Many people think of George Washington as a general or a president but he was also a very innovative farmer. During my week at Mount Vernon this summer as a participant in the 2010 Gilder Lehrman Summer Seminar I spent time studying Washington's actions as a farmer. He did some amazing things on his farms and was on the cutting edge of technology for his time. Today on a visit to Mount Vernon you can visit a reconstruction of the 16 sided round barn he built and designed to thresh grain.
One of Washington's most important decisions as a farmer came in 1765 when he decided to shift the from growing tobacco to wheat. He was one of the first to do this on a large scale in Virginia. He made this decision for several reasons and it ultimately allowed him to make a profit at a time when those who stayed with tobacco eventually fell further in debt.
During the seminar I created a lesson plan to help students analyze why Washington made this decision. The lesson is created primarily for a middle school or junior high history class and can be conducted in one 45 minute period. Students will also be using a couple of primary resources from George Washington. The podcast describes the lesson plan and this blog post includes a full description and materials in PDF format.
One of Washington's most important decisions as a farmer came in 1765 when he decided to shift the from growing tobacco to wheat. He was one of the first to do this on a large scale in Virginia. He made this decision for several reasons and it ultimately allowed him to make a profit at a time when those who stayed with tobacco eventually fell further in debt.
During the seminar I created a lesson plan to help students analyze why Washington made this decision. The lesson is created primarily for a middle school or junior high history class and can be conducted in one 45 minute period. Students will also be using a couple of primary resources from George Washington. The podcast describes the lesson plan and this blog post includes a full description and materials in PDF format.
This blog entry also includes a short video shoot at Mount Vernon with Daniel Purkey, Lead Interpreter for Historic Trades at Mount Vernon, describing the reasons for Washington's decision.
Link to a full text description of the Washington Decision lesson plan (PDF file)
Link to the student graphic organizer used in the lesson along with a copy of a completed teacher version (PDF file)
Link to a full text description of the Washington Decision lesson plan (PDF file)
Link to the student graphic organizer used in the lesson along with a copy of a completed teacher version (PDF file)
Click to subscribe to the Speaking of History Podcast at i-Tunes here
Direct link to Podcast #212 - Washington's Big Decision Lesson Plan
Great resource Eric! Would love to hear more about your experiences at the summer seminar.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great lesson plan! I, myself, even learned a lot from it! It seems like something that could really get the students thinking and interacting in the lesson. The work sheets will also be a great print out for the students to keep as a reference. Keep up the great lessons!
ReplyDeleteI think this lesson is a wonderful way to get students thinking about Washington in a different light. He, like many of our historical figures, made many more contributions to our country's history than those most noted. The video helped me visualize the period and was entertaining as well. I am sure your students enjoyed participating in this lesson.
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot from this podcast. I think it is very important for students to understand everything that Washington contributed to the shaping of our country and to think that he was so innovative in doing it, when the times were not all that advanced. I think that this lesson plan will enable students to fully understand one of Washington's contributions that is not as well known as some of his others.
ReplyDeleteI learned a lot from this podcast. In this lesson plan you are really allowing students to understand that Washington shaped our country in so many ways other than being a general and the first President. I think this is important because so often we just focus on the biggest accomplishments that someone achieved, but in Washington's case there are so many other things that he did to help our country that they are sometimes overlooked. I really enjoyed learning this about Washington because I did not know that he was such an innovative farmer!
ReplyDeleteIn addition to my first post, I would like to add that I am following your blog for my EDM 310 class with Dr. Strange at the University of South Alabama. I will be reading your posts for the next week or 2 and will be summarizing these visits to my class on 9/12. Please check in with us if you would like! Thanks for sharing your work.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Brittney Jolly and I am in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class and I will be posting on your blogs for the next two weeks feel free to visit my blog page at jollybrittneyedm310.blogspot.com! I really liked your lesson plan and what all it involved. I love history and I can't wait to teach some of it in my classroom. Although I'm not sure how much I will get to teach since I am an Elementary Education major and want to teach kindergarten I know I will find some way to incorporate it in there. I Love how you got your students to think a different way about one of the most famous presidents.
ReplyDeleteMy name is Ali Reynolds and I am a student in Dr. Strange's EDM310 class. I really enjoyed this lesson. I definitely learned something from it. I did not know this about Washington. I think the lesson plan is great. Hope your kids enjoyed it. Hope you can check out my blog at reynoldsaliedm310.blogspot.com.
ReplyDeleteHi I am a student in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama. I loved your lesson plan it made the students see Washington in another perspective than being the most famous president. The handouts are organized well and would be very useful in the classroom. I know I learned something new. I hope to see more interesting lesson plans in the near future. You can also check out my blog at chastangamberli310.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteHi Mr. Langhorst! I am a student at the University of South Alabama and Ive been assigned to look at your blog through Dr. Strange's EDM310 course. I think your lesson plan is so neat! Not only is it probably not a topic most teachers would take even 30 minutes studying, but I really enjoyed the way you formatted everything. I like that you used your own experience in Mount Vernon. What helps me learn as a student is a visual. Having a podcast to show your students is a great way to get the students involved and intrigued. You can check out my blog at davisleahedm310.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteHi Mr. Langhorst. I am a studetn at USA and I was assigned to look at your blog through Dr. Strange's EDM310 course. I really enjoyed your lesson plan. There are two things that help me learn: provided examples of experience and visual materials. I love that you used your experience with the kids at Mount Vernon. For me, it helps me understand what exactly something is rather than just reading a textbook definition. I also like that you chose to do a podcast while in Mount Vernon. The kids can really get a better feel for everything since they have something to view. I also liked your lesson plan. Everything seemed to be straight forward and ready to use. You can check out my blog at davisleahedm310.blogspot.com/
ReplyDeleteI think it is great that students will know that the teacher actually visited the place he is teaching them about and they can get such a better idea of how to think, knowing the outlook of Mt. Vernon and the details that you have shown them. Also the lesson plan itself is well developed and will help many future teachers when they first start looking for examples of lesson plans
ReplyDeleteMy name is Erin Tillman and I am currently in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class. I enjoyed this lesson very much. I did not know that about Washington. I hope to teach fourth grade, and honestly can't wait to teach History. It has always been one of my favorite subjects. I hope I can teach my students to think differently about history just like you, not just the "same old, same old".
ReplyDeleteHi! My name is Erin Tillman and I am in Dr. Strange's EDM 310 class at the University of South Alabama. I agree with Cole when he says it is great that the students will know that the teacher actually visited the place being taught. That makes it so much more interesting. I did not know all of these different things about Washington. I definitely learned something from this. Everything you are doing in this lesson is great! I hope to one day be able to make learning interesting like you have for your students.
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