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The Johnstown Flood National Memorial Presents

**TRY-ITS**

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Listening to the Past

FOR BROWNIE GIRL SCOUTS

Dear Brownie Girl Scouts,

Welcome to the Johnstown Flood National Memorial! We are so happy that
you chose our site to complete your Listening to the Past Try It badge.
In this packet you will find six activities to do that relate to the
Johnstown Flood Memorial. To earn your Try It badge, you must complete
four of the activities. If you want to have even more fun you can do
five or even all six! Just by coming to visit this building you are on
your way to completing one of your four activities. Good job!

Now, while you are here take a look around and learn all about the great
flood that hit Johnstown in 1889. If you already know the story, try to
find out some interesting things you did not know. We have lots of fun
exhibits and a very interesting film. If you ever have a question just
find one of our park rangers and she or he will be able to help you. And
most important of all, don't forget to have fun!

##### A special note to Troop Leaders...

This packet has been created to help your Girl Scouts earn the Try It
badge entitled "Listening to the Past". The program has been designed so
that the Girl Scouts can perform activities that relate to the Johnstown
Flood Memorial and may, therefore, extend their knowledge about the site
and its interpretive story. We are so pleased that you have chosen to
visit this site and we hope that you and your troop have a great deal of
fun completing these activities. If you have any questions, please ask a
ranger.

Try It badges may be purchased through the Girl Scout Council Office. In
Johnstown, the office is located at 612 Locust Street and the phone
number is (814) 536-5371. Thank you for visiting our site and please let
us know how you enjoyed this program!

Sincerely,

The Education Department

Johnstown Flood National Memorial

\(814\) 495-4643

######## ![](media/image2.png){width="3.0in" height="2.4in"}Listening to the Past

When you listen to the past you learn to appreciate your own life. You
also learn many interesting things about what life was like in the past.
Earning this badge will help you learn about what life was like in
Johnstown over 100 years ago and about the amazing things that happened
in this city. There are six activities to choose from. To earn your
badge, you must complete four of them. The six activities are:

1.  **Community Stories** -- listen to and share the stories of some of
    the oldest people in your community.

2.  **If These Buildings Could Talk** -- visit historic buildings,
    monuments, and sites in your neighborhood (just what you are doing
    now!)

3.  **Visit the Oldest Cemetery** -- visit a cemetery and learn some
    interesting facts as you look about, make rubbings, and search for
    different things.

4.  **Tell Stories of the Past** -- learn and share two stories written
    in the past or about the past (there are lots of very interesting
    stories to learned here!)

5.  **Acting Out** -- act out a scene from the past involving an
    historical or fictional character.

6.  **Games of the Past** -- learn to play a fun game of the past and
    teach it to others!

The following pages will tell you about the six activities and how to
perform them. Remember to ask a ranger if you have questions and have
fun!

## 

## Activity \# 1: Community Stories

**\***This activity will not be done at the Johnstown Flood Memorial.
You will complete it at another time, after you have found one or more
people to interview**\***

Did you know that there are lots of people in your community who have
hundreds of interesting stories to tell about what life was like in the
past? People who are older have lived longer and have had more
experiences. Because of that, they have more stories to tell than
younger people do. Just think, if someone is 80 years old, they have 80
years worth of stories to tell! Imagine how many stories you will have
to tell about your life by the time you are 80.

To complete activity #1 you must find some older people in your
community and listen to their stories. Tape record their stories or take
notes while they are talking so you can remember their stories and you
can share them with your Brownie Girl Scout Troop. When you do this, you
are conducting an interview. And when you interview people about their
past experiences, you are taking part in oral history!

##### Who should you interview?

Since you are learning about the Johnstown Flood today, try to find
someone who can tell you about the flood. The flood happened in 1889,
over 100 years ago, so you won't be able to find anyone who can remember
it firsthand, but you might find someone who had a relative that was in
the flood. Also, there were two more big floods in Johnstown; one in
1936 and one in 1977. They were not as big as the 1889 flood, but they
were very memorable. Ask the person you are interviewing if she or he
remembers the other floods and what they were like.

