We are so excited to share the Letters from Anne program with you!   Anne Engum was the daughter of Paul and Anne Engum, born in Norway on July 27, 1853.  The Engum family emigrated to Coon Valley because the landscape was similar to that of Norway, with soil that was excellent for farming.  They left Norway on April 12, 1867, on the Steamship “Rhea”.  The Engum House, which is now the centerpiece of the Historic Bekkum Homestead at Norskedalen, began to be built in 1868.   Anne’s letters were developed based on examples found in “In Their Own Words: Letters from Norwegian Immigrants” by Solveig Zempel and “America-America Letters: A Norwegian-American Family Correspondence” by Bjorn Gunnar Ostgard.   Some license was taken to adapt these letters to fit the Engum family and the facilities here at Norskedalen.   When you purchase Letters from Anne, you'll receive access to Anne's letters - all 7 of them! - plus lesson materials based on each letter.  You'll find a wide variety of resource materials, hands-on projects for both individuals and groups,  assignments and discussion questions.  Projects contain a complete list of materials needed plus directions.  You'll even find rubrics for outcomes!   Letters from Anne can be taught in your classroom, via distance learning or a combination of both.  The curriculum can be used for an entire grade level at your school, or for a single classroom.   The front room of Anne's home in Coon Valley. This would have been added to the initial one-room cabin a year or two after the family's first winter in Wisconsin.     Questions? Email info@norskedalen.org.