At-Home Learning Resources

For elementary students and families, we’ve rounded up a few resources for bringing the Ellwood House to you.

For an introduction to the Museum, START HERE.

To learn more about Isaac Ellwood and the story of barbed wire, CLICK HERE
*This is a printable booklet - pages will be in order once folded together. A scanned copy of pages in order can be found here.

Tour your House

Learn about how museums use objects to learn about the lives of people in the past, and try out creating a tour of your own space.

"Tour Your House" Activity

Architectural Scavenger Hunt

Take a walk around the museum campus! Can you spot all of these architectural details? Answer Key

Architectural Scavenger Hunt

Spotlight on the Ellwoods

Follow along with us as we share activities based on the lives and interests of Ellwood family members. New activity pages will be added periodically.

Harriet Ellwood

May Ellwood

Ellwood Servants

Complete one (or all!) of the activities, and share your projects with us on Facebook and Instagram using #SpotlightontheEllwoods.

School Tours

Historic photograph of workmen remodeling the Ellwood Mansion in 1912 Black and white photograph of about 20 workmen completing the 2nd major remodeling of the Ellwood Mansion  Much of the south side of the building has been removed, to make w

Historic photograph of Patty and IL Ellwood as children, standing outside the conservatory Black and white photograph of Patty and IL Ellwood as young children They are standing on the west lawn of the Ellwood House, with the conservatory seen in

Cost: School field trips are free of charge.

Group Size: Due to space limitations inside the mansion, the maximum number of students we can accommodate at one time is 45.

Times: We prefer to host field trips in the morning and can begin as early as 9:00 AM. School tours cannot be scheduled for 1:00 PM or 3:00 PM. School tours are available Tuesday through Friday. The museum is closed on Mondays.

Food & Drink: Lunches can be brought and eaten on the grounds. The Hearthside Room in the Visitor Center may be available as a backup in case of inclement weather. Please contact our office for availability.

Chaperones: We appreciate chaperones, but we ask that you limit parent chaperones to 2 adults per visit - not including teachers and staff.

Special Programming: We offer tours specifically designed for elementary-aged students. Please see below for details.

Time Travelers

2nd Grade Program

Students will discover how historical documents and artifacts can lead to answers to historical questions. During a guided tour of the mansion, students will learn how the building itself is a historical artifact that provides a look into the past.

Program Purpose

Students will be introduced to Isaac Ellwood and the barbed wire industry in DeKalb, learning how barbed wire impacted the lives of the Ellwood family and why Isaac Ellwood was important to the development of DeKalb.

Program Logistics

The program lasts 90 minutes. Please call our office at 815-756-4609 or email Audrey King at king@ellwoodhouse.org for more information or to book this program.

Hard Work

4th & 5th Grade Program

Students see and feel what life was like for those individuals who worked for the Ellwood family around the turn of the twentieth century. While touring the mansion's work areas and staff living quarters, students will try hands-on some of the jobs done by staff members.

Program Purpose

The program familiarizes students with differences in lifestyle between the Ellwood family and their working class staff. Students will gain an appreciation for the complexity and physicality of working at the Ellwood House. Students will also learn about the immigration experience and how education, language, and practical skills determine the types of jobs available to the Ellwood House staff.

Program Logistics

The program lasts 90 minutes. Please call our office at 815-756-4609 or email Audrey King at king@ellwoodhouse.org for more information or to book this program.