From Early Stories to Today · Drawing 29
The one-room schoolhouse
The early 20th century
In some country schools, children of different ages shared one classroom. One teacher taught the whole little group.
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
The Rang-Cinq-Chicots school in Saint-Christophe-d'Arthabaska is a documented example of a rural school. Built in 1903, it served until 1960. According to the Commission de toponymie, one classroom held children of different ages, and the teacher lived there during the school week. The colouring page draws on this general arrangement without reproducing the building.
For children, the most concrete question may concern the group: how can people learn together when they are not all the same age? Imagine times when one person explains and the others practise. This small example does not describe all Québec schools. Places and teaching methods varied.
Sources and context
These links lead to other websites. Explore them with an adult. Source titles appear in their original language; some linked pages are in French.
Source review: 2026-09-12. Illustrations simplify places and scenes; they are not historical documents.