Introductory and Warm Up Activity (for entire lesson unit plan): 
How to Read an Object

Museum Collections, Similar Items, and Other Materials Used in this Activity
For images of museum objects in the Park collections, similar locally available objects, other materials, forms, worksheets and charts, and art and other supplies used in this activity, go to Section C, Museum Collections, Similar Items and Other Materials Used in this Lesson Plan. Download the images of museum objects in the Park collections, and obtain similar items and materials listed in Section C.

Implementation Procedures:

• Divide students into groups of four students each.
• Distribute to each group a copy of the How to Read an Object worksheet
  
  

• Distribute to each group an image of one of the museum objects listed in Section C, Museum Collections, Similar Items and Other Materials Used in this Lesson Plan.
• Instruct the students on how to use the worksheet as a guide for analyzing the object in the picture. Have them to record answers on the paper that you have given to them
• Instruct each group to designate a member of their group to record answers and designate a member of their group to be the reporter of what they have observed.  
• Give students 10 minutes to look at the image and respond to the questions on the worksheet.
• Have each group share what they have observed about their museum object image and what they learned about how to read an object.
  
  

• Distribute to each group one of the objects you brought to the classroom for them to compare with the images.  Match the locally obtained items with the museum object images, i.e., give the group with the ice creepers the snow boots for comparison.  Instruct students to compare the objects within their group discussion with an emphasis on the need for these objects today, the kind of materials used in the past versus today, the craftsmanship in the design of the objects. For those students with the images of the state and U.S. Capitol interiors, have them compare architectural design, how the buildings are used today compared to the past, and what governmental activities take place in the buildings.
  
  

• Conclude the activity by reminding the students that the observation skills they have learned from this exercise will be used throughout this Lesson Plan Unit.
• Distribute a copy of the blank worksheet to every student and instruct them to keep them accessible in their notebooks for future reference.
  
  

• Successful completion of the How to Read an Object worksheet
• Demonstrate effective observation and analytical skills.
• Demonstrate an increased awareness of the importance of studying objects to learn about the past based on responses to questions on the worksheet.

Lesson 1: Declaring Freedom

Background and Historical Context
Independence National Historical Park tells the story of the Revolution's political progress. In 1774, the Continental Congress first convened here. Later it heard the news of Lexington and Concord (in Carpenters' Hall, a privately owned park, within the boundaries of Independence National Historic Park). By mid-1775, Congress moved to the Pennsylvania State House, now called Independence Hall, to discuss American concerns over England's restrictive colonial policies. As the situation worsened, colonial protests increased. With the outbreak of armed resistance at Concord and Lexington, Congress chose George Washington as Commander-in-Chief of America's new army. When Congress reconvened in the fall, King George III had already declared that the colonies were in open and avowed rebellion.

Early in 1776, Thomas Paine's Common Sense galvanized public opinion in support of independence. In June 1776, Virginia delegate Richard Henry Lee offered Congress the resolution that "these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent States". Taking up Lee's resolution, Congress appointed a committee to compose the colonies' list of grievances to the king. Committee member Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence during early summer 1776 in his rented Philadelphia rooms. The building where he lived is now known as the "Declaration House". Congress debated and adopted the Declaration in Independence Hall on July 4th. It authorized the document's printing and distribution to the colonial legislatures and armies in the field.

Throughout the war, Independence Hall often served as Congress's home. The first plan for America's new government, the Articles of Confederation, was ratified here in 1781. Six years later, the Constitution was drafted in Independence Hall, completing the political journey that began before the war.

Museum Collections, Similar Items, and Other Materials Used in this Activity
For images of museum objects in the Park collections, similar locally available objects, other materials, forms, worksheets and charts, and art and other supplies used in this activity, go to Section C, Museum Collections, Similar Items and Other Materials Used in this Lesson Unit Plan. Download the images of museum objects in the Park collections, and obtain similar items and materials listed in Section C.

• Lesson Plan 1, Declaring Freedom; Activity 1: Leadership
  

  Implementation Procedures
  For this activity you will share with the students the portrait of George Washington by James Peale as well as images of contemporary political leaders.  Below is a brief description about the portrait:

  Charles Willson Peale's 1787 portrait of Washington provided the artist's younger brother James (1749-1831) with a source for his own circa 1790 portrait of the general at the battle of Yorktown. The Charles Willson Peale portrait is at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. James Peale borrowed other elements from his brother's work for this painting. The background landscape is possibly from Charles Willson Peale's 1784 full-length portrait of Washington that is now at the Fogg Museum of Art. The oil painting depicts a three-quarter length view of the subject's body turned to the subject’s left. George Washington is shown wearing a blue uniform coat with buff facings, gold epaulettes with three stars each. The buff waistcoat has a white stock, jabot and cuff. George Washington has powdered hair and blue eyes. His right hand holds a gold sword hilt, glove, and black tricorner hat. Two armed men in uniform (James and Charles Willson Peale) stand behind Washington’s right shoulder under a tree. A column of uniformed soldiers, one carrying the French flag, is in the right mid-ground of the painting.

  Step 1
  Divide the students into small groups.
  Distribute a “Read a Portrait Observation Guide for Students” worksheet to each group as well as a color copy of George Washington’s portrait. Using the worksheet, allow the groups of students 10 minutes to analyze the image.   
  • Have each group share what they observed about George Washington’s portrait. Ask the students what they can learn about George Washington from studying his portrait.
    