##### How to find someone to interview

In order to find some older people to interview you can look at a local
nursing home or at a community center. You can also get the names of
some older people in the community at the local historical society or
try looking in your own family. The stories that older members of your
family have to tell you will probably be the most interesting of all.
Ask the person about her/his life experiences, her/his family, what
she/he did as a child, what her/his job was, and anything else you may
want to know.

## 

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height="2.6020833333333333in"}

## 

## 

## Interviewing Etiquette

When you are interviewing someone, you must remember certain manners.
Remember, the person you are interviewing is giving you her/his time, so
you must be sure to treat her/him accordingly. Here are some good things
to remember:

-   Be on time.

-   Be prepared. Have your questions ready, your notebook out, and your
    equipment in good working order.

-   Be polite. Say *please* and *thank you* and address people formally
    (using Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss, and so on)

-   Provide time for the person to answer questions. Be patient when
    answers take a long time.

-   Do not argue with or correct the subject. Oral histories are not
    always accurate but they do provide important information about
    feelings and impressions.

-   End your interview by thanking your subject.

-   After the interview, send a thank you letter to the subject.

(This list of manners was provided by the Library of Congress)

##### One more thing...

If you plan to tape record the interview be sure to ask the person
first. Some people don't like to be taped and would prefer that you just
take notes. Always be polite and follow their wishes. And make sure you
find out some fun or exciting facts to share with your Brownie Girl
Scout Troop!

#### Activity \# 2: If These Buildings Could Talk

One of the most fun things to do with an adult is to visit historic
buildings, monuments, and sites in your neighborhood. To complete this
activity, you must visit some historic sites and learn some interesting
facts about them.

Congratulations! You have already completed half of this badge by coming
to visit the Johnstown Flood National Memorial. If you've been here
long, you've probably completed the other half. There are so many
interesting stories and facts about the Flood Memorial that I'm sure
you've come across lots of them.

While you look around the Flood Memorial Visitor's Center try to find
the answers to these interesting facts:

-   How tall was the South Fork Dam?

-   How many lovely Victorian cottages lined the edge of beautiful Lake
    Conemaugh? How many remain to this day? (you might need the help of
    a park ranger for this one)

-   Where were most of the members of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting
    Club from and what were some of the things they did at their resort?

-   Look at the big mass of wreckage with the tree sticking out. That is
    what most people saw coming at them when the flood hit because the
    water had picked up so much wreckage on the way. What things can you
    find in the mass?

-   When the dam broke, 20 million tons of water poured into the valley
    with the force of what waterfall? (you may have to listen to the
    fiber optic map for this answer)

-   What terrible thing happened at the great Stone Bridge?

-   How many people were killed in the Johnstown Flood of 1889? How do
    you think that compares with disasters like the Titanic?

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height="2.922222222222222in"}

The South Fork Fishing and

Hunting Clubhouse,

St. Michael, PA

There are so many interesting stories to hear about the flood. The park
rangers will be able to tell you all about them. Politely ask one of the
park rangers one or all of the following questions and see how many
amazing stories she or he can tell you.

-   Who is the young man portrayed on the mass of wreckage and what
    happened to him in the flood?

-   Could you please tell me who John Hess was and how he became a hero?

-   Can you please tell me about Clara Barton and how her Red Cross
    organization helped the people of Johnstown after the flood?

-   As you look around, try to think of other questions for the park
    rangers. They know all about the flood and they would love to tell
    you about it.

The Johnstown area is a place very rich in local history. There are many
other historic sites nearby that you could also visit with your troop or
with your parents. Here are some ideas:

-   The Johnstown Flood Museum

-   The Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site

-   The Horseshoe Curve

-   The Staple Bend Tunnel

-   The Johnstown Inclined Plane

-   The Altoona Railroaders Museum

Some other interesting things to remember during your visit:

-   Look on the diorama (model of the lake) and try to find what
    building you're in.

-   Look out the big windows in the visitor's center and try to find the
    Clubhouse. It is still standing in the village of St. Michael and
    can be seen from the window. Ask a ranger for help if you need it.

-   Look out the windows to see the remains of the South Fork Dam. You
    can walk right out onto the remaining sides of the dam. They are
    called abutments. Look between the abutments to see the big hole
    where the lake poured out into the valley.

