Last updated: September 15, 2021
Lesson Plan
Exploring Theodore Roosevelt's Childhood Home
- Grade Level:
- Lower Elementary: Pre-Kindergarten through Second Grade
- Subject:
- Literacy and Language Arts,Social Studies
- Lesson Duration:
- 30 Minutes
- Common Core Standards:
- 6-8.RH.2, 6-8.RH.6, 6-8.RH.7, 6-8.RH.8, 2.SL.2, 2.SL.4, 2.W.2, 2.W.5, 6-8.WHST.6, 6-8.WHST.8
- State Standards:
- New York State & Common Core Standards:
W.2.2
W.2.5
SL.2.2
SL.2.4 - Thinking Skills:
- Understanding: Understand the main idea of material heard, viewed, or read. Interpret or summarize the ideas in own words. Applying: Apply an abstract idea in a concrete situation to solve a problem or relate it to a prior experience. Analyzing: Break down a concept or idea into parts and show the relationships among the parts.
Essential Question
How do we define what a home is?
Objective
Students will be able to identify 3 similarities and differences between Theodore’s childhood home and their home.
Students will be able to define what "home' means to them.
Background
Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th President of the United States, lived at this site from his birth on October 27, 1858 until he was 13 years old. He was born to wealthy parents Theodore “Thee” Roosevelt Sr. & Martha “Mittie” Bullock Roosevelt. He had 3 siblings: an older sister Anna (nicknamed “Bamie”), a younger brotherElliot (“Nell” for short- and who was to be the future father of Eleanor Roosevelt), and a younger sister Corinne (“Connie” for short). In 1872, after the family had returned from a trip overseas, they moved directly into a mansion at 6 W. 57th St. Later in his life, Theodore would build a home in Oyster Bay named Sagamore Hill. Teedie, as young Roosevelt was nicknamed, was a sickly, but bright boy. He was near-sighted & had severe asthma. To improve his health, Teedie began an exercise program at the house's outdoor gymnasium that started a lifelong passion for the "strenuous life." As a young child he had an innate interest in the outdoors, particularly ornithology (birds), and reading. He would travel much when he was young, including taking two grand tours of Europe. The second tour included a stint in the Holy lands. The family spent time travelling the Nile River on a Dahabeah (house boat). During that trip, Theodore collected over 200 specimens of birds for his personal “Roosevelt Museum” collection, which he continued as he moved to Harvard college for study. In college, TR decided to pursue natural history, and it was at Harvard where TR would meet his future 1st wife, Alice Hathaway Lee. After realizing that to study natural history meant a long time behind the microscope, TR decided to forgo his naturalist interests and pursue law. After 1 year of law, he quit, & pursued politics instead. Over the course of his 60 year life, Roosevelt was a rancher, naturalist, explorer, author, and Colonel of the Rough Riders. His political service included reforming the U.S. Civil Service Commission and New York City Police Department, and terms as Governor of New York and Vice President of the U.S. Roosevelt became President when William McKinley was assassinated in September, 1901. As President, Roosevelt pushed progressive reforms, such as conservation of public lands and trust busting, and negotiated an end to the war between Russia and Japan, for which he won a Nobel Peace Prize. The original birthplace was demolished in 1916. After Roosevelt's death in 1919, the site was purchased by the Women's Roosevelt Memorial Association, and then reconstructed by Theodate Pope Riddle and decorated with many of its original furnishings by Roosevelt's sisters and wife.
Preparation
Collect 5-10 images of different homes across the world from different places, cultures and peoples, or have students bring in home photos to share.
Have access to and appropriate technology to view Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace Virtual Tour
Teacher should watch the ranger-led house tour to gain information about the house to share with students, so later, they can answer questions when sharing the Google Arts & Culture Virtual Tour tool with the students.
Materials
This is a worksheet that accompanies Exploring TR's childhood.
Lesson Hook/Preview
Homes can look very different, and feel very different from one another. What one person calls home may be similar or different to others' homes. Homes differ across species too: While some live in the oceans, others call trees their homes. In this lesson students will explore the similarities and differences between different homes, across time focusing on how their home today looks similar or different to that of young Theodore Roosevelt during the mid 19th century-20th century.
Procedure
-
Engage:
Ask students "how do you define home?" Discuss answers.
Explore:
Show students examples of home across the world and engage them in a discussion of how those homes are similar and different than their own homes. Teacher may consider bringing in the animal homes too (burrows, nests, trees, ocean, etc.).
Explain:
Homes are built from different materials in different styles, depending on where in the world one lives and what time period. Theodore Roosevelt grew up in a brownstone- a townhouse made up of rock that was brown in color, which was a common type of home during Victorian times in New York City. The home was a gift to Teedie's father, Theodore Sr., and Teedie spent his first 13 formative years in it, before moving to a custom made mansion on 6 West 57th Street. After they move, the building is eventually torn down, and replaced with a two story structure. After Theodore Roosevelt passes away in 1919, the property at 28 E 20th St. is purchased, and the two story building was demolished and replaced with a museum was created to honor and memorialize Theodore Roosevelt.
Elaborate:
Tell students they are going to time travel back in time to explore a New York City home that a little boy (Teedie) grew up in. This boy would eventually become the President of the United States! Have students predict how Roosevelt's might look and feel compared to their own home: what similarities and differences might they see? Use the virtual tour tool to explore the house.
Evaluate:
While taking the virtual tour, ask students what is similar? What is different? How might this home have compared to other homes of the time? Include not only the physical objects/space, but also the family who lived here. Complete the graphic organizer after taking the virtual tour.
Vocabulary
Brownstone: a kind of reddish-brown sandstone used for building. Many new townhouses in New York City (NYC) had a facade of brownstone.
Victorian Era: the time in history during queen Victoria's reign: ~1837-1901
Stereopticon: A slide projector that combines two images to create a three-dimensional effect, or makes one image dissolve into another.
Sterograph: The depiction or representation of three-dimensional things by projection on to a two-dimensional surface
Assessment Materials
Comparing Theodore's home with mineStudents will use this tool to organize and record their thoughts on how Theodore's home is similar and different to theirs.
Students should complete one of the appropriate graphic organizers or record their findings using another manner. Students will then compose a paragraph about their observations. Students will revise and edit to strengthen their writing.
Supports for Struggling Learners
Please e-mail us with any feedback or questions you have about this lesson plan.
Enrichment Activities
- Students include a photo to display with their paragraph.
- Students present their information orally to the class and/or teacher.
- Students explore and explain process and reconstruction of this birthplace.
Additional Resources
Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace National Historic Site:www.nps.gov/thrb
Sagamore Hill National Historic Site: www.nps.gov/sahi
Theodore Roosevelt National Park: www.nps.gov/thro
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site: www.nps.gov/thri