    
  Step 2 
  • Next distribute to each group a copy of the contemporary portrait or photograph of a current congressional member or local leader and the comparison worksheet, “Portraiture: From Painting to Photography.” Instruct the students to use the blank worksheet and respond to the questions on itto compare the two portraits (the sitter’s clothing, other objects shown in the image, location of the sitter, etc.) 
  • After the students have completed the worksheet, lead them in a discussion about what they observed from their comparison of painted portrait versus the photographic portrait.
    
    
  Step 3
  Discussion Questions:
  • Explain to the students that the portraits that they have just analyzed are images of political or community leaders.  Share with the students more detailed information about George Washington as commander-in-chief for the Continental Army and first President of the new nation, and as the individual represented in his portrait. 
  • Tape one of the large sheets of paper on a wall in the classroom. 
  • Lead the students in a discussion about the leadership qualities needed to head the new American army and to serve as a contributor to the formation of an independent government from England as well as the leadership qualities needed to maintain a democratic government today.  What leadership qualities did George Washington possess?  What qualities of leadership are expected of our leaders today? List the students’ responses on the paper.  Leave the sheet on the wall for future reference.
    
    
  Step 4
  • Tell the students that they will create a self-portrait collage illustrating what they think is important for others to know about themselves. The activity begins with the students taking digital portraits of each other. Print these images on 8x11 inch copier paper.  If possible, use assorted colored papers in place of white paper.  
  • In addition to the images, distribute to each student, a large sheet of white paper, magazines, glue, and scissors for designing their collage.

  Extended Activity:
  As the first president of the United States, George Washington’s image became an icon or symbol of freedom. Have the students create a collage of contemporary images depicting George Washington as symbol of freedom, Americanism, or leadership.

• Lesson 1, Declaring Freedom; Activity 2: Freedom and Independence for All?

  Museum Collections, Similar Items, and other Materials Used in this Activity
  For images of museum objects in the Park collections, similar locally available objects, other materials, forms, worksheets and charts, and art and other supplies used in this activity, go to Section C, Museum Collections, Similar Items and Other Materials Used in this Lesson Unit Plan. Download the images of museum objects in the Park collections, and obtain similar items and materials listed in Section C.

  Implementation Procedures

  Step 1
  • Distribute a copy of the Declaration of Independence to each student .
  • Divide the class into small groups of 3-4 students.
  • Assign a paragraph of the document to each group.
  • Ask the students to rewrite the paragraph into contemporary, formal language. Ask the students how they would rephrase the paragraph if they were to rewrite it in hip-hop, spoken word verse, and as a text message.
  • Discuss the differences in style, and when and where each would appropriate to use. 
  • Post the students’ rewrites on the classroom bulletin board
    
    
  Step 2
  • Explain to the students that not all rebelling colonists were specifically mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, i.e. women or slaves.
  • Tell the students that each group will role-play to be a delegate at the meetings and debates about the formation of a new government.  Assign each group a role for them to research and to prepare a persuasive argument outlining what they feel is important to them in seeking independence and self-government.  Direct the students to the following web address for additional information: http://www.nps.gov/rewar/unfinished_revolution/01_all_men_are_created_equal.html. The delegates are:
  • Merchants and Landowners
  • African American Slaves
  • Women
  • Native Americans
  • Plantation Owners
  • Have the students do creative presentation designs for; PowerPoint, TV news broadcasting, E-Television reporting, VH1 current events reporting, BET Network, local TV media and radio, for the presentation of their persuasive argument.
  • Return to the Declaration of Independence text following the individual group presentations.
    
    
  Step 3
  • Lead the students in a discussion about what they feel should have been included in the original document.
  • On a large sheet of white paper posted on the wall, list the demands and phrases they would add or change as if they were editing or rewriting the Declaration. Encourage the students to also refer back to their rewritten paragraphs and as a whole class activity rewrite the Declaration of Independence.  
    
    

• Lesson 1, Declaring Freedom, Activity 3: Symbolism and The Seat of Power -My Life as a Chair

  Museum Collections, Similar Items, and other Materials Used in this Activity
  For images of museum objects in the Park collections, similar locally available objects, other materials, forms, worksheets and charts, and art and other supplies used in this activity, go to Section C, Museum Collections, Similar Items and Other Materials Used in this Lesson Unit Plan. Download the images of museum objects in the Park collections, and obtain similar items and materials listed in Section C.

  Implementation Procedures
  
  Step 1
  • Distribute to each student a copy of the worksheet, My Life as a Chair with an image of the Rising Sun chair without label information. Save the image of the chair with label information for use later in the activity.
  • Allow the students 10 minutes to complete the worksheet.
  • In a whole class discussion, ask the students to share their observations.
    
    
  Step 2
  • Share with the students the following information about the chair.

  At Independence Hall, as the delegates signed the Constitution, Franklin pointed to the president's chair, which had a sun painted on it. Franklin eloquently stated before all the representatives:
  "I have often...in the course of this session...looked at that...without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting; but now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting sun."
  
  Step 3
  Download and distribute an image of the Rising Sun chair with the caption information [see Section C].  Based on the information they have now received about the chair, ask them to review their initial responses and answer the following question: Why would a museum collect this chair for its collection?

