CONNECTING WITH COLONIAL AMERICA: LESSONS FROM FIELD STUDY TRAVEL--JUNE, 2009
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ROCKFORD TEACHERS TRAVEL TO HISTORIC VIRGINIA
Click on the links below to download lessons and related documents based on the Freedom Project's first field study travel to Historic Virginia in June of 2009 as part of RPS #205's Teaching American History Grant. Thirteen teachers toured historic sites at Jamestown, Yorktown, and Colonial Williamsburg, heard from historians and well-known authors James Horn and Bill Kelso, visited archaeological digs at Werowocomoco with Martin Gallivan, and learned about the Pamunkey Indians, then and now, from tribal chief Kevin Brown. Most of the group toured Monticello and the University of Virginia to learn more about Thomas Jefferson with all the teachers completing their trek through Virginia by spending the day in and around Richmond with a focus on Patrick Henry. |
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YORKTOWN VICTORY: FATE/DIVINE PROVIDENCE OR GREAT LEADERSHIP
Victory at Yorktown Lesson Plan
Designed for middle school students, Jim Webb of Lincoln Middle School created this unit of study on the surrender at Yorktown. The unit includes background material, a power point, a primary source document with study guide, a webquest, and an assessment sheet using comparison and evaluation. Click on the links below to access each part of the unit. |
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THE CORPS OF DISCOVERY: LEWIS AND CLARK EXPEDITION
Lesson Plan for Corps of Discovery Unit
After a visit to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, Deb Johns, 7th grade teacher at Washington Academy created this unit of study for her students. The lessons and activities presented in this unit will provide opportunities to actively engage students in learning about the Corps of Discovery which was sent by Thomas Jefferson under the leadership of Lewis and Clark to explore the Louisiana Territory. By engaging students through their senses and creating visual experiences for them, the adventures of the Corps can be brought to life for today's students and at the same time stimulate their interest in American history. |
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PRIMARY SOURCES REVIEW AND THE FORMATION OF JAMESTOWN
Jamestown was the inspiration for 4th-6th grade Montessori teacher Bobbi Koch who put together this unit of study on primary sources pertaining to early colonization in Virginia. By setting up centers with historic drawings, maps, and pictures, students will work in cooperative groups to analyze and conduct an inquiry into the importance or meaning behind each primary source and then form their own conclusions to be later validated or disputed through continued study. Primary sources and analysis sheets can be downloaded from the links below. |
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THE BATTLE OF YORKTOWN
Lesson Plans for Yorktown
Designed as unit for 5th graders, Dawn Granath of Beyer School begins a study of Yorktown by showing the National Park Service video "Siege of Yorktown" to provide students with an overview of the events. In addition to the power point presentation (download below), students will hear stories and take notes then work in groups to complete document analysis sheets. The final picture of the PPT shows Gen. Washington receiving a sword from Gen. Cornwallis. Based on their studies, students will use their knowledge to figure out what is wrong with the picture. As a final activity, students are asked to write an alternate ending to Yorktown--what would have happened if the storm had not stopped the retreat of Cornwallis across the York River? Makes you think!! |
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VIRGINIA AND THE U.S. CONSTITUTION
Lesson Plan
In this unit for 5th grades, Sharon Keena of King has her students decide where delegates to the Constitution came up with the ideas for our nation's most important document. Beginning with an exercise which draws on personal experiences, students are asked to explain a situation or scenario in which rules or procedures must be followed. From there, working in groups, students compare and contrast the backgrounds of the Virginia delegates to the Constitution before tackling the more difficult job of creating an informational chart which shows which previous documents were the basis for certain aspects of our US Constitution. Click on the link above to access the lesson plan, then click on the links below to download documents and other materials for teaching this unit. |
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