-   Be sure to watch the fiber optic map (the large triangle shaped map)
    down on the bottom floor. Press the button on the side and it will
    show you the path of the flood.

-   Look at the lit-up pictures on the wall by the fiber optic map. They
    show the destruction of Johnstown after the flood. Think about how
    amazing it is that the residents of Johnstown cleaned up and rebuilt
    the city into a prosperous and beautiful place to live.

#### 

#### Activity \# 3: Visit the Oldest Cemetery

**\***This activity will be completed at the Grandview Cemetery in
Westmont**\***

On a hill high above the city of Johnstown sits Grandview Cemetery. It
is the largest cemetery in the Johnstown area and contains 62,000
graves. Most of the flood victims are buried in this cemetery. To
complete activity #3 you will visit Grandview Cemetery and learn some
things about it while you are there.

While you are at the cemetery, you will look for certain things. It's a
big place so be sure to always stay with an adult while you are there.
Also, remember that a cemetery is a place to remember your best
behavior. Don't run or shout. Always behave in a respectful manner.

What you will need...

When you visit Grandview Cemetery, you will be making some tombstone
rubbings. In order to do this you will need:

-   Children's crayons (the large ones with one flat side if possible)

-   Paper (If possible, get a roll of paper so you can rip off the
    appropriate size)

Victims of the flood

After the flood, many of the victims were buried in Grandview Cemetery.
Can you find some tombstones with the date "May 31, 1889" on them? Many
have very interesting inscriptions such as "drowned in the great flood
of the Conemaugh". Try to find tombstones with inscriptions like these
and make rubbings of them. To make a tombstone rubbing...

1.  Brush off the stone with your hand or a paper towel.

2.  Rip off a piece of paper the appropriate size.

3.  Hold it firmly against the stone (this works better if you have a
    helper to hold it for you).

4.  Rub the flat side of the crayon against the paper (if you have white
    or light paper, use a dark color like black or blue).

> \*\*\*Remember, do not use the point of the crayon. It won't work that
> way!\*\*\*

5.  Most Important: respect the tombstones, don't damage them, and clean
    up after yourself before you leave.

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height="2.1256944444444446in"}

The Plot of the Unknown

One of the most interesting parts of Grandview Cemetery is the Plot of
the Unknown. This is where the flood victims that could not be
identified were laid to rest. 777 identical white marble headstones bear
only numbers, no names. If you saw the film at the Johnstown Flood
Memorial you probably caught a glimpse of this part of the cemetery.

-   Find the plot and make one or two rubbings of the numbered
    headstones. This will help you tell the rest of your troop or
    friends and family about this unusual plot.

-   Look at the large monument overlooking the plot. Go up to it and
    read the inscription. You may want to take a picture or make a
    rubbing of it. The three figures on top of it stand for Faith, Hope,
    and Charity. This monument was a gift of the people of Johnstown to
    remember the victims of the flood.

Sandyvale Cemetery

The oldest cemetery in Johnstown is Sandyvale Cemetery, located on
Hickory Street in Johnstown. Sandyvale was significantly damaged in the
1889 flood and again in the St. Patrick's Day flood of 1936. Few of the
original markers still stand, having been washed away by the floods. If
you wish to visit this cemetery as well, be especially careful with the
older tombstones. They have endured three major floods and over 100
years of erosion. Before you attempt to do a rubbing, be sure that the
tombstone is strong enough that your rubbing will cause no damage.

##### Directions to Grandview Cemetery...

From downtown Johnstown, take Menoher Blvd, (the Easy Grade) up the
hill. When you get to the top, Grandview Cemetery will be on your right.

#### 

#### Activity \# 4: Tell Stories of the Past

###### One of the best things about learning about the past is that you get to learn lots of interesting stories that you can tell to others. Now, the Johnstown Flood of 1889 created so many interesting stories that you could spend years trying to learn them all and you still probably couldn't learn all of them. Luckily for you, to complete this activity you only have to learn two.

Once you have read these stories, you can share them with your troop,
your friends at school, your family, and just about anyone. If you are
here with your troop, you will all be reading the same stories so you
might want to try going to the library to find another story. Or, maybe
you could find an interesting story in the exhibits at the Visitor's
Center.

