Colonial Williamsburg Education

20/07/2024

At no point in history have Americans been of one mind. Individual citizens have always argued passionately and with conviction for what they believe is the best course of action. Consequently, an undercurrent of tension and conflict is not only historically present, but also expected. Join us for this 5 day course to explore American values in tension and how they have—and have not—changed over time.

Each live session will explore a pair of values, such as Unity and Diversity, the historic events shaped by those values, and how these tensions have been balanced historically and through today. The course will include daily asynchronous readings, activities, discussion board posts, review and reflection, and Q&A with presenters. This course will be held in Blackboard and limited to 75 participants. Participants register on a first-come, first-served basis. Teachers of all grade levels are welcome; however, materials and strategies will be more applicable to those teaching at the upper elementary school level and above.

Webinars will be held via Zoom on Monday, July 29 through Friday, August 2 from 4-6PM EST. Register by July 29 at 6pm to join: https://bit.ly/3SdRG0F

08/07/2024

Women living in North America in the 18th century had lives as diverse and complex as we do today.

In our upcoming webinar series, 'Women’s Perspectives on the American Revolution', we will examine the lives of different women and how their background and circumstances influenced their perspective on the American Revolution. Each webinar in the series can be attended independently, but we encourage participation in all connected sessions. Webinars will be held via Zoom on Monday, July 15 through Friday, July 19 from 4-6PM EST.

Register by July 15 at 12pm to join: https://bit.ly/4eRgS6P

03/07/2024

18/06/2024

Juneteenth. July 4th. The 250th anniversary of the United States in 2026. These moments call us to acknowledge our past, strengthen our present and build our future, together.

In its 4th summer, Colonial Williamsburg is excited to join Made By Us and hundreds of history & civic organizations with a dynamic educational campaign, nationwide events, and a focus on serving young adults the future inheritors of our democracy. 🇺🇸

10/06/2024

Juneteenth to July 4 is Civic Season and a time to focus on history and civics skills that can help us to have a brighter future. Juneteenth marks the anniversary of June 19, 1865 when thousands of enslaved people received the news that they were emancipated after Union forces arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enact President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation signed more than two years earlier. In July, the Teacher Gazette will focus on July 4, 1776 and the Declaration of Independence.

Learn more: www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/explore/special-event/celebrate-juneteenth/

06/06/2024

📣 Attention 📣 Registration Closing Soon for Online Course on Primary Sources! Register by 12pm ET on June 7 to get access: https://cvent.me/29koo2?RefId=Summary+Building+Inquiry

The start of our first online program, ‘Building Inquiry and Analysis Skill by Engaging with Primary Sources’, is right around the corner and we want you to join us!

This 5-day online course focuses on teaching with a variety of primary source mediums, with an emphasis on student engagement, critical thinking skills and meaning making. It is designed for teachers of all grade levels. It will include: daily asynchronous readings, activities, discussion board posts, review and reflection, and synchronous Q&A with presenters.

Register by 12pm on June 6 to get access: https://cvent.me/29koo2?RefId=Summary+Building+Inquiry

04/06/2024

We're proud to be a partner for the National Council for History Education 👩‍🏫

03/06/2024

This is the story of how a “tea party” in Boston created a “shock of electricity” in Virginia and helped spark the American Revolution. In this episodic series, find out how dissolving the House of Burgesses would play a role in the growing revolution.
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🗓️ May 24, 1774: Virginia’s House of Burgesses passes a resolution condemning the Boston Port Act by officially marking June 1st a day of fasting, humiliation, and prayer.
🗓️ May 25, 1774: Governor Dunmore meets with the Council, the upper house of the legislature, to decide what to do.
🗓️ May 26, 1774: Lord Dunmore dissolves the House of Burgesses.
🗓️ May 27, 1774: Defying royal authority, the former Burgesses assembles at the Raleigh Tavern to sign an “Association” to protest government policies and call for a limited boycott of British goods. It recommends that representatives from each colony meet in a “General Congress”.
🗓️ May 30, 1774: The former Burgesses agree to summon a convention on to discuss the boycott. This helped prompt the First Continental Congress, which led to the Second Continental Congress: where the Declaration of Independence was signed.
🗓️ June 1, 1774: Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer.
Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series or read about it at colonialwilliamsburg.org/hob

01/06/2024

The start of our first online program, ‘Building Inquiry and Analysis Skill by Engaging with Primary Sources’, is right around the corner and we want you to join us!

