Curriculum Materials

A Monumental Education is the curriculum-based program at Booker T. Washington National Monument. The program consists of education programs addressing various phases of Dr. Booker T. Washington's life and legacy.

Students will engage in a comparison of Booker T. Washington's life, as an enslaved person, to their lives today while they take part in "Down on the Farm." This program is for Kindergarten and 1st grade children. A program for 2nd and 3rd grade students is being updated. Online program information is still in development for these programs.

"War on the Home Front" is targeted for 4th through 6th grade children focusing on the impact of the American Civil War on the freed and enslaved residents of the Burrough's plantation. Students will learn about life on a piedmont Virginia slaveholding tobacco farm. They will learn about national debates on slavery and differences between the North and South. They will discuss why the war was fought and how the enslaved and owners reacted to the war and how each group was affected.

Youth in 6th through 8th grades will be challenged to analyze the philosophies of Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois in"Clash of the Titans." This program introduces students to the philosophical differences between Booker T. Washington and W.E. B. DuBois. By engaging in classroom activities that are appropriate to their grade level, students will examine in depth Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois and gain insight into what motivated these men to act, in what they felt was the best interest of African Americans of the period. The activities included in the program enable students to investigate, research, and participate in meaningful learning experiences. They will build a strong foundation in communication skills, research techniques, computer skills, writing, and thinking in terms of multiple points of view. At Booker T. Washington National Monument, students can learn about the cultural diversity that makes up Franklin County, Virginia. It is the hope of Booker T. Washington National Monument's educational staff that by learning about the past and the life of Booker T. Washington we can broaden our understanding of the context of race in American society.

How Washington dealt with the challenges of the post-Reconstruction South is discussed with 9th through 12th grade in "What is Freedom." Booker T. Washington was known as a nationally respected leader that deicated his life to ending discrimination and inequality of African Americans. Although many African American and abolitionist leaders searched for freedom and equality, they each pursued different paths of change. By examining their experiences, students will have a better understanding of their philosophies on racial justice and the search for freedom.