  Step 4
  Ask the students to carefully examine the similar chairs brought into the classroom. Here they are to compare the physical characteristics of the chairs with the Rising Sun chair. They are to exam them closely noting material used, how it was made, who would use it, and any distinctive markings like symbols, letters or words, etc.

  Step 5
  • Ask the students to do a comparative study of other kinds of “seats of power,” i.e. a Native American chief, or the Congressional Speaker of the House, or other influential leader. To do this, direct the students to do an in-class online search of the following sites to learn about these individuals and the kind of chairs that they use.

  For images of collections depicting Native American leaders: see www.si.nmai.edu
  For views of Members of Congress and the Congressional Chambers: www.aoc.gov

  • Conclude the activity by asking the students to work in teams and design a “seat of power” that reflects the role of their school principal as a leader and educator of children. The students are to make a three-dimensional model of their chair design using real mathematical measurements of a ratio of 1:12 inches.

  Extended Activity:
  This activity presents an opportunity to collaborate with a math and art teacher to implement the chair design and model building.

  Evaluation/Assessment Measurable Results for Lesson
  • Successfully analyze a document.
  • Successfully researched data to prepare a persuasive argument.
  • Successfully create a self-portrait collage that tells a story about who they are.
  • Successfully build a three-dimensional model of a chair in ratio of 1:12 inches.   
    

Overview. (See additional information in Section F. Background and Historical Context)

When men responded to the call to join the Continental Army, they were also joined by civilians who followed and supported the army. These were teamsters, butchers, smiths, craftsmen and tradesmen whose skills were needed by the army. Women, too, were found in the camp. Some of them were officially attached to the army, receiving pay as cooks, laundresses, seamstresses, and nurses. Other women simply wanted to be close to their husbands, brothers, or sons who were serving in various regiments. A number of officer's wives traveled some distance to be there. Martha Washington spent every winter of the war with her husband.

The daily life for most soldiers included numerous work details such as fetching water and wood, procuring rations, improving the fortifications, guard duty, and drill. Army camp life, for the most part, was dull and tedious. It was occasionally made tolerable by concerts performed by camp musicians or skits or plays performed by amateur actors in the ranks. Athletic competitions between regiments and brigades were encouraged by Washington as an honorable and constructive way of dealing with the stress produced by the tedium of camp life.

Lesson 2, Camp Life; Activity 1: Revolutionary Music: Singing, Dancing, Marching

• Background and Historical Context
  European military instruments were brought to the New World and used in much the same way as they had been in the mother countries.  Prior to the war, pre-Revolutionary America was a colony of Great Britain, culturally and politically.  There were different kinds of music-making in the colonies.  However, it was popular to make verses to well-known tunes rather than compose the tunes themselves. 

  When the Colonies went to war with Great Britain, a small amount of new music was composed to commemorate the struggle and a large amount of propagandist verse was written and sung to well-known British tunes. Traditional Anglo-American dance music, song, and hymns continued to be played, sung and enjoyed that had nothing to do with the war. Unlike music today, music in eighteenth-century America was not intended for concert performance.  Most instrumental music in Colonial America was written for solo instruments such as violin, fife, or flute.  Revolutionary music tended to be functional. The instrumental pieces were played for entertainment and dancing, and for marching.

  When the war broke out, Americans organized their military units along British lines, and military musicians were part of the plan.  As militias formed in the towns and villages of Colonial America, drummers played an important role in summoning men from rural areas to take up arms.  Revolutionary War drummers and fifers were used in battle to signal the soldiers to fire.  In the hazy fog of battle, visual command was impossible and musical instruments were the only way to convey orders to the troops. When troops were relocating from one area to another, the steady rhythm and spirited tunes of the fifers and drummers kept the soldier’s mind off the tedious march. Horns and bugles were a way to communicate over a distance.  Each call melody carried a different and specific meaning. Although technology has taken over sending messages and signals to every post, base, and camp, bugle calls are still used daily for function and ceremony.

  Drums, like banners and flags, were important symbols of a military unit.  They were often decorated with the unit’s insignia, coat of arms, or national symbols. The snare drum is one of the few musical instruments to symbolize the American Revolution.

  Museum Collections, Similar Items, and other Materials Used in this Activity
  For images of museum objects in the Park collections, similar locally available objects, other materials, forms, worksheets and charts, and art and other supplies used in this activity, go to Section C, Museum Collections, Similar Items and Other Materials Used in this Lesson Plan. Download the images of museum objects in the Park collections, and obtain similar items and materials listed in Section C.

  Implementation Procedures
  
  Step 1
  • Post on the wall, three easel-size post-it sheets and label them Sheet 1, Sheet 2, and Sheet 3.
    
    
  Step 2
  • Discuss with the students the function of music in the life of a culture (entertainment, religious teachings, patriotism, communication, protest, etc).
  • List students’ responses on Sheet 1. 
  • With the students, brainstorm colonial life styles and list on Sheet 2 reasons for playing music. 
  • Ask the students to identify some musical instruments in the following categories:
    - Wind instruments [horn, flute] that produce a tone by a vibrating column of air.
    - String instruments [guitar, violin, fiddle, piano] that produce a sound when plucked, strummed or slapped.
    - Percussion instruments [drum, mouth harp, bells, cymbals, rattles] that produce sound by striking, shaking, or scraping it. It may or may not have pitch.
  • List their responses on Sheet 3.  Keep the three sheets posted.

