| This was awesome hookup with Monticello in Charlottesville, Virginia. Our tour guide, Zella, captivated students' attention, telling us not only about the house and the plantation, but about the people who lived there - most of whom were Thomas Jefferson's enslaved people. Students were extremely well-behaved during the virtual field trip. They wanted to learn more when the session was over.  | |
This is just the beginning of our learning about the writer of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the United States. Being more of a passive, introverted kind of fellow, Thomas Jefferson is a figure unlike others we have studied in our fourth grade class, and, for whatever reason, students seem to be intrigued with his life.
We understand that most of our heroes are flawed. Jefferson is no different in that sense. There are lots of little things that make some of us cringe when we hear them. Those are the events that season our history. Sometimes it is distasteful, but it is always interesting, and we are made better by learning from it.
We understand that most of our heroes are flawed. Jefferson is no different in that sense. There are lots of little things that make some of us cringe when we hear them. Those are the events that season our history. Sometimes it is distasteful, but it is always interesting, and we are made better by learning from it.
