Spend some time at Yorktown?  Yes, please. Here is the location where the end of the Revolution began.  Here is the location of a significant British surrender. Here is where Hamilton and Lafayette led attacks on redoubts that defied the odds (Hamilton with unloaded guns). I've seen "Hollywood" portrayals of the events, but to walk on the grass and to smell the soil of this battleground will be a special experience for me at this year's Colonial Williamsburg Teacher Institute.  I shall not take this experience lightly.

7–8:00 a.m. Breakfast

8:15 a.m. Bus to Yorktown

9 a.m.–12:00 p.m. Yorktown A tour of the Customs House, the National Park Service museum and battlefield, followed by time at Surrender Field for reflection and journaling.

12–12:40 p.m. Bus to Williamsburg

12:45–1:45 p.m. Lunch

1:45–2:45 p.m. Meet a Person of the Past: James Madison Through and beyond the American revolution, James Madison served in the Virginia House of Delegates, as a Council of State, on the Second Continental Congress, as a congressman, as U.S. Secretary of State, and two terms as U.S. president. Join him as he recounts leading the fledgling nation and navigating the challenges the of the new millennium.

2:45–3:00 p.m. Break

3–4:00 p.m. Challenges of the Nineteenth Century Analyze primary sources to learn more about the issues faced during the 1800s, uncover competing perspectives, and present the gathered information. Explain how competing sets of values fostered tension and conflict throughout the nineteenth century.

4–4:15 p.m. Break and Travel

4:15–5:15 p.m. Teaching with Objects and Images Tour the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg and explore many of its objects. Gain strategies for using objects and images in the classroom.

​5:15 p.m. Museum Exploration Time

Dinner on Own

For decades, I have read about events that have happened in these spaces, but now I will get to be in those same spaces. Documents. People. Events. Places. It's all going to continue on the Wednesday of my upcoming visit to Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.  Will it wear me out?  Absolutely, but in a good and satisfying way! Here is the sample schedule for the day (subject to change):

7–8:15 a.m. Breakfast

8:10 a.m. Travel to Governor’s Palace

8:30–9:00 a.m. Seat of British Government Explore how the lifestyle of Virginia’s royal governor and his family reflects their roles as government and society leaders. Also learn the advantages of remaining loyal to His Majesty, King George III during a time of unrest in the colony.

9–9:45 a.m. Meet a Person of the Past: Divided Loyalties During the American Revolution, many Williamsburg residents chose to remain loyal to their king or join the rebellion to create something new. But what about the people who were caught in the middle and whose families were torn apart by divided loyalties? Tour the Governor’s Palace with one such person and discover what it was like to have family members on both sides of the conflict.

9:45–10:00 Break and Travel

10–10:55 a.m. Prelude to the Revolution Explore primary source objects and images to learn about significant events in the colonies that led to the Revolutionary War.

11–11:25 Intro to Rights and Controversies One the eve of American Revolution, John Adams estimated that one third of people were patriots, one third were loyalists, and one third were undecided. As war broke out in the North, Virginians had to decide whether to declare their independence from Great Britain or remain colonial subjects of the British Empire. Take on the role of an eighteenth-century Virginian, discuss your stance on independence with like-minded individuals, and prepare for open debate in the House of Burgesses.

11:25–11:35 a.m. Break

11:35–12:30 a.m. Committees of Correspondence Join or Die! On the eve of the American Revolution, thirteen disparate colonies came together with a common goal: to protect their rights as freeborn English subjects. Investigate how the Committees of Correspondence were a first attempt to bring the colonies together, and how they helped unite the colonies into a new country. Then briefly discuss with other participants how you might apply this lesson in your classroom.

12:30–2:15 p.m. Lunch and Exploration Time

2:15–2:30 p.m. Checkout Procedures, Reflection, and Journaling Time

2:30–3:30 p.m. Eighteenth-Century Associations and Protest Examine documents related to colonial protest and English policy. Explore a variety of original eighteenth-century documents from Colonial Williamsburg’s Special Collections and learn how you can use them digitally in your classroom.

3:30 p.m. Travel Time

3:45–4:45 p.m. Trades Tour From the point of view of a local tradesperson, explore how trade shops created and maintained connections within the community and how the ideals and decisions from 1750 to 1775 affected their business.

5:00 p.m. Rights and Controversies On May 15, 1776, a group of men met in the former Hall of the House of Burgesses to determine the future of Virginia. Should Virginians remain subjects of the British crown or become citizens of a new nation? Recreate the debate over independence and see if your decision matches theirs.

​7:00 p.m. Dinner