Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site - Reporting History (U.S. National Park Service)

COMING SOON!

To be offered to schools

starting spring 2010!

Upper Elementary Group Visit Experience

Designed for Upper-Elementary level students, particularly fourth and fifth grades.

Reservations Required. Call 716-884-0095.

Summary

This program is designed to provide a rich and varied experience for students, which will involve learning about the people, culture, ideas, and events of 1901 from primary sources and a knowledgeable site interpreter during a tour of key historic site rooms and galleries, as well as through role play, group discussion, multi-sensory observation, writing, drawing, and creative hands-on activities.

Students place themselves in the role of reporters in Buffalo on the day of Theodore Roosevelt's 1901 inauguration as President, observing and taking notes. As a post-visit exercise, the class can make a newspaper of their visit, telling the story of TR's ascent to the Presidency.

Key Objectives

Students will:

· Engage in a fun, active, first-hand experience with artifacts and primary historical sources.

· Hone observational and recording skills as they take notes on the sights, sounds, and events of the day.

· Deepen understanding of the role of newspaper reporting in 1901 and explore the role of all media in keeping citizens informed today.

· Imagine the reaction of the country to McKinley’s assassination and imagine Roosevelt’s thoughts and feelings on the day of the inauguration.

· Compare the 1901 inauguration to a typical presidential inauguration.

· Gain familiarity with key issues confronting Theodore Roosevelt and the country as he took office in 1901, namely:

industrialization, working conditions, child labor, and urban poverty
competing views on economics
the expansion of U.S. involvement abroad
conservation of rapidly dwindling resources

· Consider differing viewpoints on these issues and evaluate which viewpoint is closest to their own.

· Learn the ways in which Roosevelt’s inauguration and some of his efforts as president marked a turning point in history.

Recommended Pre-visit activities