These two stories are both 100% true and both happened because of the
flood. One is the story of a 6-year-old girl who lived in Johnstown when
the flood hit. Her name was Gertrude Quinn. The other is the story of a
woman who dedicated her life to helping other people. When she heard
about the flood in Johnstown, she immediately came to the city to help
the people recover from the disaster. You have probably heard of her.
Her name was Clara Barton.

##### Clara Barton and the Red Cross

On Christmas Day, 1821, Clarissa Harlowe Barton was born in the town of
North Oxford, Massachusetts to Stephen and Sarah Barton. Her parents and
four older siblings always called her Clara. Clara's brothers and
sisters were all more than ten years older than she and they all
contributed to her education. She was devoted to her family and they
taught her the importance of hard work.

Clara became a schoolteacher and was dearly loved by all of her
students. While teaching in her school in Oxford, she worked tirelessly
to assert her own rights. Clara lobbied to be paid the same salary that
the male teachers were being paid. At that time, women were paid a lower
wage, even when they did the same work, simply because they were female.
Clara said, "I may sometimes be willing to teach for nothing, but if
paid at all, I shall never do a man's work for less than a man's pay."
Clara also fought for women to have the right to vote.

In 1852 Clara started a free school in Bordentown, New Jersey. This was
a public school for people who could not afford to send their children
to private academies. Public schools were far less common in the 1850s
than they are today. The Bordentown School was very successful and after
establishing it, Clara moved to Washington D.C. She became a clerk in a
Patent Office and was, at that time, the only woman employed by the
United States Government.

In 1861, the Civil War began. Clara was an ardent supporter of the Union
cause. Concerned that many of her former students would be fighting in
the war and would not have sufficient clothing and supplies, she
organized donations of supplies from all over New England for the
troops. Wanting to do more as the war crept on, Clara went directly to
the battlefront, putting herself in harm's way to aid the suffering
soldiers. She traveled into the war zone with shells exploding around
her and bullets sometimes carrying off portions of her dress as they
whizzed past. Clara was truly an "Angel of the Battlefield."

Clara became a public figure after the war. She continued to lobby for
women's rights and for the education and support of the slaves that had
been freed in the Civil War. In 1870 she traveled to Europe to aid
sufferers of the Franco-Prussian War. Here, Clara worked with an
organization called the International Red Cross.

In 1881, Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross to help relieve the
suffering of Americans in need. Throughout the 1880s Clara's Red Cross
helped ease the distress of victims of earthquakes, tornadoes, fires,
and disease epidemics, but it wasn't until 1889 that the newly formed
Red Cross had its first major test.

The Johnstown Flood of 1889 was a disaster of major proportions. Reports
of it swept the nation and it was the biggest news story since the
assassination of Lincoln. Clara had pushed for an American chapter of
the Red Cross, arguing that the purpose of such an organization would be
to specialize in the relief efforts of major disasters. The Great Flood
was just the sort of event that the Red Cross was meant for and Clara
intended to prove the worth of her organization in Johnstown.

Clara set off for Johnstown as soon as she heard of the suffering there,
exclaiming, "if ever a people needed help it was these." The first train
to make it into the shattered city carried Clara and a team of doctors.
She set up headquarters in a tent and immediately began issuing orders
from a makeshift desk consisting of a dry-goods box. She and her staff
set up medical tents, built hotels and small cottages, and distributed
an endless amount of clothing, shoes, blankets, and food.

People all over America heard of the suffering

in Johnstown and relief in the form of money, furniture,
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ironware, mattresses, pillows, bedding, shoes, clothing,

blankets, building materials, food, cooking utensils, and

other necessities of life poured in from cities and towns

across the nation. The city of Johnstown had been

completely destroyed and the survivors had to rely on

outside aid for everything since the flood had carried

away every scrap of edible food and usable clothing.

Clara was determined to give the people of

Johnstown hope as well as material provisions.

######### She immediately organized the building of small 

houses and "Red Cross Hotels" for the shelter of the

survivors. It was still raining in Johnstown everyday

for over a month after the flood and, as the city was

covered in mud and wreckage, sturdy shelter was a A portrait of Clara
Barton, done in Johnstown

high priority.

