thomas Edison's first practical electric light bulb?)
Once you think you have everything in the correct timeline order, click here to download the answer sheet!

Did you get it right? What timing of events caught you by surprise?

Make Your Own Radio Show Activity

3/23/2020

BY JESSICA AVERY
Programs Coordinator

This Zenith TransOceanic Radio (1940s) was last on display at the Fort Bend Museum in 2015.

The History of Radio in a Nutshell

The golden age of American radio lasted from 1930 through the 1940s, and grew into the fabric of daily life in the United States. Radio provided news and entertainment to a country struggling with economic depression and war. Programming was varied and included soap operas in the afternoon, adventure series for children, science fiction, comedies and, of course, music!

During World War II there was a growth in network news that covered events happening overseas on the front. Some programming was used for propaganda purposes, while others aimed at keeping up the morale of the public. Some of the most popular shows during this time were Dick Tracy, The Green Hornet, Howdy Doody Time, The Lone Ranger and Superman.

Now an important part of making those shows come alive were the actors' voices, the music and the sound effects!

The Art of Foley

Foley is the art of creating and performing everyday sounds for television and movies. These sound effects include footsteps, wind blowing, rain, doors opening and closing and more. Many of the sound effects were developed by Jack Foley, and incredibly skilled sound effect artist, who developed a method for performing sound effects that were used during the live radio broadcasts in the 1920s. His sound effect techniques pioneered the methods that foley artists still use today.

Sound Effect Ideas

Walking Horse – Hitting coconuts together or on a hard surface or paper cups
Loud Thud – Drop a phone book
Snow – Squeeze and step on a bag of cornstarch
Thunder – Wave a sheet of aluminum
Fire – Crinkling cellophane
Birds wings – Flapping fabric in the air
Light Rain – Pour uncooked rice onto a shallow baking pan
Train – Shake a box of classic macaroni and cheese with a train whistle
Running Water or Stream – Pour water from a picture into a bowl
Footsteps – Experiment with a variety of shoes on a hard surface. You can add a little sand or sugar to make it sound like you are outside

Make and Record Your Own Radio Show

Instructions

Create a script! You can write your own script, choose an excerpt from your favorite book or use a script from classic radio shows. Here's a link to some classic radio scripts.
Go through your script and highlight where you will need a sound effect. Maybe there is rain in the background, birds flying above, snow beneath your feet, etc.
Gather your sound effect items together in one place where you can easily access them during your broadcast.
Practice your sound effects with your script.
Record your show and share it with your family and friends!

Gone to Texas Survival Game

3/20/2020

Got cabin fever? Take your family back to early pioneer days of Texas with the board game created by staff member Allison!

Gone to Texas: Survival Game!

Provided: (CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE PDF)

Game Board
Settler’s Surprise cards
Movement dice (will need to be assembled)
Player sheet

Not provided:

Two additional regular dice
Game tokens
Scissors (to cut things apart to get the game set up)
Tape (to assemble the movement dice)

Directions:

Cut apart all of the Settler’s Surprise cards and stack them on top of the game board
Assemble the movement dice. (Cut along the outside of the shape, fold all the lines, and assemble it into a cube using tape to hold all the edges together.)
Cut apart the player sheets and give one to every player (more than four can play at a time, just make sure there is a player card for every person playing.)
Follow the rules listed on the game board to play:
1. Start all game tokens on the “Fall square”
2. Roll the “movement” dice to see how far to move each turn
3. Draw a “Settler’s surprise” card if you land on a season square or if you don’t have the resources to complete the task you have been given.
4. Track all changes on the player sheet.
5. Have fun!
The game ends when everyone gets to the “End of Year” square the third time (the end of the second year).
1. The winner is the person who has the highest total resource score at the end of the game

Discussion Questions:

Was it easy to survive the two years?
Did you feel that you brought enough resources with you? What do you think you should have brought more of? What would you have brought less of?
Did you run out of any resources? If so, what resources? What sort of impact would running out of that resource have on your family?
Were there any resources that you ran low on? What sort of impact would running low of that resource have on your family?

Activities from Home: The One-Room School

3/17/2020

BY ALLISON HARRELL
Texian Time Machine & Outreach Coordinator

With school canceled for several weeks, why not have your kids learn about the one-room school of days gone by? The following post has been adapted from one of our most popular field trip programs here at the Museum. Click here to download a tablet-friendly PDF of an 1830s primer (textbook), and let's get started!

