The presentation provided an overview of teaching resources from the White House Historical Association focused on the history of the White House and surrounding neighborhood. It highlighted activities and lesson plans utilizing primary sources to engage students in exploring events like the War of 1812 and lives of enslaved people and African Americans in the early Washington D.C. area. Upcoming programs and online resources from the Association's website were also noted.

1. Exploring WhiteHouse History
Resources from the White House Historical Association
CourtneySpeckmannand Katie Munn

2. The White House
Historical Association

3. The David M. RubensteinNationalCenterfor White House History at
Decatur House

4. Overview and Objectives
• Identify functions of the White House with
a special focus on the War of 1812 (i.e.
what to teach!)
• Explore primary source document
analysis techniques
• Utilize WH teaching activities and
resources for the classroom

5. Park
Stage
Home
Office
Museum

6. Procedure:
1.Follow Instructions todivide
image intofour corners.
2. Present students with only one
corner at a time. Ask questions
about the details.
3. After corner 3 or4, let students
make a guess about the picture.
4. Display full image anddiscuss.
LowerRight
Technique:Four Corners

7. LowerLeft

8. Upper Left

9. Upper Right

11. Procedure:
1. Identifywhatstudentsare
lookingfor(clues).
2. Identifytheimage
3. Discuss whythe clues are
significanttothe image
Technique:ScavengerHunt

12. Procedure:
1. Ask questions about the image
details:
• What do you see in the picture?
• What do these details tell you?
• What type ofimage is it?
2. Help students make conclusions (who,
what, when, where, why)
3. Students stage picture andtalk in place.
Technique:Tableau

13. Technique:EnlargedDetails

17. Procedure:
1. Give students a set ofprimarysource documents covering a
single theme orevent toanalyze.
2. Have students analyze each primarysource.
• Whattypeofprimarysourceisthis?
• Whatisthepurposeofthisprimarysource?Or, whatishappeninginthis
primarysource?
• Whatdoesthisprimarysourcetellusaboutthetopic?
3. Have students choose documents todisplay in their exhibit.
4. Createan exhibit using the primarysources. Include an exhibit
title andlabels for each primarysource.
5. Shareexhibits with the class.
Technique:Create YourOwn Exhibit
TheWar of 1812 and theWhite House

18. Type of source What is happening in this source? And/Or:
What is the purpose of this source?
What does this source tell us about
life in the Lincoln White House?
Use in
exhibit?
ThePresident’sHouse
GeorgeMunger
c. 1814-15
Watercoloronpaper

20. Pre-VisitResource Packet Includes:
•Pre-visitlessonwithoptional activities
•Informationregardingthe dayofthe field trip
•Additional 1812 resources
•CastList
•Script
•Characterbiosandcuesheetsforthe students
Forged by Fire: Dolley Madison, theWhite House,and the War of 1812

21. Forged by Fire: Day of the Field Trip Program

22. Forged by Fire: Day of the Field Trip Program

23. Forged by Fire: Day of the Field Trip Program

25. “Actually being real people had a great influence onthem. Ithelped themto personalize the history instead of
hearingabout it without realizing that these were real people.”
“My students will always understand and rememberthe
causes of the War of 1812and the differences between
the two political parties of the day.”

26. Paths to Freedom: Slavery, Emancipation
and the Power of the President

27. • Standards based with emphasis
on historical thinking skills and
primary source analysis
• Students:
– explore the historic spaces of
Decatur House and its slave
quarters
– trace the changing
community in and around the
White House neighborhood
– piece together stories of real
residents of the
neighborhood and create
their own exhibit
African Americans in the White House
Neighborhood

28. Online Resources
www.whitehousehistory.org

30. White House History Themes

31. Classroom Lessons

32. The White HouseArt Collection
www.whitehouseresearch.org

36. Upcoming Programs and Events
www.whitehousehistory.org/programs

37. Questions?
Courtney Speckmann- cspeckmann@whha.org
Katie Munn-kmunn@whha.org
www.whitehousehistory.org
@whitehousehstry