For five long months Clara worked tirelessly to help the people of
Johnstown. She did not leave the city even once during those months
claiming that the Red Cross stayed where it was needed as long as it was
needed. "We are always the last to leave the field," she said.

When Clara did finally leave Johnstown it was amid tears of thanks from
the people she had so greatly helped. The residents of Johnstown held a
reception in her honor and presented her with a gold locket and pin set
with diamonds and amethysts. Clara was very proud of the city she helped
to rebuild. She later wrote,

> "Enterprising, industrious, and hopeful, the new Johnstown,
>
> phoenix-like, rose from its ruins more beautiful than the old,
>
> with a ceaseless throb of grateful memory for every kind act
>
> rendered, and every thought of sympathy given her in her
>
> great hour of desolation and woe. God bless her, and God
>
> bless all who helped save her!"

The people of Johnstown never forgot the "Angel" who worked so
selflessly to aid them in their time of need. Johnstown "lost no
opportunity to show her gratitude to the world" when her residents,
while still rebuilding their own city, contributed funds to Clara's
relief efforts in tornado-devastated Louisville and famine-stricken
Russia. George Swank, editor of the *Johnstown Tribune*, wrote of her,
"Too much cannot be said in praise of this lady...To her timely and
heroic work, more than to that of any other human being, are the people
of the Conemaugh Valley indebted."

##### The Amazing Story of Gertrude Quinn

###### Gertrude Quinn was born in 1883 in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. She was the fifth of seven children born to James and Rosina Quinn. Gertrude had two brothers and four sisters. She lived in a beautiful three-story, red-brick house on Main St. in Johnstown, where her father owned a dry goods store. ![](media/image7.png){width="2.3784722222222223in" height="3.845138888888889in"}

###### On the day the dam broke Gertrude had been playing in her house. The rain flooded the streets of Johnstown and her father had forbidden anyone to go out. Gertrude's mother, her older sister, and her baby brother were away visiting relatives so while Gertrude's father was at his store, her Aunt Abbie and her nursemaid, Libby, were watching her. 

###### Gertrude was playing on the third floor of the home, in a large playhouse that had been made for her. It had a miniature dining room, parlor, kitchen, hallway, and bedrooms, all furnished with miniature tables, chairs, carpets, beds, and sofas. Looking out to see the rivers in the streets of the town, Gertrude longed to be able to play 

###### in the water. She decided to sneak out to the porch without her aunt's knowledge and watch the ducks swim around in the small lake that used to be the front yard. 

As Gertrude sat on the front porch dangling her feet in the muddy water,
she didn't notice her father coming home. James Quinn, who had been
fearful of the great South Fork Dam for some time, had come to take his
children to high ground on the hills surrounding the city. When he saw
Gertrude disobeying his orders, he scolded her and ordered her to get
new stockings on, for the family was moving to the hills.

As James was waiting for everyone to get ready, he heard the rumbling of
the terrible wave. He screamed for everyone to run to the hills and not
to go back for anything. Gertrude's father picked up her baby sister,
Marie, and instructed everyone in the house to follow him. Gertrude's
two sisters, Helen and Rosemary, were immediately at their father's side
and Gertrude ran out the door and prepared to jump off the porch, into
the muddy water, and make her way to the hills with her family. Just
then, she felt something pulling her back.

Gertrude's Aunt Abbie, who had her own baby, Richard, with her, did not
like the idea of trudging through the muddy water. She was certain that
such a grand and sturdy building as the Quinn

house could never be washed away. Many times she had told Gertrude's
father "You are too anxious, this big house could never go." She still
believed that she was safe inside the Quinn home, so she pulled Gertrude
back with her and, carrying her baby, instructed Libby to follow her up
to the third floor of the house. Libby picked up Gertrude and followed
Aunt Abbie up the stairs.

Gertrude bit and scratched and screamed to be let go. She wanted to
follow her father and sisters but Aunt Abbie would not allow it. She
threw open the front window of the house and they looked at the scene
below. Bells rang and whistles blew as thousands of people struggled to
make it to the hill, the mountain of water and debris bearing down on
them.

Gertrude, Libby, Aunt Abbie, and baby Richard crawled into the playhouse
on the third floor as they heard the rumbling of the flood. Gertrude's
father reached the hill and looked back in horror to see that his
daughter and the others had not followed him. He turned to go back for
them just as he saw his house rock back and forth for a moment and then
disappear into the great wave.