  Step 3
  Using a desktop or laptop computer with speakers, the teacher should download for the class streams of Revolutionary period music from the recommended web sites (http://www.earlyamerica.com/music/revolutionary.htm). Have students listen carefully to distinguish what instruments are being played. Allow the students to hear a minimum of 3 songs. Between the samplings of music ask the students to identify the instruments they hear. 
  
  Step 4

  • Divide students into small groups (3-4 students per group).
  • Distribute to each group a museum object image, paper and pencils.  
  • Following the “How to Read an Object” chart, have each group write a brief description of the object and share their response with the entire class.
  • Next, distribute to the students the instruments that you brought to class. Have the students’ experiment playing the objects and listening to the sound they create. Ask the students to identify which instruments most resemble their group’s museum object image.
    
    
  Step 5
  • With the students, refer back to Post-it Sheet 1 – Function of music in the life of a culture.  Have the students brainstorm a list of contemporary songs about protest, patriotism, freedom, empowerment, etc.  Have them identify what key events were happening that could have inspired the music.
  • As a homework assignment, instruct the students to use their laptops or desk computers to research the recommended web site to listen to contemporary patriotic/protest songs and to identify two songs that they feel most expressed these themes.
    
    
  Step 6
  • As a follow-up to the homework assignment, instruct the students to prepare a radio broadcast of contemporary protest and/or patriotic music identifying key current events inspired by the songs.  The students can incorporate “samplings of the music” or their own lyrics to music as part of their radio broadcast design. The teacher may permit students in-class time to research and prepare their presentations. 
    
    
  Step 7
  • Allow students to share their presentations with the entire class.
  • As a wrap-up activity following their broadcast presentations, conduct a whole class discussion with the students responding to the following question: How important is music to inspiring awareness of political and social events? 

  Extended Activity:
  Invite the students to review and compare and contrast past and current political campaign videos with music.  Lead them in a discussion about what they discovered and whether or not the choice of music was successful in conveying the candidate’s campaign message.
  

• Lesson 2, Camp Life, Activity 1A:  Musical Instrument Making: The Snare Drum

  For materials and instructions needed for this activity, go to Section C, Museum Collections, Similar Items and Other Materials Used in this Lesson Unit Plan.

  Implementation Procedures
  

  Step 1
  • Set-up three to four tables with the art supplies.
  • Tell the students that they will create their own snare drum similar to the snare drum in the Guilford Courthouse collection. Tell them that they are to decorate their drum with contemporary symbols of protest, patriotism, freedom, and empowerment based on the results of their prior internet research of music and broadcast presentation. 
  • Distribute a round container to each student.
    
    
  Step 2
  • Distribute the instruction sheet to each student.
    
    
  Step 3
  • After the students have completed their snare drum, allow them to share and discuss their designs.
   
  

• Lesson 2, Camp Life, Activity 1B: Composing Lyrics
  
  Review the musical instruments that were shared in class together with the images of the museum objects. Then instruct the students to compose their own lyrics to a song expressing the meaning of the symbol on their drums.  Encourage the students to perform their song, either in the spoken word to music or hip-hop style. 
  
  Evaluation/Assessment for Measurable Results
  • Demonstrate effective listening, oral, and written skills.
  • Identify the function of music within a culture.
  • Identify musical instruments and the sound they generate
  • Make an instrument and demonstrate its use to make music.
  • Identify the way music is used in a military setting. 
    
    
    

• Lesson 2, Camp Life, Activity 2: The Making of A Military Camp

  Background and Historical Context
  Not only was camp life tedious and dull, but extremely physically challenging. Sometimes soldiers would give up and go home to recover from fatigue and hunger. Some never returned to camp. However, there were times in the Revolutionary War that they endured the challenges and stayed on like the winter encampment at Valley Forge. This is largely due to their dedication to the cause of American independence, and to their admiration and respect for George Washington. The skillful leadership of George Washington and the dedicated assistance of men such as General von Steuben and General Nathanael Greene resulted in Valley Forge being a turning point of the American Revolution. It is from this point forward that the American forces proved they had mastered the drills and maneuvers of the eighteenth century battlefield. As a result of the combination of these strengths, the Continental Army that marched out of Valley Forge on June 19, 1778 was able to take on any other army of the period on practically equal terms. The successes of Monmouth and the later campaign at Guilford Courthouse in the South, culminating in the victory at Yorktown, Virginia, was a testimony to the contribution of the encampment at Valley Forge.

  Washington needed to establish a winter quarters that allowed observation of the British Army without exposure to surprise attack. Valley Forge provided that location. Washington led 12,000 men into Valley Forge in December 1777. The winter was severe. Housing was overcrowded and food shortages were acute.
  
  Army records and eyewitness accounts speak of a skilled and capable force in charge of its own destiny. Rather than wait for deliverance, the army located supplies, built log cabins to stay in, constructed makeshift clothing and gear, and cooked subsistence meals of their own concoction. Provisions, though never abundant in the early months of the encampment, were available.
  Shortages of clothing did cause severe hardship for a number of men, but many soldiers had a full uniform, and the well-equipped units patrolled, foraged, and defended the camp. The sound that would have reached your ears on approaching the camp was not that of a forlorn howling wind, but rather that of hammers, axes, saws, and shovels at work.
  Under the direction of military engineers, the men built a city of 2,000-odd huts laid out in parallel lines along planned military avenues. The troops also constructed miles of trenches, five earthen forts (redoubts), and a state-of-the-art bridge over the Schuylkill River.
  
