Homes, Trades and Games of Long Ago · Drawing 32 of 40
The one-room schoolhouse
The early 20th century
In the countryside, many children went to a small school with just one classroom. Younger and older children learned together with the same teacher.
Look together
How many pupils can you see?
An idea to try
You and your child teach a stuffed toy a simple action, such as drawing a circle. Then swap roles so your child demonstrates and you practise.
For the adult reading along
A little more to discover
A one-room schoolhouse could bring children of different ages together in the same class. The Rang-Cinq-Chicots school in Saint-Christophe-d’Arthabaska provides a documented example: built in 1903, it operated as a school until 1960. The Commission de toponymie records that a teacher lived there during the week, from September to June. Restored, the building reopened as a small museum in 1988. This example does not describe every rural school or every teacher’s working conditions.
For your child, the most concrete question is about the group: how do you learn together when you are not all the same age? Imagine moments when one person explains and the others practise. The colouring page draws on that organization without reproducing the building.
Sources and illustration notes (1)
An imaginary class and teacher; the Rang-Cinq-Chicots school provides documented context without being reproduced.
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. References identify the institution and the related lesson; some linked pages are in French.
- Commission de toponymie — École du Rang-Cinq-ChicotsÉcole construite en 1903, utilisée jusqu’en 1960; classe d’âges différents; institutrice résidant sur place pendant la semaine; réouverture comme musée en 1988.
Source review: 2026-09-15. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.
