POPLAR FOREST CREATES CURRICULUM KITS
Poplar Forest Newsletter, Spring 2001

Poplar Forest is helping more students learn about Virginia history with the introduction of education kits.

Three kits were introduced in the fall and spring, and are loaned for free to schools requesting them.

The first kit explores the importance of Thomas Jefferson and Poplar Forest in Virginia and U.S. history. The second gives students a look at the lives of enslaved workers at Poplar Forest and the archaeology done here. The third kit discusses the daily lives of children in Jefferson’s time.

All the kits couple written information with hands-on activities to reinforce the subject matter, says Education Coordinator Shawne Farmer.

“In the past, we have personally visited classrooms to make presentations on similar topics,” notes Farmer. “Our outreach was limited by the number of staff and volunteers who could make the trip. Now more teachers can tap into our expertise and incorporate teachings on Jefferson and Poplar Forest into their curricula.”

The kits meet many Virginia educational requirements for grades 1 through 5. Teachers in North and South Carolina as well as Georgia have requested the kits.

The first kit includes lesson plans that touch on Jefferson’s most famous writings and political achievements. Students can learn how to write with quill pens and slate boards contained in the education packages.

The second kit allows students to explore archaeology and primary documents as a way to learn about the work and personal lives of Poplar Forest slaves. Materials include reproduction and modern artifacts, documents, and archaeological tools.

In the third package, students learn about young people of 200 years ago.  Not all children went to school, and most had work responsibilities. The hands-on activities of this unit include children’s games of Jefferson’s era.