Archive for the ‘Classroom Resources’ Category

The Mount Vernon Education Dept. knows how important teaching with primary documents is to teachers- after all, what better source is there than the original. For this reason, we provide a link on our website to the digital edition of the Papers of George Washington, as well as a number of lesson plans that use primary documents. We have also decided to focus our next distance learning program on these important teaching tools, which will air across the nation on Jan. 8, 2009 from 4:00-4:45 pm. The program, Primarily George, will feature educators from Mount Vernon, the National Archives, the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and the Papers of George Washington. These educators will highlight online primary source documents, in their respective collections, that can be used to teach students about various aspects of George Washington and the founding and also give brief overviews of the online collections that can be used to access the sources. As always, if you miss the program when it airs, educators can request a free DVD of the program from the Fairfax Network.

The Phoebe Apperson Hearst Learning Center is a place for teachers to research 18th century American History, review curriculum kits, use the scholarly edition of the Papers of George Washington, and get custom packets of teaching resources to take back to their own classrooms. Teachers love to drop by the Learning Center while here on a field trip, but for those of you not taking Mount Vernon field trips this year we have now posted a complete bibliography of the resources in the Learning Center so that you can review our materials before you make the trip to the Learning Center.

Teachers may visit the Teacher Learning Center free of charge by announcing themselves at the desk of the Education Center. Please call 703-799-8602 with any questions.

Have you visited the Learning Center? Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

We’re starting a Revolution in the Teachers Learning Center! Who’s creating this excitement?

There’s Patrick Henry, John Hancock, Ben Franklin, John Adams, and, of course, George Washington! James and Dolley Madison, Betsy Ross, Pocahontas, Abigail Adams, and Martha Washington are in attendance as well. This names only a few of the 18th century famous beings who are in the Teachers Learning Center.

Famous Beings…err…Famous Be’ans are a great way to introduce an ‘educational’ and ‘fun’ product to your classroom. Famous Be’ans from Creation Station are a historical line of collectible ‘famous beings’ dressed in their appropriate attire. Included with each Be’an is a hangtag featuring an original colorful illustration along with information (in poetic verse and prose) about the historical figure. Continue reading We’re Having a Revolution! »

This summer, the new George Washington Teaching Ambassador for the state of Oklahoma, Jan McClaren, came to Mount Vernon to attend two of our Teacher Institutes, and returned home full of ideas and George Washington-love. This two-year Teaching Ambassador program, funded by the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, makes it possible for Jan to travel the state of Oklahoma teaching students about George Washington’s leadership and showing teachers the FREE resources available through the Mount Vernon Education Department. Jan already has requests coming in from teachers all over the state who want her to come to their own classrooms. A teacher favorite is her lesson plan where students choose a presidential candidate from a selection of anonymous resumes of leaders (including Washington, FDR, and even Hitler!) and then campaign for their candidate. No surprise that George Washington has won many of the classroom elections!

The governor of Oklahoma has been drawn into the excitement as well, and last week our Director of Programs, Nancy Hayward, was asked to present a copy of Rembrandt Peale’s Porthole Portrait of George Washington to the state of Oklahoma. Also present were our Oklahoma partners in this initiative- from the left, Kelly Curtwright, Director of Social Studies Education, Oklahoma Dept. of Education, Dan Provo, Director of the Oklahoma History Center, Nancy Hayward, Mount Vernon Director of Programs, Jan McClaren, Teaching Ambassador, Governor Brad Henry, Jean Hendrickson, Executive Director of Oklahoma A+ Schools, and Roslynn Wade, Program Director of Oklahoma A+ Schools.

To learn more about the Teaching Ambassador program, see Jan’s schedule of events across the state, and read about Jan’s adventures in Oklahoma schools, be sure to check out George Washington Wired Oklahoma!