  Disease, not cold or starvation was the true scourge of the camp. Army returns reveal that two-thirds of the nearly 2,000 men who perished died during the warmer months of March, April, and May, when supplies were more abundant. The most common killers were influenza, typhus, typhoid fever, and dysentery. Dedicated surgeons, capable nurses, a smallpox inoculation program, and camp sanitation regulations limited the death tolls. Perhaps, the most important outcome of the encampment was the army’s maturation into a more professional force. The Continental Army was primed and ready to move on to the next level just as a charismatic former Prussian army officer, Baron Friedrich Wilhelm Augustus von Steuben, arrived in camp in February 1778.
  The Continental Army needed a uniform system of training and discipline. A former Prussian Army officer, Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, who had served in Frederick the Great's army, arrived at Valley Forge in February 1778. Washington assigned him the task of training the troops. Von Steuben developed an infantry manual to facilitate training. The resulting Regulations for the Order and Discipline of the Troops of the United States was published in 1779. It remained the basic American infantry manual for the next 25 years.
  
  Tell the students that they will view objects used during the encampment: some for military training and others for surveying, building and mapping.  Through role playing they will reenact what it would have been like to establish the military camp at Valley Forge and train the soldiers.   
  
  This excerpt was taken from the Valley Forge National Historical Park web site. For additional information, go to www.nps.gov/vafo/historyculture/index.htm.

  Museum Collections, Similar Items, and other Materials Used in this Activity
  For images of museum objects in the Park collections, similar locally available objects, other materials, forms, worksheets and charts, and art and other supplies used in this activity, go to Section C Museum Collections, Similar Items and Other Materials Used in this Lesson Plan. Download the images of museum objects in the Park collections and obtain similar items and materials listed in Section C.

  Teacher Tip:
  This activity may require extra time for students to conduct research for additional information.

  Implementation Procedures

  Step 1
  • Divide the students into four groups.
  • Distribute to each group an image of one of the museum objects. Remind them to use their How to Read an Object worksheet as an observation guide. The students are to analyze the images of the objects and draw conclusions about how it may have been used or impacted military life at Valley Forge and other camps.
    
    
  Step 2
  • Allow each group to report to the class their observations and conclusions.
  • Following the discussion, explain to the students that their group will be assigned tasks for creating a military site. Each group will be given a task worksheet with a specific role that will contribute to the overall camp design. 
  • Distribute to each group the worksheet that matches their object. The worksheet will outline a list of tasks to be accomplished. Among the tasks, students will be asked to present models or drawings to illustrate their plans.
  • To create their drawings and/or models, provide poster board, tag board, paper, pencils and colored pens, white glue and tape for the students. This step may require extra time for students to complete.

  Teacher Tip:
  Please note that each task worksheet identifies the learning skills. This is to help you determine what activity is most suited for which students.

  The assigned objects and tasks are:

  Group 1: Commanders of Training
  Objects: Portrait of von Stueben, excerpt from Regulations for   the Order and Discipline of Troops of the United States, Part I.
  Learning skills: Writing, Interviewing, Oral History, Drawing/Sketching

  Group 2: Commanders of Architectural Design and Construction
  Objects: Drafting Set, Illustration of Valley Forge Camp
  Learning skills: Writing, Interviewing, Oral History, Drawing/Sketching

  Group 3: Commanders of Supplies and Equipment
  Objects: Powder Horn
  Learning skills: Math calculations: multiplication, addition, budget planning and writing

  Group 4: Commanders of Strategic Planning and Mapping
  Objects: Surveyor’s compass, Illustration of Valley Forge Camp
  Learning skills: Mapping, Problem solving
  

  Step 3
  • After each group has completed their assignments, engage the class in role-playing.  Explain to the students that they will present the results of their tasks in a roundtable discussion similar to a board meeting.
  • Each group will present their model or drawing to explain how they will contribute to the settlement and daily operation of the camp. 

  Optional Discussion Question that can lead to an exchange of observations about career options and work skills:
  What job skills are needed to create a military site -- engineering, accounting, building and construction, and what others?  

  Evaluation/Assessment for Measurable Results
  • Demonstrate successful teamwork skills to complete a task.
  • Demonstrate effective listening, oral, and written skills.
  • Demonstrate effective visual presentation to illustrate a strategy or plan.
    
    

• Lesson 2, Camp Life, Activity 3: Leisure Time in Camp and Colonial America

  Background and Historical Context
  The war consisted of long encampments interspersed with marching and fighting. When a soldier completed drilling and duties for the day, he would hunt or fish to supplement his diet.  He also spent time reading and writing. Playing games, telling stories, sewing, or repairing equipment helped pass the time. Soldiers celebrated holidays with parades and gun salutes.  In the afternoon or at dinner in the evenings, officers, particularly the British, would serve such beverages like tea to colleagues or civilian visitors. 

