Why Washington? Part I: George Picks D.C.

Objectives:
By completing this activity, students will be able to:

1. Provide reasons why present-day Washington, D.C., was selected as the site of the nation’s capital.

2. Identify historical figures or groups who helped design and create the capital city; explain their contribution and significance.

Standards:
Why Washington? Part I: George Picks D.C. satisfies the following Curriculum Standards authored by the National Council for the Social Studies:

Standard III(i): Describe ways that historical events have been influenced by, and have influenced, physical and human geographic factors in local, regional, national, and global settings.

Standard III(g): Describe how people create places that reflect cultural values and ideals as they build neighborhoods, parks, shopping centers, and the like.

Student Worksheet:
To track student progress, download the 3-2-1 Countdown Worksheet.

Why Washington? Part II: Washington Then and Now

Objectives:
By completing this activity, students will be able to:

1. Compare and contrast the appearance of significant Washington, D.C., landmarks over time; connect these observations to the city’s evolution between pre-1800 and the present.

2. Analyze primary source documents, including archival photographs and illustrations, to make inferences about chronology, causality, and change in the nation’s capital.

Standards:
Why Washington? Part II: Washington Then and Now satisfies the following Curriculum Standards authored by the National Council for the Social Studies:

Standard II(c): Identify and describe selected historical periods and patterns of change within and across cultures, such as the rise of civilizations, the development of transportation systems, the growth and breakdown of colonial systems, and others.

Standard II(d): Identify and use processes important to reconstructing and reinterpreting the past, such as using a variety of sources, providing, validating, and weighing evidence for claims, checking credibility of sources, and searching for causality.  

Student Worksheet:
To track student progress, download the Picture Detective Worksheet.

At Home in the New Capital Part I: History Flip Match Game

Objectives:
By completing this activity, students will be able to:

1. Identify and describe objects commonly found in Washington, D.C., homes during the Federal Period and explain how they were used in everyday household life.

2. Compare and contrast Federal period artifacts and present-day objects; infer what these items and their relationships communicate about cultural values and historical conditions.

Standards:
At Home in the New Capital Part I: History Flip Match Game satisfies the following Curriculum Standards authored by the National Council for the Social Studies:

Standard I(a): Compare similarities and differences in the ways groups, societies, and cultures meet human needs and concerns.

Standard I(c): Explain and give examples of how language, literature, the arts, architecture, other artifacts, traditions, beliefs, values, and behaviors contribute to the development and transmission of culture.

Student Worksheet:
To track student progress, download the Artifact Analysis Worksheet.

At Home in the New Capital Part II: Life at Dumbarton House

Objectives:
By completing this activity, students will be able to:

1. Explain multiple and varied purposes of chambers during the Federal Period.

2. Identify furnishings and other items common in upper/middle-class Federal homes; explain their use and what they reveal about daily life, conditions, and beliefs.

3. Describe everyday, upper/middle-class household life in the early capital city by providing details about chores, leisure activities, health and sanitation, technology, manners and customs, class and gender roles, and other aspects of culture.

Standards:
At Home in the New Capital Part II: Life at Dumbarton House satisfies the following Curriculum Standards authored by the National Council for the Social Studies:

Standard I(a): Compare similarities and differences in the ways groups, societies, and cultures meet human needs and concerns.

Standard I(c): Explain and give examples of how language, literature, the arts, architecture, other artifacts, traditions, beliefs, values, and behaviors contribute to the development and transmission of culture.

Standard V(a): Demonstrate an understanding of concepts such as role, status, and social class in describing the interactions of individuals and social groups.

Student Worksheet:
To track student progress, download the Take the Mystery Out Of History Worksheet.