Museum L-A

We recently went on a field trip to Museum L-A, which "...documents and celebrates the economic, social and technological legacy of Lewiston-Auburn and its people."  The museum is housed in what was once a fully functioning textile mill (in the Bates Mill complex) whose origins date back to the 1850s.   As part of the tour we were able to see how shoes are made, discuss the history and origins of the industrial revolution, explore child labor issues, and see actual spinning and textiles machines.  

My hope is that by actually visiting the mill and seeing it first hand, the students will have a better grasp on what the industrial revolution was all about, particularly here in Maine, and will remember these concepts far longer than if we had simply read and discussed them during class!

The tour started with an explanation of how shoes were constructed in the mill...

We then had a round table discussion about the industrial revolution, cotton, and textile mills...

If you look closely at the right in the picture above, you can see the many 'shoe lasts' that remain in the mill...here they are from another angle:

Here we are touring what was once the main floor of the spinning and weaving workshop.  Most of the workers were French-Canadian and Irish immigrants...

We saw where they hid the child laborers when the inspectors came! They would put the children in the tall barrels and place piles of cotton over them...

Our guide explained how the spinning and weaving machines worked and the students got to explore a bit...

A special THANK YOU to the staff and volunteers at Museum-LA.  It is clear how passionate you are about keeping Maine's history alive and sharing your knowledge with young people!  We had a great time!

Civil War Ghost Hunting

Hmm, what a provocative title!  We are indeed studying the American Civil War and as part of our studies we've discussed the unbelievable amount of carnage in the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.  As if the battle isn't interesting enough, I'm always trying to find new ways to engage my students and what better way to do this than with a ghost story?

One of my friends from college grew up in Gettysburg.  Her mother Stephanie's house, The David Stewart Farm, dates back to pre-Civil War times and was used as a make-shift hospital for Confederate soldiers after the battle.  Supposedly there are a few 'spirits' who live in the house, one being a Civil War soldier! Both a medium and a paranormal 'ghost hunter' team have been to the house to communicate with the spirits.  The following is a video of one of their visits:



Whether or not you believe in 'spirits', it's a pretty interesting video and an even more fascinating part of history!  I've been wanting to visit Gettysburg for a long time and I'm hoping maybe this summer I can pay a visit to Margaret and the other spirits on Stephanie's farm!

Great Advice!

As we start our unit on the American Civil War, I thought I'd share this humorous response:

This isn't from one of my students, it was a response found online, but funny (and true!) nonetheless!

Manifest Destiny Art Analysis

We are finishing up our unit, The Expanding Nation, where we have been studying post-Revolution American government as well as westward expansion. One recent lesson was the analysis of John Gast's 1872 lithograph, American Progress, which has become a visual representation of Manifest Destiny (the idea that it was God's intent for America to expand).

As a class we discussed the concept of Manifest Destiny as well as symbolism.  Then, in pairs, students were asked to brainstorm and come up with a list of the different elements in the painting and what each represents in terms of westward expansion, also keeping in mind the title of the piece, American Progress.

Next we discussed the symbolism in the painting.  For example, the right side of the painting is lighter to represent the fact that progress and technology had already come to the eastern part of the United States. The figure in the middle seems to be bringing technology and progress to the 'unenlightened' West.

Art analysis is a wonderful way for students to develop critical thinking skills and, in the case of this painting, it allowed us the opportunity to review what we had learned and read about throughout our unit of study.  Additionally, this painting allows for further discussion of primary source documents, much like this lesson.

A Thanksgiving Message

Read more about Thanksgiving, here!

Boston Field Trip

We just came back from our 6th annual U.S. History field trip to Boston (6th year I've planned the trip, different group of kids each year, of course)!  We started the day with lunch at Quincy Market, followed by a 90 minute guided walking tour of the Freedom Trail, then finished with a tour of the U.S.S. Constitution.  This trip is a great way for the students to see some of the places they've been reading and learning about in regards to the American Revolution and colonial American history.

Lunch & Exploring Quincy Market

Tour of the Freedom Trail with Costumed Guides

Tour of the USS Constitution (saw battle in the War of 1812)

Rise to Rebellion

We are starting a unit on the American Revolution.  As a way to discuss viewpoint and perspective, we look at the events surrounding the Boston Massacre from multiple sources, one of which is by reading a chapter from the novel Rise to Rebellion.

The first chapter of the historical fiction novel is from the perspective of a British soldier, Hugh White, who is stationed in Boston in the early 1770s.  He is standing guard in front of a custom house when he is antagonized by a group of rowdy young men.  The events that follow would become known as the Boston Massacre.

We then view the opening scene of the HBO mini-series John Adams in which Adams comes upon the scene just after the Bostonians have been shot by the Redcoats.

 

A third perspective is offered when viewing and interpreting Paul Revere's famous etching in which he termed this event 'The Bloody Massacre':

We finish the exercise on perspective by reading primary source accounts from the perspective of Captain Prescott, a British officer involved in the incident, and an anonymous colonist's account of the event.  This leads us in to a discussion about fact vs. interpretation when it comes to history.

Junto Society Tea

Last week we had our Junto Society Colonial Tea party.  Students were to bring a dish to share made from a colonial recipe as well as their Hot Topic discussion questions. I provided a variety of teas for them to sample as well as Goat's milk (the earliest colonists in America brought goats instead of cows). Here are some pictures of the fun...

Sampling Goat's Milk (some of their expressions are priceless!)

Tea Party Fun