The Home School

In 1821, when the early pioneers were making their way to Texas, school was a bit different than it is today. Many children were taught by their parents at home until enough people moved to the area that a one-room school could be built.

One-Room Schools

These early pioneer schools were typically one room (either by itself or attached to another building, like the blacksmith shop) and they were very basic. They would have a few windows (sometimes with glass), a stove in the corner (for heating and warming up food) and a door.

These schools had very limited supplies that were usually supplied by the parents. Parents paid the teacher directly -- sometimes with money, but sometimes with room and board or perhaps a chicken. With such limited resources available in early Texas, supplies had to cover a wide range of topics and grades. Enter the primer.

The Primer

This single book book was designed to get children through eighth grade (after eighth grade, they were considered adults). The primers featured a number of subjects, including reading, writing and arithmetic. Use the following questions (in bold) to start your one-room school lesson!

What Subjects Were Taught in a One-Room School?

Reading, Writing and Arithmetic were the three main subjects (these were also called the "Three Rs" – Reading, ‘Riting and ‘Rithmetic). Sometimes, the lessons would also include recitation and geography; however, science and history were typically not taught as they are today.

Since paper was a rare commodity in pioneer times, memorization was frequently used to teach lessons. Children would begin the school day reciting their homework to the class. It was called "toeing the line."

HOMEWORK: Have your children practice recitation! Choose a few lines from a poem or another passage from the book and have your child recite it from memory the next day.

Questions to Ask While Looking through the Primer

There are nine word definitions scattered throughout the primer. Which word definition surprised you the most?
Aesop's Fables are included to demonstrate moral stories that were common in primers/readers. Consider these questions as you read the fables:
- What lesson is the fable teaching?
- Which character is teaching the lesson?
- What is the outcome for the character who is learning a lesson?
The primer includes two poems, both written by early Texas writers, that describe how they felt about Texas. Have your child read each poem and answer these questions:
- How did the writer feel about Texas? Is there a positive or negative tone?
- What sort of description of Texas does the writer provide? What did the landscape look like? What sort of animals were described?
- In Eduard Ludecus’ poem: What is a nopal? What is a savanna? What is a wigwam?
- In Texian Hunter: What happened to the Texian Hunter? Which real character from Texas history is poem describing? (Captain Albert Martin)
Have your children look at the two maps in the back of the primer. They show the United States in 1820 and 1830.
- How many states were in the United States in 1820? (23) What about in 1830? (24)

Fort Bend Museum CLOSED March 17-31

3/16/2020

With the uncertain and evolving COVID-19 health situation here in our community and around the world, our top priority is ensuring that our guests, volunteers and staff members stay healthy.
In response to the latest guidelines and information from the CDC and local officials, the Fort Bend History Association's Board of Trustees has decided to close the Fort Bend Museum through March 31. Additionally, acting out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of our guests, supporters and staff, the following upcoming events will be impacted:

ONLINE: Lone Star Stomp (April 18) – The annual gala, which raises funds critical for sustaining the educational programming at the Fort Bend Museum, will be converted into a virtual event this year. Please watch your inbox for more information on how to participate; if you are currently a sponsor, underwriter or donor, Director of Development Zarinah K. Poole will be reaching out to you personally over the next few days.
CANCELLED: Yoga on the Lawn

Finally, please know that we are closely monitoring the situation and will notify you of any additional changes in schedule or programming. Thank you for being a valuable partner in Texas and Fort Bend County history. We look forward to welcoming you back to the George Ranch Historical Park, Fort Bend Museum and DeWalt Heritage Center soon.

Claire Rogers
Executive Director, Fort Bend History Association

Healthy Practices at the Fort Bend Museum

3/11/2020

We want all visitors and guests of our programs to be safe and healthy while exploring Texas history. The Fort Bend History Association has practices that include daily cleaning and sanitizing here at the Fort Bend Museum — and we have implemented additional measures to ensure extra hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes are available for all our guests at the front desk.
How you can help keep your family healthy from flu viruses or the coronavirus include:

Wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
Avoid touching eyes, mouth or nose with unwashed hands.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue and toss it after sneezing or coughing.
Stay home and away from others if you or your family members are ill. A general rule to follow is that if you or your child have a fever or are too sick to go to work or school, then you are too sick to visit the Museum.

Thank you for cooperating with these guidelines!