Inside the house Gertrude was screaming "Papa! Papa!" as loud as she
could. The others were all terrified for their lives. "This is the end
of the world!" exclaimed Aunt Abbie. "We will all die together!" Just as
the wave hit, Gertrude saw the floorboards cracking open, yellow water
bubbling up, and then suddenly her aunt, her baby cousin, and Libby were
all gone. They vanished into the water leaving Gertrude alone.

Gertrude struggled to keep the water, mud, and sticks out of her mouth.
She turned around and saw a ray of light. She wasn't sure where it was
coming from but she jumped toward it. As her house collapsed into the
muddy water Gertrude found herself on a makeshift raft of debris,
mattress, and bedding. This was the beginning of a wild ride.

Gertrude's raft whirled and tossed through what used to be Johnstown.
She described the rushing waters as being "like boiling taffy in a giant
cauldron." As she careened past trees and wreckage, whole houses floated
past her. The makeshift raft tilted down and then up and Gertrude had to
spring back and forth from end to end to keep it balanced. She screamed
for help but no one seemed to notice. Most of the people were too busy
holding on to roofs, chimneys, or whatever else they could find. Her
raft floated more than two miles upstream and then back down again
before a man named Maxwell McAchren spotted her.

Maxwell McAchren was a big strong man who worked in the town's mill. He
was floating on a roof with about 20 other people when he saw little
Gertrude on her raft. The people on the roof tried to stop Maxwell from
saving Gertrude. They told him it was too dangerous and that he would be
killed. Maxwell replied, "I am going to save that baby. Do you people
think an angel from heaven is going to come down and help you? God helps
them that help themselves."

With that, Maxwell jumped into the churning water. He was strong and a
good swimmer so he was able to make it to Gertrude's raft. Just as he
climbed aboard the raft, the roof he had been riding on crashed and sank
into the water.

Gertrude held onto Maxwell with all her might. She was so happy to be
rescued! But she wasn't safe yet. The two of them were riding the raft,
trying to avoid crashing into trees, buildings, pieces of buildings,
railroad cars, bridges, and whatever else was floating in the water.
They also tried to stay away from the giant whirlpool at the edge of the
city that would spin their small raft round and round until they were
dashed into the water.

As Gertrude and Maxwell passed near the hillside, they noticed and man
holding another man by his ankles and dangling him out of a window. The
two men were pulling people out of the water to safety. They spotted
Maxwell McAchren and little Gertrude on the raft and one of them yelled,
"Throw that baby over here to us."

Maxwell shouted back to him, "Do you think you can catch her?"

"We can try." He called back.

Maxwell decided it was the only hope and so he picked Gertrude up and
tossed her up, up, up, high into the air. She flew 20 feet over the
muddy water before landing in the arms of Henry Koch. His companion,
George Skinner, pulled him in by the ankles and Gertrude was finally
safe.

Maxwell McAchren still had a wild ride left before him. He rode the raft
four miles downstream until he was rescued. His heroism had saved little
Gertrude Quinn.

Gertrude's father, James, was very happy that his child had been saved
from the terrible flood. He told her that if he saw Maxwell McAchren in
town that he would thank him but he told Gertrude that she was never
allowed to see Maxwell again, not even to thank him.

> Why do you think Gertrude's father made that decision? Before you read
> any further in the story, think about why he might have felt that way.
> There are some clues in the story to help you figure it out.

Gertrude's father did have a reason for forbidding Gertrude to see
Maxwell. Gertrude's family was one of the wealthiest in Johnstown. She
lived in a beautiful three-story brick house on Main Street. She had
lots of lovely toys and clothes and her father's store was a very
successful business.

Maxwell McAchren worked in the mill. Millworkers were not very wealthy
and Gertrude's father did not think it was proper for her to speak with
someone from a lower economic class. This seems very unfair but it was a
commonly held view in 1889.

Gertrude was only six years old and she had to obey her father's orders
but she secretly planned to find Maxwell McAchren one day when she was
older and thank him for saving her.

