Lesson Plan
Middle School
Jared Morris
Madison County Schools
Madison, VA 22727
Other
45-90 Minutes depending grouping
Lesson Overview: This lesson looks at visitors to Monticello during five different time periods throughout Thomas Jefferson’s life. The lesson gives students an idea of travel to Monticello, life at Monticello, and, finally, a look at larger issues in American History at the time of each visitor.
USI.1a – identify and interpret primary source documents
USI.6c – Key events and roles of key individuals of the American Revolution
USI.7c – describing major accomplishments of the first five presidents
USI.8a – the Lewis and Clark Expedition
USI.9a – describing cultural, economic, and constitutional issues that divided the nation
Objectives: By the end of the lesson students:
1) describe travel to, and life at, Monticello
2) identify the importance and chronology of:
Why and how did people travel to Jefferson’s Monticello? What were their impressions of life at Monticello? What were some larger events/issues in American history during these visits?
Preparation: There are five guests at five different time periods. Students can be arranged and grouped however the teacher sees fit. Examples: Five separate groups made up of five students each where each student has a computer and a guest. (or) Five groups made up of five students each where one group of five students is assigned a computer and one guest each.
Procedure:
1) Pass out the Time Traveler Report Sheets. Have the groups navigate through the "We've Totally Been Here" PowerPoint. (See Handouts and Downloads under "Related Assets") Make sure they are researching the visit of their assigned guest.
2) Time Traveler Report Sheet – Students fill out their report sheets front and back. The front side deals mostly with the actual visit. The back portion deals with a major issue/event of the time period.This activity will be the bulk of the lesson.
3) When all groups are finished, have them collaborate with the other students or groups to determine the chronological order of the guests/events. Then, if there is more than one person representing the guest/event, have one representative from each group stand in chronological order with the others in front of the class.
4) Time Traveler Report -At this time, in order, you can have them report on all of their findings on the actual visit or simply the major event or issue of the time period.
The "Time Traveler Timeline Report" will act as the assessment for this lesson. Exit slips could also be used by asking students to list three points of knowledge gained from their research about Monticello and its visitors and listing the five main issue/events in chronological order.