  Museum Collections, Similar Items, and other Materials Used in this Activity
  For images of museum objects in the Park collections, similar locally available objects, other materials, forms, worksheets and charts, and art and other supplies used in this activity, go to Section C Museum Collections, Similar Items and Other Materials Used in this Lesson Plan. Download the images of museum objects in the Park collections and obtain similar items and materials listed in Section C.

  Implementation Procedures

  Step 1
  • Lead the students in a discussion about camping.  Ask how many of them have gone camping or hiking?  Brainstorm with them what they would consider important to have with them for entertainment. 
  • Explain to the students, that after practicing drills and performing their numerous tasks, the Revolutionary war soldiers would engage in camp activities that took their minds away from the drudgery of military life. 
    
    
  Step 2
  • Display on the wall the images of the museum objects for this activity.
  • Ask the students to observe carefully the objects and in a whole group discussion, talk about how these museum objects would have been used, where they would have obtained such objects, and other than the soldiers, who else would have used these objects.
  • Now share with the class the similar items you brought to class to compare with the museum objects. Continue the discussion about these objects and how, who, when, and where these objects are used today. 
    
    
  Step 3
  • Explain to the students that they will now have the opportunity to create a card game, board game or a puzzle that could be used at camp.
  • Distribute to each student an 8x11 white sheet of paper and pencil.
  • Tell the students to sketch their game design on the paper and if necessary include written instructions on how to play the game.
    
    
  Step 4
  • Provide art supplies and other materials for the students to create their game. 
  • When they complete the assignment, ask the students to share their game creation with their classmates. The students may be divided into smaller groups for sharing.
    
    

• Lesson 2, Camp Life Activity, 3A: Make Your Own Document Box

  Museum Collections, Similar Items, and other Materials Used in this Activity
  For images of museum objects in the Park collections, similar locally available objects, other materials, forms, worksheets and charts, and art and other supplies used in this activity, go to Section C, Museum Collections, Similar Items and Other Materials Used in this Lesson Plan. Download the images of museum objects in the Park collections, and obtain similar items and materials listed in Section C.

  • Share with the students the image of the document box.  Explain that boxes like these were often used at military sites such as Morristown and Valley Forge for the storage of documents, letters, and personal items.
  • Tell the students that they will create their own document box for storing some of the objects they have created in this lesson, i.e. their game.  These boxes will become one of the major objects for their classroom exhibit.
  • Instruct the students to decorate their boxes with stencils, icons, and emblems of the Colonial period. 
  • After the students have completed making their document boxes, distribute to each student an index card.
  • Have students use the index card to write a postcard letter home requesting a personal item (soap, hair brush, scissors, etc) or to share a story about a camp activity (training, hunting in the forest, preparing camp meals, etc.) Using the art materials, encourage the students to decorate or draw an image on the card.
  • Instruct the students to store their letter in their document boxes.   
    
    
  Evaluation/Assessment for Measurable Results
  • Successful completion of a game design.
  • Successful writing of a postcard letter.
  • Effective listening and oral communication skills
  • Actively engaged in group discussions
  • Comparison of similar objects from the past and present.
    
    

• Lesson 2, Camp Life, Activity 4: Cooking for the Soldiers

  Background and Historical Context
  Feeding the army was an enormous undertaking. Congress and the states had a difficult time raising funds to purchase enough supplies for the Continental Army. General Washington estimated that the army needed 100,000 barrels of flour and 20 million pounds of meat to feed 15,000 men for a year.
  
  Farmers supplied the military with staples. Many local settlers owned small farms, and raised crops and livestock. Towns and cities provided a market for the settlers' cattle, hogs, and wheat. Hunting and fishing supplemented the diet. What the army could not supply, it often requisitioned by force.
  
  Soldiers, unlike their civilian counterparts, were issued food rations. Army food was usually provided in raw form. Staples consisted of flour, corn meal, or bread, and beef, pork, or fish. Sometimes beans or peas were provided. At Guilford Courthouse, the Virginia militia was supplied with bacon, beef, mutton, flour, corn, and corn meal.
  
  Soldiers cooked their own food in pots, kettles, Dutch ovens, grills, and broilers. Families often accompanied their men into the field. Women assisted with cooking, sewing, washing clothes, and tending the sick. Children carried firewood or water. Both British and American officers brought their own home necessities, such as tea strainers, that they used to ease the hardships of battle. Each man supplied his own utensils. These included a spoon, cup, fork, knife, and wood or metal plate.

  Museum Collections, Similar Items, and other Materials Used in this Activity
  For images of museum objects in the Park collections, similar locally available objects, other materials, forms, worksheets and charts, and art and other supplies used in this activity, go to Section C, Museum Collections, Similar Items and Other Materials Used in this Lesson Unit Plan. Download the images of museum objects in the Park collections, and obtain similar items and materials listed in Section C.

  Lesson Implementation Procedures

  Step 1
  • Divide the students into groups of four.
  • Distribute an image of the museum object to each group as well as paper and pens.
    
    
  Step 2
  • Begin the activity by asking the students, in their small groups, to describe what they see and how the object may have been used.  Tell the students that they are to use the paper for recording their answers.
    
    
  Step 3
  • Allow the students about 10 minutes for their object analysis. 
  • When they complete their observations, share with the students the objects you brought to class including the food (corn, cornmeal, flour, bread, etc.)
  • Lead the students in a discussion to identify the food items you brought.
  • Now ask the students to review their object and determine how or if it could be used to prepare a meal using the food samples provided by the teachers. The students should record their responses on the paper.
    
