Web DropIn #4:




"Amish Country"

by:

Lauren Day-Lewis
SLM 521
Fall 2003


Objectives:  
  • Students will view web pages that contain information about the Amish, including:  Amish language, beliefs, tradition, and culture, as well as the history of the Amish in America.
  • Students will view web pages to discover the best restaurants, attractions, and museums in "Amish Country", and then compose a small travel guide/brochure for your friend who is planning a trip the "Amish County". Include in your guide/brochure: the best restaurants, attractions, museums, family activities, and places to shop.
  • Students will take a closer look at another culture and learn to appreciate different cultures within our country.

Introduction:

In the 1720s and 1730s, the Amish left Europe and settled in Pennsylvania as part of William Penn's "holy experiment" of religious tolerance.  Today, the Amish live in settlements in 22 states and in Ontario, Canada.  Also, 16,000-18,000 Amish people live in Lancaster, PA.  Anyone who ever visited or traveled through South-Central/Central Pennsylvania has probably noticed acres of farmland, men wearing broad-brimmed black hats and horses leading carriages down the road.  We learn that the Amish do not use electricity or modern conveniences, and they do not drive cars.  Life without cell phones and the internet is hard to imagine, isn't it???  The rest of this page includes activities that will help you to become better acquainted with Amish life.


Activity 1:  The Amish Culture

  1. Culture - refers to the values, beliefs, behavior, and material objects that, together, form a people's way of life.

     2.  Components of Culture:
  • Symbols - anything that carries a particular meaning recognized by people who share a culture.
  • Language - a system of symbols that allows people to communicate with one another.
  • Values - culturally defined standards by which people assess desirability, goodness, and beauty, and which serve as broad guidelines for social living.
  • Beliefs - specific statements that people hold to be true.
  • Norms - rules and expectations by which a society guides the behavior of its members.
        Source:  Macionis, John J. Society: The Basics. Sixth Edition, Chapter Two. Pearson Education, Inc. (2002).

     3. Visit each link below to find out more about the Amish culture.  As you visit each link, look for information regarding Amish symbols, language, values, beliefs, and norms.  Take notes!!!
     4. Complete the chart below.

Components of Culture
 The Amish Culture
Symbols
Language
Values
Beliefs
Norms
 

Activity 2:  A Travel Guide  
  1. Next, visit the following sites to find visitor information:

     2.  Deterine the best restaurants, museums, attractions, and activities for families - where are they located? what do they offer?
     3.  Create a travel guide or brochure for someone who is planning on visiting "Amish Country".
            - Be sure to include the following:
  •   Restaurants - location, food served, atmosphere, prices.
  •   Museums and Attractions - location, exhibits, types of attractions.
  •   Activities - location, activities offered