This 5-day online course focuses on teaching with a variety of primary source mediums, with an emphasis on student engagement, critical thinking skills and meaning making. It is designed for teachers of all grade levels. It will include: daily asynchronous readings, activities, discussion board posts, review and reflection, and synchronous Q&A with presenters.

Register by 12pm on June 6 to get access: https://cvent.me/29koo2?RefId=Summary+Building+Inquiry

25/05/2024

Teachers! Did you know we offer summer online programs? Registration for our June and July online programs is now OPEN!

Choose from week-long online courses that focus on engaging with fact-based historical content and research from Colonial Williamsburg that provides a framework for connecting history and civics in relevant ways, covering topics like:
📚 Teaching about Race and Slavery in the Colonial and American Revolutionary Periods
📚 Building Inquiry and Analysis Skill by Engaging with Primary Sources
📚 The Great Debate: Balancing Values in Tension
📚 Women’s Perspectives on the American Revolution

Learn more and register now: https://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/learn/on-site-opportunities/teacher-institute/teacher-institute-programs/

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23/05/2024

Bringing history to life for young California scholars! 👩‍🏫 Each Spring, we visit Los Angeles and San Diego schools as part of the follow up to 2023 Teacher Institute participants and to welcome events for 50+ new teachers attending the 2024 Bob and Marion Teacher Institute! The assemblies included 5th grade social studies classes that met and greeted Mrs. Washington and Thomas Jefferson.

10/05/2024

09/05/2024

Teacher Appreciation Week may be almost over but the appreciation doesn’t stop here! ❤️ To recognize the important role teachers play in nurturing a love and knowledge of history, Colonial Williamsburg offers teachers a 25% discount on a “Single Day Ticket” or an annual pass.

This discount is available at on-site ticketing offices only. See the full details here:

To recognize the important role teachers play in nurturing a love and knowledge of history, Colonial Williamsburg is offering teachers a 25% discount on a “Single Day Ticket” or an annual pass. This discount is available at on-site ticketing offices only.

07/05/2024

Everyone has had a great teacher (or many) to thank for inspiring them. Today, and every day, Colonial Williamsburg recognizes and thanks teachers for the incredible work they do every day. WE APPRECIATE YOU! 🍎

For Teacher Appreciation Day, we encourage everyone to reach out and thank a teacher who made an impact on them. Tag them down below!

06/05/2024

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! Have you heard of the Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute? 🧑‍🎓

Through their onsite, online and offsite programs, they are building a national community of passionate educators leading the way in innovative education. Since its August debut, the Bob and Marion Wilson Educator Resource Library has provided curated curricular resources that ignite transformative teaching practices, sparking inspiration among educators and their students.

Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3UK9Ad3

26/04/2024

📣 Less than 1 week left to apply to be a Teacher Institute Summer Coordinator 📣

This paid position will help lead a team to provide historically accurate and engaging programs in colonial American history for the teachers that attend our week-long Summer Teacher Institute. They assist with planning, implementation, and logistical support for the weekly onsite teacher development programs, which support of The Bob and Marion Wilson Teacher Institute of Colonial Williamsburg (BMWTI)!

Apply before applications close on May 3: https://bit.ly/3wcVfMK

25/04/2024

The newest edition of featuring Eve Otmar, Master of Historic Gardening, is in full bloom for National Gardening Month! 🌿
Learn more about how “The Gardeners Dictionary” by Phillip Miller contains information that is as useful today to professional and aspiring gardeners as it was back in 1768. If you're looking for a real sense of what 18th-century gardeners knew, read this book!