    
  Step 4
  • Ask the students to think about what food or meal could be prepared with their object. They are to list their responses on the paper. 
  • Tell the class that they will now create a recipe that can be prepared or used to eat with one of the objects. Tell the students to consider what foods the soldiers may have gathered on nearby farms, in the field and/or forest to supplement the food rations that they received.
  • When creating their recipes ask the students to consider the following:

  What foods would be served on the plantation or farms versus what the soldiers ate in camp? What would the seasonal availability be for certain foods?  What kind of meals would be served in a manor home versus the slave quarters?  Did the soldiers and civilians have access to waterways for fishing and game to hunt in the forest?  How are we alike or different in meal preparations today compared to colonial America? 
  

  Step 5
  • Using the chart, Meal Time, compare and contrast have the students compare colonial mealtimes with contemporary ways of preparing and enjoying a meal.
    
    
  Step 6
  • To introduce students to colonial recipes and foods, explore with them the following web sites:
  • Food Timeline: http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodfag.html
  • 18th Century Recipes from Claude Moore Colonial Farm/A Colonial Day Menu: http://www.1771.org/cd_recipes.htm
  • The Virginia Housewife: or, Methodical Cook by Mary Randolph. Baltimore: Plaskitt, Fite, 1838 (1838)
  • Instruct the students to prepare one of these recipes or based on what they have learned about Colonial foods create their own recipe.  Encourage students to interview a family member about a family recipe that has been used for several generations.
  • Invite the students to prepare their recipe and bring it to class on the day the teacher has arranged to be Camp Day.

  Lesson 2, Camp Life, Extended Activity: Camp Day
  Have the students prepare their recipes for Camp Day. The students can cook their recipe at home and bring to school. Have the students also share their document kits and games (prepared from a prior activity: Leisure Time in Camp) while enjoying the food. 

  See information sheet of Rules of Civility and Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation.
  
  Evaluation/Assessment for Measurable Results
  • Successful participation in group activity and discussions.
  • Successful completion of creating a recipe.
    
    

• Lesson Plan 2, Camp Life, Activity 5: The Role of Women during the Revolutionary War

  Background and Historical Context
  Women assisted soldiers and sewed clothing for the troops. Several women from prominent and affluent families supported the cause by providing their homes as meeting places.

  Officers of eighteenth century armies had more comfortable winter quarters than their men. General Washington believed that the commander-in-chief needed to maintain a dignified style. Col. Jacob Ford, Jr. was the prosperous owner of a mine, forge, and powder mill, and a colonel in the New Jersey militia. Ford, his wife Theodosia, and their children moved into the newly built Georgian style mansion in 1774 in Morristown. Early in 1777, when the Continental Army first came to Morristown, the mansion served briefly as quarters for Delaware troops commanded by Capt. Thomas Rodney. Shortly after the Continental Army arrived, Ford died of pneumonia.
  
  During his first stay in Morristown, Washington quartered at the Arnold Tavern. However, on his return in December 1779, the recently widowed Theodosia Ford opened her home to Washington and his entourage. Shortly before he arrived, Washington wrote, "I shall be at Morris Town tomorrow and shall be obliged by your ordering me a late dinner. I understand my quarters are to be at Mrs. Ford's.'"
  
  For 200 days the Ford Mansion served as the nerve center of the Revolutionary War. Washington used the front room as a conference room and staff office to meet with officers, scouts, spies, and private citizens. Statesmen and foreign diplomats came here to consult with the commander-in-chief. Washington's troops were encamped nearby at Jockey Hollow.

  General Washington's military family quartered at the Ford Mansion included his aides-de-camp, officers and servants. They numbered ten to fifteen, and sometimes more at any given time. It was also not unusual for wives of high-ranking officers to join their husbands at camp. Martha Washington arrived on December 31 from Mount Vernon, Virginia to join her husband in Morristown.
  
  Washington's entourage needed all the space the mansion afforded. Two of the four rooms on the first floor, the entire upper floor of five rooms, the kitchen, the cellar and the stable were put to use. Mrs. Ford and her four children retreated into two rooms on the eastside of the main hallway on the first floor.

  Rural women tended crops and livestock while their men fought the war. Very often, women accompanied men into the field. They assisted with cooking, sewing, and washing clothes, and tended the sick. Women not only sewed clothing for their husbands and sons, they often spun the yarn and wove the fabric. Officers' wives also joined their husbands at the front. Martha Washington spent time with her husband at the winter encampments of Valley Forge and Morristown. American women, from all walks of life, played a critical yet largely unheralded role in achieving independence.

  Vocabulary
  Niddy Noddy: a simple tool that is used to make a skein of handspun yarn straight from the spinning wheel.
  Etui case: a small, often decorative case for needles, toilet articles or other tools for daily use.

  Museum Collections, Similar Items, and other Materials Used in this Activity
  For images of museum objects in the Park collections, similar locally available objects, other materials, forms, worksheets and charts, and art and other supplies used in this activity, go to Section C, Museum Collections, Similar Items and Other Materials Used in this Lesson Unit Plan. Download the images of museum objects in the Park collections, and obtain similar items and materials listed in Section C.

