ShareRemote Field Trips
Grades K-12: 30-90 min.
Meet live, through a video conference, with Gunston Hall staff and volunteers. Students in primary grades practice comparing past and present. Students in 4-6th grades explore the people, spaces, and activities of an 18th-century plantation. Middle and high school students delve into civics, considering questions of individual rights and the contradictions posed by George Mason’s advocacy for rights and simultaneous ownership of other people. Programs are aligned with Virginia’s Standards of Learning and C3.
Check back for more details. Or contact Gunston Hall at 703-550-9220 or [email protected].
Asynchronous Learning Modules
Grades 4-6: Step into the 18th Century (60-90 min.)
Select the topics that fit your class’s needs. Options include the tobacco economy, everyday life in the 18th century, slavery, and George Mason and the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Each packet includes a 3-5 minute video and accompanying student materials. Use these graphic organizers, writing assignments, and other activities as learning tools, assessments, or enrichment materials.
Fee: none; registration is required
For more information call us at 703-550-9220 or email [email protected].
Enrichment Activities
Grades 4-12: Hands-On Activities (15 minutes-several days.)
Invite your students into experiential learning. Each activity page begins with historical background and concludes with a hands-on component. Students learn about the past by making food and drinks, planting seeds, creating a game, and much more.
Fee: none
View the activity list correlated to the Virginia Standards of Learning.
Classroom Outreach
Grades 4-6: Discover George Mason (60-90 min.)
Delve into George Mason’s life and times without leaving your classroom. Docents supply materials to help students discover Mason’s era and his writing of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Fee: $40/classroom
Grades 7-12: Mason & Democratic Ideals (45-60 min.)
Invite a Gunston Hall educator into your classroom to lead students in activities about George Mason’s ideas about government and individual rights. Fee: $40/classroom
Ready to book your outreach program? Call us at 703-550-9220 or email [email protected].
Colonial Day at Gunston Hall
Dates for the 2022-23 school year will be posted by May 1. Reservations will be open as soon as the dates are posted.
Grades 4-6, $10/student, $10/chaperone, 3 hours
Your students will investigate life in the 18th century during this lively, hands-on program. They will consider multiple perspectives as they think about food, clothing, music, writing, and living conditions.
Essay Competition
The George Mason Essay Contest is now open! This year’s question:
George Mason was one of the greatest leaders of his generation. What do you think it takes to be a good leader? What makes you say that?
Entries will be accepted between January 11 and February 26, 2021. The contest is open to all 4th grade students and classes. The winner receives $75 and an award ceremony during our Writer’s Workshop on March 23, 2021. The winner’s teacher receives a complimentary class field trip or outreach session.
Criteria
The contest is open to students in 4th grade. Essays should be a maximum of 500 words.
The rubric for evaluating essays is based on the Virginia Standards of Learning for Language Arts. Essays will be evaluated for:
- Connection to the question
- Clarity and organization
- Grammar, punctuation, and spelling
Judging is at the discretion of representatives of Gunston Hall, and will be blind and anonymous.
Submit your contact information here, or download an entry form to submit by mail, email, or fax. For any questions, contact Dylan McCartney, School and Youth Programs Coordinator, at dylan.mccartney@gunstonhall.
Are you interested in sharing information about this opportunity with others? Download the flyer here.