When Gertrude was old enough to do what she wanted, she began to search
for Maxwell McAchren. As she looked for him she discovered that she was
too late. She was reading a newspaper one day when she saw the
announcement that he had recently died.

Gertrude never forgot the man who saved her life. She sent a dozen roses
to Maxwell's funeral. When Gertrude got even older, she decided to share
the story of how she was saved. She wrote a book called *Johnstown and
Its Flood*. In it, she told the story of her rescue and called Maxwell
McAchren "my saviour", "my personal guardian angel", and "my hero".

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height="3.732638888888889in"}

####### Activity \# 5: Act It Out

Have you ever wanted to be an actress like the people you see on TV and
in the movies? Well, here's your chance! To complete this activity, you
will become an actress.

Activity #5 requires you to choose a favorite real person or fictional
character from the past and act like her. Here's what you can do:

1.  Choose a person or character and act out a scene from her life. You
    can use the stories in activity #4 to act out a scene from the life
    of Gertrude Quinn or Clara Barton. Or, research the life of another
    person who was involved in the Johnstown Flood and act out a scene
    from her life. You can get one of your friends from your Girl Scout
    troop to act with you and you can write a small scene to act out.
    This could be the beginning of a career as a playwright! If you
    choose not to write a scene you can just make up the words as you go
    along. This is called improvisation. Or you can...

2.  Dress up like the person you chose and act like her during your Girl
    Scout meeting. If you chose Clara Barton, this could mean that you
    pass out snacks to your troop members the way Clara helped the
    people of Johnstown. Be creative with your costume and the way you
    act and explain it to your troop members so they can learn the story
    too.

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##### Activity \# 6: Games of the Past

Did you know the Johnstown Flood occurred in a period of time known as
the Victorian Era? This was because Queen Victoria of England, who
reigned for many years, was so influential on style, clothing, and
behavior that the time period was named for her.

During the Victorian Era, games for young ladies were designed to impart
good manners and moral behavior. Verbal games were popular as they were
thought to be educational and encourage polite conversation. Board games
and card games were also popular amusements for the parlor. Games such
as football and baseball were strictly for boys. Proper young ladies did
not engage in such rough sports. If a young lady wished to amuse herself
out of doors, a civilized game of croquet would be just the thing. My,
how times have changed!

To complete activity \# 6 you must learn to play a game from the past
and teach it to others. The following games were popular children's
games in 1889. Gertrude Quinn and her friends may have played them. You
may already know these games. If you wish, you may want to ask your
parents, grandparents, aunts, or uncles to teach you a game from their
childhood. You may be surprised at how much fun you'll have.

Yes or No

Yes or No was a parlor game that was popular because it could be played
without any props and was useful for settling children down "after a
romp." In order to play, one person had to think of something and the
other children asked questions in order to "guess the thought." The
questions must require only a yes or no answer. For example:

The thought is "a cat."

-   Is the thing you're thinking of alive? (yes)

-   Is it a plant? (no)

-   Is it an animal? (yes)

-   Is it bigger than a person is? (no)

-   Is it a dog? (no)

-   Is it a cat? (yes)

The children take turns asking questions and the person to guess the
thought thinks of the next thought.

Crazy Eights

Card playing has been a popular pastime for hundreds of years. King
Charles VI of France commissioned a decorative deck of cards to be made
for him in 1392. Crazy Eights is a card game that was invented many
years ago and was popular in the Victorian Era. It is played with a
standard deck of cards among 2 -- 4 players. The object of the game is
to be the first to get rid of all your cards.

-   Deal five cards face down to each player (seven cards if there are
    only 2 players).

-   Place the remainder of the deck face down to be the "draw deck".

-   Turn the top card over and place it next to the draw deck. This is
    the "starter card".

-   Play starts with the player to the left of the dealer. She must play
    on the starter card a card of the same suit or rank. (Example: If
    the card is the queen of hearts, the player must play either a queen
    or a heart.)

-   Play then continues clockwise around the circle. If a player cannot
    play, she must pick up a card from the draw deck.

-   Eights are wild in this game. If a player plays an eight, she then
    decides what suit will follow. She can play an eight of clubs and
    change the suit to diamonds if she wishes. The next player then has
    to play an eight or a diamond.

-   The first player to play all her cards wins.

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