  Lesson Implementation Procedures

  Step 1
  • Divide the students into four small groups. Distribute to each group an image to analyze. Give the students 10 minutes to review the objects. Allow each group to report what they have observed about the object.
  • Now share with the students similar objects that you have brought to the classroom. In their small groups have the students now compare the images with the similar object. They are to compare materials, how it is made, and to determine if we still use these objects today. If so, how do we use them today? Are they used differently today compared to how they were used during the colonial period? 
    
    
  Step 2
  • Lead the students in a whole group discussion about the importance of these objects in the lives of women during the encampments and at home. How would these objects be used by contemporary women? 
    
    
  Step 3
  • Explain to the students that women during the colonial period made their own clothing. In addition to sewing, they also made their own fabrics like linen or spun wool to make the clothing.  The niddy noddy was a tool used to wind skeins of woolen yarn that would be knitted or woven on a loom. 
  • Share with the students samples of the fabric for them to see and feel the different textures of linen, cotton, and wool cloth.
  • To understand how a niddy noddy is used, have students view the two minute online video demonstration of how to use a niddy noddy from Memorial Hall Museum, Old Deerfield, Massachusetts.

  Extended Activity: 
  Visit a local knitting shop.  If you are in an area where there is a textile factory, request a tour of the facility where the students can observe how fabrics are made today compared to Colonial America.

  Art making Activity: Design a Etui Case for Your Belongings
  • If the students are carrying their backpack or handbag, ask them to think about what small daily tools do they carry in it.  Ask them if these tools are carried in a case (for example, iPods, cell phones, laptop computers, calculators, pencil or pen case, personal grooming case, etc.)
  • Ask the students to determine which of these items would be important to have during encampments. Instruct the students to use the art materials to design a decorative case for their essential item. 
    
    
  Evaluation/Assessment for Measurable Results
  • Actively participate in small group and whole class discussions.
  • Demonstrate continuous use of the how to read an object worksheet to guide one’s analysis of objects.
  • Compares the use of a traditional craft tool like the niddy noddy for knitters from the colonial period to today.
  • Make a decorative etui case for a personal object

Lesson Plan 3: Creating a Classroom Exhibit

Background and Historical Context
Throughout this lesson plan students have learned how to read objects as a tool for expanding their knowledge of the American Revolutionary War.  By studying the objects from four key American Revolutionary War National Park Sites, students have learned how powerful the object can be in revealing history or telling a story.  By studying the objects people left behind, we can find clues that tell us about the past, about the people who made, owned and used these things. This activity, Creating a Classroom Exhibit, will enable students to think about how they can construct their own stories about the American Revolution period of Unites States History using the objects they have created as a result of activities implemented through this lesson plan.  The products and the content of the classroom exhibition becomes a powerful authentic assessment tool for measuring a student’s problem solving and critical thinking skills. It is also a measure of the degree of newly acquired in-depth knowledge and understanding, because the products are a concrete result.

To prepare for the in-class exhibit, instruct the students on how to access the National Park Service Web site to view the American Revolution War virtual exhibits at http://www.nps.gov/museum.  If possible, take your student to a local historical site or museum.  Encourage them to carefully observe the theme, objects presented and label information. Ask them what elements of the virtual exhibit and/or museum exhibition they would consider for their own show. 

• Printout of The Exhibit, Object, and You Guide
• Printout the Exhibition Planning Sheet
• Objects created by the students
• Large Post-it Easel Sheets

Lesson Implementation Procedures

• In preparation for the museum visit or virtual exhibition viewing, printout the Exhibit, Object, and You worksheet. Instruct the students to use the guide while they are exploring the virtual exhibitions and or museum exhibit. 
• After reviewing the museum and/or virtual exhibits, discuss with the students what they observed about the exhibitions and are there any components in it that they would consider for their own exhibit. Record student responses on one of the post-it sheets.
  
  

• Now share with the students copies of the Exhibition Planning Sheet.
• As a whole class discussion, begin to outline what key elements of the Revolutionary War era they may want to most highlight in their show.  Tell the students to consider the objects they have already created as part of the exhibition.
• Encourage the students to determine an overall exhibition theme and the subtopics. List these items on a post-it easel sheet and hang on the wall for future references.
  
  

• An opening date should be determined.  Send a “save the date” notice to parents, the principal, and other school officials.
• Now divide the class into smaller working groups. Each group will be assigned a task for the design and set-up of the exhibition.  Typical groupings are Exhibit Designers who develop the floor plans for the final look of the exhibition, Label and Gallery Guide Writers, Docents/Interpreters who prepare the script for exhibition tours, Marketing Managers who design brochures/flyers to announce the opening day of the exhibition and send letters to VIPs, community leaders, parents, etc to attend the show, a Hospitality Committee who prepares the reception for opening day. The foods served on this day could be made from the recipes the students created for Lesson 2/Activity 4 Cooking for the Soldiers.
  
  

• Installation Day. This is the day that the students install the objects for their classroom exhibition following the exhibition design.
• Opening Day. This is the day when invited guests see the exhibition for the first time.
  
  

• Successful exhibit design that highlights the objects made by the students to tell the story of the American Revolution.
• Successful completion of label writing
• Successful completion of brochures and flyers for distribution two weeks before the opening.
• Successful preparation of a scripted guided tour or a written exhibition self-guide.