Today, at the American Philosophical Society, we were able to see Jefferson’s first draft of the Declaration of Independence. The changes Congress made to the document are on the side margins. Yes, kids, even Jefferson had to edit his papers! This is a great teaching moment to show students that even a document as great as the Declaration of Independence was not perfect from the beginning. It had to go through many editing and revising processes to get it into the final form we know today.
The A.P.S. contained the Lewis & Clark journals, books from Franklin’s personal library, and the unique printing of the Declaration of Independence- printed on vellum paper which is calf skin.
The afternoon consisted of a visit to the Atwater Kent Museum that housed some abolitionist movement artifacts. One artifact that really touched the heart of the terrible treatment these slaves had to endure was the shackle.
Another teaching moment for me will be the picture below that shows what exactly a 1/2 of a bushel represents. Often times, students come across the word bushel. It is hard for me to explain what exactly a bushel measurement looks like. Now, with this picture of the 1/2 of a bushel, I will be able to pull it up on my Promethean board so the students can get the visual.
Staci,
Excellent idea to show the half bushel on the Promethean board. I did not have a clear idea of the size of a bushel until I saw your picture. Maybe I’ll put it on my Promethean board… someday.
Sheila
Hi, how are you doing? I really miss you. I loved all the pictures like of the Declaration of Independence. Talk to you later!
Luv,
Breezy