mount vernon partnership
With the generous support of the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation, Mount Vernon and the Fairfax Network have partnered to provide schools with engaging and FREE satellite-delivered distance learning broadcasts.
Previously broadcast programs are available on DVD—free of charge—to educational institutions.
George Washington’s
Mount Vernon Estate,
Museum & Gardens
SUGGESTED RESOURCES
Watch Online
The streaming video is provided by the Virginia Chamber Orchestra
Mount Vernon's Education Department Lesson Plans
American Colonist Protest Song
Students write a protest song to protest one or more of the British Acts or actions between 1763 to 1774.
George Washington in Song
Students investigate the historical significance of the Revolutionary War song, “Yankee Doodle.”
Additional Resources
Colonial Music
Handouts from the 2008 Kentucky Music Educators Association Professional Development Conference
Juba and Djembe: Music Helps Interpret Slavery
Teacher’s Gazette article from Colonial Williamsburg
Music during George Washington's Life—The Music of Early America
Songs and music played during George Washington's lifetime
The Music of George Washington's Time
Overview of music in Early America with sheet music
Songs of the Revolution
Lesson plans and activities for students in grades 6-12
April 14, 2010 · Grades 6-9 · 45 min.
For thousands of years, music has provided history’s soundtrack. From ballads of love, songs of protest, dance tunes, and hymns of praise to operas, concertos, and rousing marches, music reflects the times and cultures in which it is created. Throughout time, the youngest children and the oldest adults have connected to music and the feelings it inspires. Music reveals history.
History Notes: The Music of Washington’s World explores the soundtrack of George Washington’s 18th century world. It was a time of amazing change—a time that saw the creation of a new nation through a revolution based on the foundation of independence in government and ideas. These ideas were highlighted and revealed through song.
Your students will discover the music of Pre-Revolutionary America that reflects the Colonists’ growing revolt against the tyranny of England as well as the traditional songs of African slaves. They will hear music written about George Washington as well as learn the music that George Washington would have heard on the battlefields and in the ballroom.
Join our student hosts as they travel to such 18th century sites as Gadsby’s Tavern for an 18th century ball and a conversation with General Washington; Pohick Church to hear 18th century hymns sung by the West Potomac High School Colonial Singers; and Mount Vernon where the United States Army Old Guard introduces you to music as a form of communication on the battlefields of the American Revolution. Also, the Virginia Chamber Orchestra will perform concert music popular in Washington's time. Historians David Hildebrand and Larry Earl will introduce your students to a new understanding of 18th century America revealed through music.
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David Hildebrand and George Washington
discuss the song "War and Washington"
To order a free DVD for your school
(1 per school), please send the request on school letterhead to:
Fairfax Network
4414 Holborn Avenue
Annandale, VA 22003
Please click here for other video formats
Standards
Virginia Fine Arts
Standards of Learning
DM.12
The student will identify similarities and differences in dance styles from various cultures and historical periods
DM.13
The student will research the role of social and folk dance forms in American history
DM.14
The student will identify dance as a form of expression, communication, ceremony, and entertainment
MS.5
The student will investigate musical sounds, forms, styles, and genres through listening, discussing, writing, and performing
MS.6
The student will investigate the role of music in society
National Standards For
Arts Education—5-8
Dance Content Standard 5
Demonstrating and understanding dance in various cultures and historical periods
Music Content Standard 6
Students analyze the uses of elements of music in aural examples representing diverse genres and cultures
Music Content Standard 8
Students describe historical and social events and movements chronicled in or influenced by musical works
Virginia History and Social Science Standards of Learning
USI.5
The student will demonstrate knowledge of the factors that shaped colonial America.
USI.6
The student will demonstrate knowledge of the causes and results of the American Revolution.
National Social Studies and History Standards
Era 3: Standard 1A
The student understands the causes of the American Revolution.
Era 3: Standard 2C
The student understands the Revolution's effects on different social groups.
Programs
The Challenges of Nationhood: Presidential Perspectives
First In War: George Washington and the American Revolution
Funding a Nation: Washington, Jefferson, and Hamilton
I Ain't No Three Fifths of a Person
Seed to Table:
Farming at Mount Vernon
