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From the White House of Yesterday to the White House of Today
—Curriculum Unit Overview—It is perhaps curious that a republic would permit so opulent a residence for its elected head of state, but a public tally did not make the decision. George Washington approved the White House. His expressed wishes included not only the stone construction but extensive stone ornamentation as well.
—From the White House Historical Society website,
a link from the EDSITEment resource Explore DC
Introduction
The “President's House,” built under George Washington's personal supervision, was the finest residence in the land and possibly the largest. In a nation of wooden houses, it was built of stone and ornamented with understated stone flourishes. It did not fit everyone's concept for the home of the leader of the young democracy. Abigail Adams found it cold; Thomas Jefferson thought it too big and impractical. He added gardens, a cooking stove, and storage.
Whatever one's opinion of the original design, our nation is now inseparably associated with the White House. There, the essential business of the land is conducted every day. There, our history has been made and reflected.
In this curriculum unit, students take a close look at the design of the White
House and some of the changes it has undergone. They also reflect on how the
“President's House” has been and continues to be used.
Note: This curriculum unit may be taught either as a stand-alone unit or as a complement to the EDSITEment curriculum unit What Happens in the White House?.
Guiding Questions:
What process was used for choosing the initial design of the White House?
What changes were made to the exterior and why?
How does the White House differ from a presidential home such as Monticello?
How does the present-day White House reflect the duties, powers, and privileges of the office of President?
Learning Objectives
After completing the lessons in this curriculum unit, students will be able to:
- Take a stand on whether the chosen White House design or one simpler or grander would best reflect what our President's house has come to represent.
- Discuss some of the changes the White House has undergone in more than two centuries.
- Give specific examples demonstrating how the present-day White House reflects the duties, powers, and privileges of the office of President.
- Compare and contrast Thomas Jefferson's Monticello with the White House.
Preparing to Teach This Curriculum Unit
- Review the curriculum unit. Locate and bookmark suggested materials and other useful websites. Download and print out documents you will use and duplicate copies as necessary for student viewing.
- Download the blackline masters for this unit, available here as a PDF file. Print out and make an appropriate number of copies of any handouts you plan to use in class.
- In Lesson Three, of this unit, student groups will take virtual tours of either Monticello or the White House. Place students into appropriate groupings, covering all of the tours or just those tours best suited to your class. Some tours require more reading than others-the video tours require no reading at all; the photo essays feature reading and/or photo viewing. Students who do not get to take the White House tours as part of the group assignment might enjoy the opportunity to do so. One option would be to show the Video Tours to the entire class.
- The White House website, a link from the EDSITEment resource American Memory, features two additional and very basic tours on its White House for Kids. These may be suitable for some students:
- Extensive background information on every aspect of the White House is available on the website of the White House Historical Association, a link from the EDSITEment-reviewed website Explore DC.
Unit Lesson Plans
Extending the Lesson
- The White House Chronology, a timeline on the White House Historical Association website, a link from the EDSITEment resource Explore DC, contains many pieces of fascinating information about the President's home. For example, did you know that running water was first piped into the White House in 1833? Some students might enjoy turning such facts into a "believe it or don't believe it" book. Students particularly interested in history should pair each White House fact with something else occurring in the United States around the same time to provide context.
- Students might be interested to read about young people, such as Tad Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, Jr., who lived in the White House. Here are some places to meet First Children online:
- Students with an interest in architecture can learn more about specific characteristics of the Georgian/Palladian style used in the White House through the EDSITEment resource National Park Service: Links to the Past, which has a section on Georgian Architecture featuring an Interactive Activity and an interactive Quiz Game. Students who learn the characteristics can then label important features on a diagram, drawing, or photograph of the White House.
- Dolley Madison is credited with coolly saving some important objects from the White House shortly before it was burned by the British in 1814. The White House Historical Association website, a link from the EDSITEment resource Explore DC, features a number of resources including:
- Some background on the role African Americans played in building the White House is available on the White House Historical Association website, a link from the EDSITEment resource Explore DC. Its African Americans and the White House Timeline gives information about the role of African Americans throughout the history of the White House.
Selected EDSITEment Websites
Standards Alignment
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