Monday, February 11, 2013

Will the Real George Washington Please Stand Up?


Mrs. Ranney's class has recently begun a unit on the 
history of our country and government.

Certainly,  we can't think of the beginning of the 
United States of America without thinking about

George Washington!
(also known as The Father of Our Country)


During a visit to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library,

Mrs. Ranney was able to view the temporary exhibit called
Discover the Real George Washington! 



The exhibit helps viewers get to know what George Washington 
was really like, what he thought was important, and what
his special talents were.


This scale model diorama of Mount Vernon, George Washington's home in Virginia was on display.
Each inch represented about one foot.


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Three very special parts of the exhibition were the life-size models of George Washington. Each one represented a different age and important event in his life. These figures were created using some amazing technology!  Articles of Washington's own clothing, a life mask created by French sculptor Jean-Antoine Houdon, and even Mr. Washington's dentures were all part of the process used to figure out exactly what he would have looked like at these stages of his life!

George Washington as a 19-year-old surveyor

Some of Washington's surveying equipment


General Washington during the Revolutionary War



















President Washington taking the oath of office in 1789






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There were many other interesting displays and artifacts!


The signing of The Constitution




Mr. Washington's very own dentures!
The Washington Family Bible
A beautiful gown worn by First Lady, Martha Washington


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In addition, two years ago when Mrs. Ranney was spending time with her
daughter in New York, she was able to visit the Fraunces Tavern Museum, an important meeting place during the Revolutionary War. When the war was over, this is where
 General Washington celebrated with his men!



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What did you find most interesting in this post?

What facts can you add about George Washington 
or this important period in United States history?
Use World Book Online
to do some additional research.
Remember to take notes first. Then rewrite your notes 
in your own words in your comment!

6 comments:

  1. Dear Mrs. Ranney's class,

    Our class found this post to be very interesting. His teeth definitely caught our attention. Mrs. Moore remembered that people used to say George Washington had wooden teeth and that is why he didn't smile much. She heard that they hurt. Now we are wondering what they are actually made of. Our class is conducting some research on KidsInfoBits to see if we can find out. We will let you know if we find an answer.

    Sincerely,
    Mrs. Moore's 5th Grade Techie Kids
    Michigan

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dear Mrs. Ranney's class,

    After conducting some research we found two sources to share. Our search of SIRS Discoverer showed us a result including Washington’s teeth.

    One source said his dentures were made of hippopotamus teeth. The article said they were very uncomfortable.
    "George Washington." Biography for Beginners--Presidents. 2002: 1-12. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 14 Feb 2013.

    Another source said that he wore multiple sets of dentures, but none were made of wood. That source said they were made of ivory, gold, and lead.
    http://www.mountvernon.org/educational-resources/encyclopedia/personal/wooden-teeth-myth

    Then we discovered if we clicked on the picture you have posted, we see the caption below the teeth. Wow! Human teeth, cow teeth, and teeth made from elephant ivory, who knew? Thanks for getting our brains going and giving us a researching adventure.

    Happy learning,
    Mrs. Moore and the Techie Kids

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Mrs. Moore and the Techie Kids,

      Thank you for commenting on our blog all the way from Michigan. Your comment is amazing and full with facts that are very interesting!

      For me, the dentures were the most intriguing exhibition item too. I never knew that George Washington had sets of false teeth that were made out of ivory, gold, lead, human, and cow teeth.

      Another display that I really enjoyed, because I adore looking at dresses, is the dress worn by First Lady - Martha Washington. I like it all and especially its ruffles because I haven't seen many nowadays.

      Did you like anything else?

      A third grader,
      Alexandra

      Delete
    2. Dear Mrs. Moore and class,

      Thank you for visiting our blog. I think that Michigan is a very beautiful state. The part I love most about Michigan is the snow. All my cousins and grandparents live there, which is another reason why I love Michigan. Every time I travel there we go to the Henry Ford Museum, because there is a new exhibit every time I visit. Most recently, I saw the Titanic exhibit.

      I have been to the Ronald Reagan Library, and I would say it is almost like the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. I also thought that George Washington's teeth were made of wood. I am so glad that you found that website, so now I know that his teeth were NOT made of wood. All these years, I was concerned that he was getting splinters in his mouth!

      Have you or your students ever been to the Henry Ford Museum?

      Your Detroit loving 3rd grader,
      A.J.

      Delete
    3. Dear Alexandra,

      Very enthusiastic comment!

      Actually, I have been to the Ronald Reagan Library. There was also a Disney exhibit there!

      My favorite item of George Washington's is probably his dentures. I also like the First Lady's gown! My third is probably the model of his house. The dentures are my favorite because they are very interesting. The reason I like the first Lady's gown is that it is yellow and ruffly. The reason I like the house is because it's the real model of his home but smaller!

      Do you like anything else besides the First Lady's gown?

      Your interested friend,
      Jules

      Delete
  3. Dear Jules,

    Guess what, I like the model of George Washington's house in Mount Vernon too! It is very interesting that one inch of the scale model represents a foot of the actual house. Imagine how big it would be in real life!

    Another thing about the house is that it would be awesome to live in it because it is so large! The yard is also enormous! I'd want to use the field in the backyard for soccer practice with my entire team.

    Would you want to live in George Washington's house?


    Your friend,
    Alexandra

    ReplyDelete

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