Last updated: April 27, 2025
Lesson Plan
Kneading in Silence
Depiction of Judah, enslaved cook at Belle Grove 1817-1836.
K. Maisano (NPS)
- Grade Level:
- Upper Elementary: Third Grade through Fifth Grade
- Subject:
- Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 30 Minutes
- State Standards:
- VS.4
a. explaining the importance and influence of agriculture;
b. examining how colonial Virginia reflected the culture of European (English, Scots-Irish, German) immigrants, and Africans. - Thinking Skills:
- Remembering: Recalling or recognizing information ideas, and principles. Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words.
Essential Question
How do we know about enslavement in the United States?
Objective
Students will understand how we learn about individuals through documents, including what life may have been like and actions that were taken.
Background
This program uses historical documentation and historical understanding during the Antebellum period. Students will be asked to recall information known about enslavement in Virginia in the 1700-1800s. Additional information will include a typical day of a cook, and culture of the enslaved.
Preparation
This program is designed to be presented by video conference into a school classroom, library, or community space. Program duration is 30 minutes. Teachers should be present to help facilitate question-answers to the students.
A pre-program test call is desired to check that video used during the program will work properly.
Materials
Procedure
Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park Introduction
Introduce Cedar Creek and Belle Grove National Historical Park, who owned Belle Grove and ties to the history of the Founding Fathers James Madison and Thomas Jefferson.
What is a Plantation?
Following Virginia state standards, teach students about the enslaved at Belle Grove, including jobs that they would have had. Discuss with the students how we know the number of people that were enslaved and the work they did.
Primary Document Analysis
Take a look at the ledgers from Belle Grove, both handwritten and transcribed, to understand that the enslaved were part of a business operation. Documentation also includes letters from the woman of the household, giving us more insight into day-to-day operations.
Winter Kitchen Tour
Virtually explore the Winter Kitchen, through photos and videos. Students will see expectations of work as a cook.
Other Types of "Documents"
Work with students to understand why we do not know much about the enslaved at Belle Grove - namely that there are not physical documents from the enslaved.
Talk through the different ways culture and knowledge was protected including names, songs. This was also a type of resistance to being enslaved.
Discussion/Conclusion
Why do you think it is important to tell their stories?
How do we know about enslavement in the United States?
Vocabulary
Plantation: A large operation that produces/ makes a good or service that needs/relies on enslaved labor.
Additional Resources
Additional information about Belle Grove’s Enslaved Community, to learn about others stories that we are not able to touch on during the program.