28/03/2024

Diving into the minds of history's changemakers with 📖 As chosen by Program Design Manager/Interpreter Nicole Brown, the latest pick takes a “deep and unflinching look at the relationship between the Church of England, slavery, and faith in the 18th-century Atlantic World”.

Have you read this book?

16/03/2024

Thomas Jefferson often spoke about the importance of education for children and the common people, and the importance education had in the role of preserving democracy and freedom.

Thanks to everyone who joined us for ! As it comes to a close, tell us: why do you think it’s important to continue educating students on American civics?

11/03/2024

begins today and we’re excited to be participating! This annual celebration highlights civic learning as a nationwide priority for sustaining and strengthening our constitutional democracy. Happening now through March 15, find in-person and online events at http://civiclearningweek.org

08/03/2024

Teachers! You’re invited to Constitutional Cornerstone: Marbury v. Madison this March 12 from 7-8:30PM ET! Co-hosted by the Center for Civic Education, this webinar is an immersive and enlightening professional learning experience, at no cost to you!

Engage with a character interpreter who will provide unique insights into the Marbury v. Madison case and share why it is considered a cornerstone of judicial review. Then, with the help of John A. Ragosta, PhD/JD, from the Robert H. Smith International Center for Jefferson Studies at Monticello, examine how this case has shaped the balance of power among the three branches of government and continues to influence and shape modern interpretations of the Constitution.

Register now:

Join me at the Colonial Williamsburg and Center for Civic Education webinar, Constitutional Cornerstone: Marbury v. Madison - An Exploration for Educators on March 12, 2024!

08/03/2024

This , we honor the women who shaped our history and the women who continue to inspire us today. Every day at Colonial Williamsburg, women bring history to life through their daily contributions that help every visitor to learn and experience what life was like for women during the 18th century.

This , we honor the women who shaped our history and the women who continue to inspire us today. Every day at Colonial Williamsburg, women bring history to life through their daily contributions that help every visitor to learn and experience what life was like for women during the 18th century.

Learn more about the experiences, lives, and relationships of these women as well as the programs that we offer to help promote the diverse stories of the colonial era: https://bit.ly/35EKvc8

06/03/2024

National Council for History Education champions history education and uplifts history education professionals. And we’re at the National Council for History Education conference, as sponsors for the Teaching Today Educator Panel happening this Saturday, March 9 at 11AM!

Learn more about it here:

Join fellow attendees, keynote speakers, and the NCHE Board of Directors for light refreshments in the NCHE Exhibit Hall. Visit with the exhibitors, catch-up with old friends, and make new friends during this relaxing start to the conference. Only those registered for the Conference may attend. Ther...

22/02/2024

When we study the history of Black Americans, especially in the early American period, we tend to focus on slavery and the slave trades. But focusing solely on slavery can hinder our ability to see that, like all early Americans, Black Americans were multi-dimensional people who led complicated lives and lived a full range of experiences that were worth living and talking about.

In the latest episode of Ben Franklin's World, Tara Bynum, an Assistant Professor of English and African American Studies at the University of Iowa and the author of Reading Pleasures: Everyday Black Living in Early America, joins us to explore the lives of four early Black American writers: Phillis Wheatley, John Marrant, James Albert Unkawsaw Groniosaw, and David Walker.

Listen now: https://bit.ly/49sqx0r

Tara Bynum joins us to explore everyday Black living in early America though the writings of four early Black American writers.

17/02/2024

T-minus 1 week until Homeschool Days! From February 24 – March 3, homeschoolers and their families can discover history brought to life at a special discounted rate!
🇺🇸 Visit the historic sites where Revolutionary ideas were shaped and 2 world-class art museums
⚒️ Meet the tradespeople whose craftsmanship supported the War for Independence
🏛️ Enjoy costume-interpreter-guided tours of the Governor’s Palace, Capitol, and Courthouse🇺🇸
🎭 Watch daily staged performances on the Charlton Stage and in the Hennage Auditorium

Buy your special rate tickets online ONLY during Homeschool Days: https://bit.ly/4bBJI9A